Magee, aged 82, was the voice of many sports in Ireland but was particularly strongly linked to football and commentated on 11 FIFA World Cup finals tournaments and 10 Olympic Games.
A native of County Louth, New York-born Magee made his mark in radio, and later on in television, upon joining RTE in 1956.
Magee was a constant presence at the Republic of Ireland national team games for decades and recently attended the FIFA World Cup qualifier versus Serbia. He was a regular supporter of the League of Ireland. His late son Paul played for Shamrock Rovers and tragically passed away in 2008.
Jimmy is survived by children Mark, Patricia, June and Linda, and a large extended family. His wife Marie sadly passed away in 1989.
FAI CEO John Delaney paid tribute to Jimmy Magee, who he described as 'the voice of football’.
"Jimmy Magee is synonymous with Irish sports commentary, and his voice was the soundtrack to some of the greatest sporting moments in history," said Delaney.
"Whether it was iconic moments like John Treacy’s Olympic marathon silver medal in 1984 or Barry McGuigan’s historic win over Eusebio Pedroza, Jimmy had a range that covered many sports.
"But for me, Jimmy Magee was the voice of football for generations, with his iconic commentaries marking such great occasions, like Liam Brady’s goal against France in 1977 at Lansdowne Road and Diego Maradona's goals against England in Mexico in 1986.
“Jimmy was a great League of Ireland man, and I will always remember him at Aviva Stadium every year for the Irish Daily Mail FAI Cup Final where he would regale everyone he came across with stories of great sporting occasions.
"He also compared many football events and was a fantastic host of the reunion of all the former Ireland players ahead of the first ever football international at Croke Park in 2007.
“Ireland has lost a true giant and Irish sport has lost one of its most iconic figures and I would like to pass on the sincerest condolences of the FAI to Jimmy’s family and friends on this sad occasion."
FAI President Tony Fitzgerald also paid tribute to the legendary broadcaster.
"Jimmy Magee was an integral part of our sporting lives for many decades and we all have fabulous memories of his voice lighting up major sports events, whether it was on TV or radio," said Fitzgerald.
"But I think we all associate him with the really big football occasions such as the World Cups and European Championships and there's no doubt that those tournaments will never feel the same without hearing Jimmy's brilliant commentary.
"The deepest respects of the Association go to Jimmy's family at this sad time."
The FAI will mark Jimmy Magee’s passing at SSE Airtricity League games this weekend, and he will be remembered at Ireland's FIFA World Cup qualifier against Moldova on October 6 at Aviva Stadium.