McGrath's heroics honoured

WATERFORD'S Ken McGrath was at the centre of a neat little cameo yesterday as he accepted his Vodafone GAA Player of the Month Award for June.

McGrath and his team mates are big news in the Déise, and as he made his way to the reception in the Granville Hotel, he was stopped in his tracks by a family decked out in Waterford jerseys there to get McGrath’s autograph. He duly obliged.

“It has been like this ever since the Munster Final,” McGrath smiled. “Before, people would be walking the streets wearing football shirts from the likes of Manchester United or Liverpool, these days every where we go all we can see are Waterford jerseys.

“That gives us all a lift, brings it home to us exactly what this win has meant to the Waterford people and how much they want us to go on from here.”

It was McGrath’s extraordinary performance in the Munster Final against Tipperary which helped ensure Waterford’s first senior hurling championship success in almost 40 years and garnered him this latest accolade.

“I am delighted to accept this award. It is always nice to get some personal recognition but I accepted it on behalf of the team because without them I wouldn’t be in this position and that is what remains important.”

McGrath scored seven points from play against Tipperary in a performance that provided the inspiration for Waterford’s first Munster senior championship success since 1963.

“It was great to be in the Munster Final and return home to show my father the medal. He hurled for 16 years with Waterford without winning one and seeing the look on his face after the game was fantastic.

“Also it was nice today that my relatives as well as my parents were able to share the spotlight and enjoy the day. They have suffered with Waterford over the years and they were all delighted to be able to attend the lunch and see me receive the Vodafone award.”

Ominously enough for the hurling fraternity in Munster and in Ireland, McGrath believes that winning the Final was just the spurt that Waterford needed to ensure that they are a team to be reckoned with for seasons to come.

“All we needed was that one Munster win. There are young fellas on the team that have a Munster medal in their first season while the likes of the older guys are training as hard and looking as sharp as the youngest in the squad.

“What this win has done is give everyone a lift. This team is still fairly young. I am only 24 years of age and I really do believe that the confidence we have garnered from beating Tipp will help us be contenders for seasons to come.”