Emotional James reveals touching gesture

JAMES McGARRY last night revealed that the Kilkenny management wanted him to play the final minutes of Sunday’s All-Ireland final victory over Limerick.

McGarry, whose wife Vanessa was killed in a car accident six weeks ago, turned down the offer to replace goalkeeper PJ Ryan.

Said McGarry: “Sunday was very emotional. It was very hard. But once we got to Croke Park it eased and the players made it easy the way they performed.

“The management asked me to come on for the last few minutes. But I thought it would have been unfair to do that to PJ and ruin his last few minutes of glory. We have a great relationship, we are great friends and I was delighted for PJ. He performed brilliantly.”

There was also praise for captain Henry Shefflin who brought McGarry’s son, Darragh, alongside him when lifting the Liam MacCarthy Cup.

“To share that moment with Daragh was unbeliveable,” he told RTÉ Radio One.

“To lose Vanessa the way we did was a very hard thing to suffer. The GAA community all over Ireland have been tremendous in the way they have helped us along over the couple of weeks.”