McGrath: Abuse hurt Tipp players

Shane McGrath has revealed the extent of the online abuse Tipperary players suffered following the county’s defeat to Kilkenny in last year’s All-Ireland semi-final.

Lar Corbett was just one of a number of team members subjected to heavy criticism from people inside the county on Twitter and Facebook following the record 18-point loss.

“It was a tough time for everyone,” recalled McGrath. “Some of the abuse that some of the players were getting, both on the social media and in the media or whatever was uncalled for.

“What’s the worst of it all is a lot of it was coming from our own people in Tipperary, and I just thought that was very bad form. We’re amateur players but we train like professionals. This is practically a professional organisation, the GAA.”

McGrath couldn’t understand the abusive remarks given how much the players committed to the cause.

“We train very hard — six, seven times a week for maybe nine, 10 months of the year. We don’t go out to lose a game.

“The way the Kilkenny game panned out, none of us planned that — management or players. We couldn’t foresee it. That happens in sport. Teams go out and just don’t perform, and we didn’t perform.”

Online criticism was the reason why Down forward John Clarke quit inter-county football in 2011.

“Players have to be mature,” said McGrath of players using social media. “It works both ways, players have to be mature about what they say on it, and have to take what’s said to them on the chin, unfortunately.”

McGrath recently returned home following a few months travelling the world. He believes it’s something every young inter-county player should experience, regardless of their onfield career.

“County minor stars nowadays, nine times out of 10 he’s going to be brought into a senior panel the following year, at 18-19 years of age. He’s not getting a chance to maybe go away and do the J1 or things like that for the summer, in America. I feel a young player should go away for a summer and just experience it.”