New seasons, new horizons for McGrath

It’s a mark of the esteem in which Kilkenny hurling is held in Munster that the feeling generally in the province is that if you win an All-Ireland title without having overcome the Leinster giants, then your title is somewhat diminished.

Thus it is that for Clare’s Conor McGrath, captain of the side that meets the Cats in Thurles this evening in the Bord Gáis Energy All-Ireland U21 hurling championship final. Though still a minor, McGrath made an appearance that historic day three years ago when the Banner made the breakthrough at this grade with a 0-15 to 0-14 win over, yes you guessed it, the black and amber. The memories of that afternoon still send shivers down the spine.

McGrath admitted: “Clare don’t get to too many All-Ireland finals. When you do you’re probably going to be playing Kilkenny, they’re the benchmark in Ireland ever since I’ve been watching hurling anyway.

“I suppose if you didn’t beat Kilkenny on the way to an All-Ireland people would say it’s not a real All-Ireland.”

The atmosphere that season was fantastic, a taster for young McGrath and the rest as to what it must have been like for the senior team in 1995. “The Clare public really got behind the team and it was great to be successful at the end of it. I suppose being the first time it was extra special. The senior team weren’t going so well at the time and the public rode in behind us with huge Clare crowds travelling to those games. It was just brilliant.”

Three years on and times have changed dramatically for Clare. The U21 ceiling broken, Clare are also starting to make waves at senior level with McGrath an established star in Davy Fitzgerald’s team. Even on a personal level he’s moved on, gaining a degree and is now studying for a Masters in Accounting in Galway. Different times. “I suppose it is. When you’re that young you’re just delighted to be there and to play a small part in it. When you’re older, coming towards the end of underage hurling, you’d like to play more of a part. Obviously it would be brilliant to finish it off.”

There will be one familiar face on this team from 2009, wing-back Patrick O’Connor, but a couple of very familiar faces on the line. Joint managers Donal Moloney and Gerry O’Connor and Conor himself go back a long way. “I’ve been with Gerry since I was U14 and Donal since I was U16. They know us inside out, all the strengths and weaknesses of the players and we know a lot about them as well so that can only benefit the team. It’s great to have them involved for so long.”

He added: “They freshen things up all the way along, we’re not doing the same things for eight years. There’s always the next challenge, moving from minor to U21 and all that. It’s great to have them involved and it’s a very professional set-up. Obviously you’d be hopeful that things will continue to improve at senior level but every other county is looking at it the same way — Limerick, Waterford, they’re all looking to the future. Galway this year have 17 U21s on their senior panel and they’re in the All-Ireland final. But underage success is no guarantee of senior success, it’ll take a lot of hard work to progress over the next number of years. I find it’s great to come back and play U21, against lads of your own age group, lads you’re friends with all your life. It’s knockout, home and away and there’s great atmosphere at the games. It’s a brilliant championship to be part of. We’ll see how it goes.”