{{short description|Irish sports commentator}} {{for|the television character|Nip/Tuck}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}} {{Infobox person |name = Conor McNamara |image = |alt = |caption = |birth_name = |birth_date = |birth_place = [[Limerick]], Ireland |education = BA (hons) TV & Radio, Post-graduate diploma in Business Studies |alma_mater = [[University of Salford]] <br /> [[University College Dublin]] (UCD) |other_names = |known_for = |occupation = Sports commentator }}
'''Conor McNamara''' is an Irish sports commentator. He is the lead commentator for [[Premier League Productions]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/epl-commentator-assignments-on-nbc-sports-gameweek-38-2-20210521-CMS-334619.html|title=EPL commentator assignments on NBC Sports, gameweek 38|date=19 July 2021|website=World Soccer Talk}}</ref> and also works for [[BBC Sport]] on [[BBC Radio 5 Live|Radio 5 Live]] and ''[[Match of the Day]]'', [[Amazon Prime Video]] and [[Sky Sports]].<ref name="Sky Sports">{{cite web|url=https://www.skygroup.sky/article/sky-sports-the-lions-to-be-the-home-of-the-british-and-irish-lions-tour-of-south-africa |title=Sky Sports The Lions to be the home of the British and Irish Lions Tour of South Africa |publisher=Sky Group |date=28 June 2021}}</ref>
In April 2026 McNamara was voted Commentator of the Year at the [[Sports Journalists' Association]] British Sports Journalism Awards 2025.<ref name="SJA_BSJA2025">[https://www.sportsjournalists.co.uk/awards-news/sja-british-sports-journalism-awards-2025-broadcast-winners-match-of-the-day-gabby-logan/ Match of the Day and Gabby Logan among Broadcast winners at SJA British Sports Journalism Awards 2025]. Sports Journalists' Association, 27 April 2026.</ref> Away from sport, he voices the character of 'Squawk The Parrot' on [[CBeebies]] show ''[[Swashbuckle (TV series)|Swashbuckle]]''.<ref name="IrishmanAbroad">{{cite podcast |author-link=Jarlath Regan |author=Jarlath Regan |edition=79 |work=[[An Irishman Abroad]] |title=Conor McNamara |publisher=[[SoundCloud]] |date=22 March 2015 |url=https://soundcloud.com/an-irishman-abroad/conor-mcnamara-episode-79 |access-date=25 March 2015}}</ref>
==Early life== McNamara was born in [[Limerick]], where he attended the Jesuit [[Crescent College]]. McNamara studied at the [[University of Salford]], where he earned a Degree in Television and Radio. He also attended the [[Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School]] at [[University College Dublin]] where he received a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Studies.
==Career == While still at university, McNamara did his first football commentary for Irish national radio station [[Today FM]] - the [[1997 FA Cup Final]].
He joined the Irish TV station [[TV3 (Ireland)|TV3]] in [[Dublin]] at its launch in 1998 as a sports presenter and commentator. His first commentary for national television was the [[Republic of Ireland national football team|Republic of Ireland]] versus [[Yugoslavia national football team|Yugoslavia]] in 1998. He became TV3's [[UEFA Champions League]] commentator in 1999, before joining the [[BBC]] in 2002.
===Football === McNamara's first national radio commentary for [[BBC Radio 5 Live]] was [[Bolton Wanderers F.C.|Bolton]] v [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham]] in August 2002. His first [[Match of the Day]] commentary for [[BBC]] television was [[Everton F.C.|Everton]] versus [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]] in October 2004.
McNamara regularly commentates on the [[Premier League]], the [[FA Cup]], the [[UEFA Champions League]] and internationals. He has worked at every [[FIFA World Cup]] since 1998 and every [[UEFA European Championship]] since 2004.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52530306|title=McNamara's memorable MOTD moments|work=BBC Sport}}</ref>
Each year from 2014 to 2023, McNamara was nominated as [[Football Supporters' Federation]] Commentator of the Year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fsf.org.uk/latest-news/view/fsf-awards-2014-commentator-of-the-year|title=FSF Awards 2014: Commentator of the Year - Football Supporters' Federation|website=www.fsf.org.uk|date=11 November 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fsf.org.uk/latest-news/view/The-FSF-Awards-2015-in-association-with-William-Hill|title=The FSF Awards 2015 in association with William Hill - Football Supporters' Federation|website=www.fsf.org.uk|date=5 November 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://thefsa.org.uk/news/fsa-awards-2019-shortlists-announced/|title=Vote now: FSA Awards 2019 shortlists announced|date=7 November 2019}}</ref>
===Rugby union===
McNamara commentates on [[rugby union]] for BBC television, [[Amazon Prime Video]] and [[Sky Sports]]. He regularly covers [[Ireland national rugby union team|Ireland]]'s games for BBC radio. McNamara commentated on all 13 games TV3 Ireland covered for the 2007 Rugby World cup alongside BBC colleague Philip Matthews.<ref>{{cite web|title=McNamara TV3 RWC 2007|url=http://www.limerickleader.ie/what-s-on/features/leader-interview-with-conor-macnamara-1-2181112|website=limerickleader.ie|publisher=Limerick Leader|access-date=22 March 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402163322/http://www.limerickleader.ie/what-s-on/features/leader-interview-with-conor-macnamara-1-2181112|archive-date=2 April 2015}}</ref> McNamara's first live TV commentary game for the BBC was [[Scotland rugby union team|Scotland]] versus [[Italy rugby union team|Italy]] in the [[Six Nations Championship]] in 2011 and he has commentated on at least one match at every tournament since. McNamara returned to TV3 for the [[2015 Rugby World Cup]] as a presenter and commentator as TV3 had exclusive rights to the tournament and covered all games on TV3 and 3e alongside Keith Wood, Peter Stringer and Stuart Barnes.<ref>{{cite web|title=TV3 announce RWC 2015 Lineup|url=http://www.tv3.ie/rwc2015_article/12/TV3-confirms-exclusive-Rugby-World-Cup-coverage|website=tv3.ie|publisher=TV3 Ireland|access-date=22 March 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150401071152/http://www.tv3.ie/rwc2015_article/12/TV3-confirms-exclusive-Rugby-World-Cup-coverage|archive-date=1 April 2015}}</ref>
McNamara provided world feed commentary for [[World Rugby]] from Japan at the [[2019 Rugby World Cup]] and from France at the [[2023 Rugby World Cup]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/ConorMcNamaraIE/status/1179669014416482304}}</ref>
McNamara has been part of the [[Amazon Prime Video]] commentary team for the [[Autumn Nations Cup]] since 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rugbyworld.com/autumn-nations-cup/who-are-amazon-primes-rugby-pundits-115825|title=Who are Amazon Prime's rugby pundits?|date=3 November 2020}}</ref>
===Golf === McNamara is part of the BBC's golf commentary team and has worked at every [[The Open Championship]] since 2006. He has also regularly worked at The [[Ryder Cup]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/webarchive/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fblogs%2F5live%2Fentries%2F576c5a07-fbf7-32e2-a624-a5d75ce3bc73|title=5 live at the Ryder Cup|date=24 September 2012|website=Behind the mic: The 5 live blog}}</ref> The [[PGA Championship]] and The [[Solheim Cup]].
===''Swashbuckle''=== McNamara is known to a younger, pre-school audience, as the voice of "Squawk" the parrot on the [[Cbeebies]] show ''[[Swashbuckle (TV series)|Swashbuckle]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/webarchive/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fblogs%2Fcbeebiesgrownups%2Fentries%2F25b6fab5-2e0b-3f50-86ae-3537f20e51c6|title=Conor McNamara: Swashbuckle's Squawk goes to the World Cup in Brazil|date=10 June 2014|website=CBeebies Grown-ups}}</ref>
===Other BBC appearances=== McNamara appears on [[Phil Williams (presenter)|Phil Williams]]' Team Talk on Wednesday nights on BBC Radio Five Live with fellow BBC Sport broadcaster [[Dan Walker (sports journalist)|Dan Walker]].<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/b00psvgw| url-status = live| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120330084935/http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/ttt| archive-date = 2012-03-30| title = BBC - Podcasts - Tony's Team Talk}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20090709225926/http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/biographies/biogs/radiofivelive/conor_mcnamara.shtml Conor McNamara] at the [[BBC]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:McNamara, Conor}} [[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Alumni of University College Dublin]] [[Category:Alumni of the University of Salford]] [[Category:Irish association football commentators]] [[Category:Irish male voice actors]] [[Category:Irish radio presenters]] [[Category:Sportspeople from Limerick (city)]] [[Category:Irish rugby union commentators]] [[Category:People educated at Crescent College]] [[Category:BBC sports presenters and reporters]] [[Category:Broadcasters from County Limerick]]