Noel’s status rises to immortal

By Stephen Barry

As a hurling obsessive, Noel McGrath knew the personal history up for grabs in Sunday’s All-Ireland final.

The Loughmore-Castleiney star is the first Tipperary man to reach four Celtic crosses in over fifty years. There are precious few living hurlers in the county with more.

“I live hurling and I know a lot about the history of Tipperary, so I would have been aware of that,” he revealed.

“There’s no point in saying that I didn’t know that if we won, getting to four was the first time since ‘65 or ‘71 that someone has done it. Now that’s happened, it’s a great feeling and I’m delighted to be one with four.

“There’s a lot of lads with three and a few with two and more with their first on Sunday, so to be in that category is unreal.”

Could he get a fifth yet?

“We’ll see,” he replied.

“I’d love to be able to give it a go and have a rattle off it next year again, but we’ll see what happens.”

McGrath, who works as a territory manager for MSD Animal Health, got to celebrate this success with his son, Sam, while a second child is due in October.

“To be able to have my son there yesterday was probably one of the greatest things I could have done, and I lifted the Liam MacCarthy with him in my arms.”

“It never gets old,” says McGrath of the winning feeling. Watching on, it feels like he never does either.

Yet at 34, each winter features some thought about whether to stay going or retire. When McGrath reflected on that question last year, he found all the right answers.

“Over the last number of years, at the end of every year, you do think about it,” he admitted.

“When you're feeling good about it and when you're enjoying it, it's hard to step away, because when you're gone, you're gone. You're not going to come back at my age, when it's over.

“So I'm delighted I have been able to contribute over the last number of years, and especially to be part of it this year.

“Who knows into the future? There's no point in me saying here what I know I'm going to do. I'd love to stay playing forever, but I know that can't happen.

“We'll see in time. I'll go back to the club and see how that goes over the next few months.”

McGrath has never doubted his ability to compete physically, but it’s retaining the motivation that is key.

“It's the head more than anything. You have to be willing to get yourself up and go training every week. That's probably the hardest part – if you're able to do that. And if you're mentally able to do it.

“But mentally I've been really, really enjoying it. I never really had that evening where you're dragging yourself out to training. You'd be looking forward to it, and that for me is the part that really keeps you going.

“I enjoyed every minute of it. When you have an ending like this, it's hard not to enjoy it as well.”

McGrath’s role has evolved to play as an impact sub, making two starts and eight appearances off the bench this year.

“I'd love to be starting, but there's 38 lads on our panel that would love to start. You have to trust the management that what they're deciding is the right thing for the team.

“I go in training, and I burst myself every night to be trying to get on that 15. And if you're not on it, you want to be one of the ones that come on.

“I'm no different to anyone else, and when I'm 50 years of age, I'll still want to play. That's just the nature of it. You just accept that the management make their decisions and that's what you have to go with.”

On the team bus, McGrath sits beside Darragh McCarthy and was the first to console the teenager after his red card against Cork. His display to score 1-13 thrilled the elder statesman.

“He’s had a tough few weeks and months with different things, but his form, his attitude, and his mood never really changed.

“He’s one of the most dedicated hurlers you’ll find. He’s always practising, always doing different things.

“He gave an exhibition yesterday in an All-Ireland final, and he struck his frees after the last match or two that the frees hadn’t gone well for him. I don’t think he missed one, so I was delighted for him.

“I have great time for him, he’s a lovely young fella and, like the rest of them, they’re all lovely lads to be involved with.”