McGrath clan go extra mile in pursuit of glory

For the McGrath family of New Inn, Galway, it was a weekend quite like no other.

Between Athlone and Semple Stadium, a fair amount of road was travelled, but the bronze medal secured, complimented by Galway’s All-Ireland senior camogie semi-final win over Wexford ensured it was all worthwhile.

Not to confuse anyone we will rewind to Friday evening where Bullaun/New Inn squared off against Clare and Munster champions Derg –incorporating the parishes of Scariff, Ogonnelloe and Bodyke – in the U14 camogie semi-final.

Siobhán McGrath led the challenge of the Galway outfit, daughter of team manager and two-time All-Ireland senior medal winner Michael ‘Hopper’ McGrath.

As proceedings approached the death, Siobhán, double marked throughout, had legitimate claims for a close-in free, but the referee waved away the calls of the East Galway side. In the end, Derg advanced by the narrowest of margins, 6-5 to 5-7.

Siobhán skipped the following morning’s bronze medal encounter against Armagh’s Upper Creggan, forming part of the Bullaun/New Inn quartet that finished second in the heats of the U14 relay later in the afternoon. It proved the correct decision as the girls had plenty to spare in their 10-9 to 3-0 win.

Involvement in the relay however, ensured the young talent couldn’t escape to Thurles along with the rest of the family to watch older sister Niamh play her role in Galway’s bid to reach the senior camogie decider. The centre-forward tallied two frees as the tribeswomen ran out comfortable 1-12 to 0-6 winners.

Returning to Athlone on the Sunday and the quartet scraped into the final, but Siobhán, along with team-mates Arlene Earls, Aisling Kenny, Erica Leslie and Sheena Cannon – the latter two also doubling up in the camogie – were unsuccessful in their medal bid.

Still, a bronze medal and a place in Croker by no means represents a poor weekend’s work.

And who provided this tale only Siobhán and Niamh’s grandmother Katherine Kilkelly, serving in her 37th year as the Galway county manager at the Community Games.