Loughmore relishing playing with full deck

 

By Shane Brophy

The Covid-19 pandemic certainly created unprecedented upheaval in the GAA with the calendar turned upside down, but it has led to unforeseen benefits that will hopefully continue into the future.

That is the feeling of Loughmore/Castleiney duo Noel McGrath and Ciaran Connolly who have seen their club thrive this summer with their numerous inter-county hurlers and footballers able to focus entirely on the club and have been rewarded by reaching a first county senior hurling final since 2014.

Loughmore/Castleiney have always been seen as one of the purest GAA clubs, not only in Tipperary, but also the country with the way in which they focus on hurling and football in equal measure, and never quibble about the busy schedule that comes before them.

“We are getting games every week and after being sitting idle for so long it is great to have the games coming,” admitted Noel McGrath. 

“We all did enough running on the roads during lockdown and now is the time for the games. We have massive numbers coming to the field, 35-40 lads training. Our juniors are into a Mid semi-final. 

“It’s good to have lads around and is something for people to do at the moment and what else would you be rather doing.”

When it comes to Loughmore/Castleiney and Tipperary, the loyalty of their players to the club has always been total but Noel McGrath feels it has been strengthened by being able to totally focus on his club in recent weeks, before turning his attention to the inter-county championship later this year.

“The way it was over the last number of years you are just coming straight back from plugging away during the summer with Tipperary, and then you are just thrown straight back into the club with a week to prepare.

 
“It does help and talking to players around the country they feel a lot more integrated in their club. If the split season does come it will be fairer to both inter-county and to the club scene and both will be treated with the respect they both deserve because we all know the inter-county game has its place as much as the club game does as well.”

He added: “Going down the road if it is split in 2021 or 2022 everyone will have a fair crack at it then. Preparation for clubs over the last number of years has been tough because basically when then inter-county team was finished you were basically into club championship seven days later, so it is impossible to prepare a team like that.

“We have been all training together for two and a half months since were allowed back. It has created a lot more competition in every club championship around the country, and the excitement it has brought watching hurling and football matches on Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons shows the strength of the club competition when they are able to perform and prepare the best they could.”

Ciaran Connolly has been in the same boat as an All-Ireland Under 20 winner with Tipperary in 2019 and agrees that this year’s schedule has been much more helpful to clubs and has led to a better championship overall.

“I fully agree with Noel, you can prepare better having all the players around for a couple of months training. You get used to playing with them again as if they are only back a week before we are not used to playing with each other. It’s a big help having them around for a couple of months and we are better prepared.

“It’s been different this year having the county lads back and having us training as a group for a couple of months has helped. Getting one or two big wins gives a team momentum and I think the football also complements the hurling as if you are going well in one you are generally going well in the other so confidence is high at the moment.”