Athlone-based basketball commentator to tell his story in new book

Tim McCarthy, the Athlone resident who attracted international attention for his energetic Olympic Games basketball commentary, is to publish a book about his life later this year.

The 66-year-old Cork native, who has been based in Kiltoom for several decades, announced that his book Boomshakala: Winning Against the Odds will be released in October.

He said the book would tell the stories of his life "from different angles" and would show "a side of me that you will never have seen before".

The book is being published by Irish company Red Stripe Press.

A synopsis states that it will be "more than just a sporting memoir," but rather a human-interest story which "takes readers on an unforgettable journey from the early days of growing up in Gurranabraher in Cork in the 1960s to becoming one of Ireland’s most recognisable voices at Olympic Games for over 20 years".

In 2023, McCarthy was inducted into the Basketball Ireland Hall of Fame in recognition of his contribution to the sport as a player, coach and commentator on RTÉ.

His commentary on the basketball action during the most recent Olympic Games in Paris prompted an article in The New York Times which was headlined, 'Every Four Years, He Gives Ireland a Reason to Watch Basketball'.

McCarthy's unique commentary style is peppered with terms that have become his signature phrases, such as "boomshakalaka!", "coast to coast!" and "downtown!"

He has also spoken publicly in recent years about his battle with prostate cancer following a diagnosis in 2018.

"All that you have achieved up to that point, captaining and coaching the Ireland men's basketball team, commentating at the Olympics, achieving a successful career in business, is completely irrelevant," he said of the diagnosis.

"In times of illness, family and close friends are all that matters."