RTÉ sidelines Patrick Mulcahy from GAA coverage until after local elections
Month Mulcahy Cork In Local Elections Due Be On The His Candidacy Heard Will Over Mentator Rté Gaa Airwaves Not To The Patrick Next
A popular Cork GAA commentator will not be heard on RTÉ airwaves over the next month due to his candidacy in next month's local elections.
Patrick Mulcahy, who provides commentary on the GAAGo coverage as well as RTÉ radio, is running for election for Fianna Fáil in Midleton and has not taken up commentary duties since the beginning of May.
RTÉ confirmed on Monday that this was due to election rules from the Media Commission which came into effect in early May.
A spokesperson said: "Patrick Mulcahy provides weekend GAA commentary on RTÉ Radio 1 for RTÉ Sport. As he is a candidate contesting the local elections, RTÉ determined that he would be off-air from May 7 (the date that election rules of Coimisiún na Meán came into force) until after the close of polls on June 7."
Mr Mulcahy declined to comment.
RTÉ confirmed that its rules will apply across the board, meaning Fine Gael's Europe candidate Nina Carberry, who has worked on the broadcaster's horse racing coverage, and Sinn Féin's Eric Donovan, who is running in Louth and has been a boxing pundit in the past, will not be on the airwaves until after the election.
The commission rules state that "fair allocation of airtime during election coverage is essential" but add "the inclusion in a broadcast of an individual involved in an election campaign will not automatically mean that the broadcast must comply with these guidelines simply on account of their appearance".
The appearance would have to be linked to the candidacy to fall foul of the guidelines.