It's not all that often that Ireland win an Olympic gold medal.
After Fintan McCarthy and Paul O'Donovan's win in Toyko overnight, only four Irish athletes/pairings have claimed gold in the games over the last 65 years. It is a remarkable achievement, one that will write their names into Irish sporting history.
Of course, the rarity of the event means that even those who are synonymous with some of the biggest days for sport in this country have not been on hand to witness them during their professional career.
George Hamilton has long been associated with big sporting occasions in Ireland. That is especially true for football, but he has also commentated on a number of other codes down through the years.
That includes the Olympics, with the 71-year old covering his 11th games in Tokyo. Despite this, he had never been in the commentary booth for an Irish gold medal.
That all changed in the early hours of this morning.
As good as O'Donovan and McCarthy were in the water, Hamilton was equally as good on the mic. He produced a tour de force that was more than fitting of the occasion.
Here is how he called the closing stages of the race.
Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy en route to winning Olympic gold in the men’s lightweight double sculls final in Tokyo. #olympics #tokyo2020 #RTESport
📺 Watch live - https://t.co/lLKXNhKPkF
📱 Updates – https://t.co/YWfUCcDfUp https://t.co/MkqELuPPo0— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) July 29, 2021
Fintan McCarthy and Paul O'Donovan win gold. Gold for Ireland, gold for Ireland, silver for Germany, and the Italians come home in third place.
And that is one more chapter of magnificence from the men from county Cork. Brilliant, sheer brilliance.
No drama, no crisis, just one, two, three, quarters of the race. And when it mattered, they hit the front.
When they got to the line, there was more than a length in it and that is as decisive as you could wish. 6 minutes 6.43 seconds was the winning time. It is not about records. It is about metal.
The most precious metal of all is gold and that will soon be in the possession of Fintan McCarthy and Paul O’Donovan. Irish Olympic champions.
How wonderful it is to be able to say that.
A master at work.
Unsurprisingly, the watching public were enthralled by Hamilton's performance and were delighted to see him finally be associated with Irish Olympic gold.
What a privilege it was to have George Hamilton call an Olympic gold medal for Ireland!
— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) July 29, 2021
Wow. George Hamilton was even more certain of the outcome than the two lads in the boat 🥇
— Eoin McDevitt (@EoinMcDevitt) July 29, 2021
George Hamilton is truly brilliant at finding the right words in major sporting moments. He is the one all aspiring commentators should follow#RowingGold
— Shane Brophy (@BrophShane) July 29, 2021
Oh to wake up to Gold at the Olympics! Well done the West Cork two! And George Hamilton too 😃
— Anne Bennett Brosnan (@galinwellies) July 29, 2021
Something strangely moving about knowing that that is the first Irish gold medal commentary for legendary commentator George Hamilton, the voice of so many iconic Irish sporting moments. 🥇🇮🇪
— Barry Brett-McStay (@bazmcstay) July 29, 2021
11 #Olympics and that's the first gold medal George Hamilton commentated on. That's a crazy stat
— Alan Mac Lochlainn (@DrPlow) July 29, 2021
Hearing Amhrán na bhFiann being played at the Olympics with George Hamilton commentating is seriously good for the heart 🇮🇪
— Daithi Finnegan (@daithif91) July 29, 2021
Blown away to find out that's the first Irish gold medal that George Hamilton has ever commentated on, at his 11th Olympics. A great moment for the two lads from Cork made even more special. Congrats to Paul O'Donovan and Fintan McCarthy!
— Declan Harte (@CheesyHartePun) July 29, 2021
The man himself was only delighted to be there for the occasion.
You're most kind, Eamonn. I'm so privileged to be involved with the athletes. After all the years, that's my first time calling Irish Olympic Gold 🥇🥇
— George Hamilton (@HamiltonRTE) July 29, 2021
We hold out hope that this will be the first of many Irish Olympic gold medals that George Hamilton can commentate on over the next few years.
SEE ALSO: O'Donovan & McCarthy Were As Cool As Ever Despite Making Olympic History
