Cancer survivors up for the match

As D’Unbelievables satirised, going out there and enjoying it is something which many a GAA player has been implored to do since underage.

O’Moore Park in Portlaoise will host a game of football this Monday (3.30pm) where the taking part really is more important than the result, however, as the first Professor Hollywood Cup is played for.

All of the players will be cancer survivors as St Luke’s Hospital — managed by Brian Cody — take on Mick O’Dwyer’s St James’s, with a ladies’ football game between Mountmellick and Baltinglass preceding it.

Wicklow player John McGrath, who beat leukaemia, is one of those centrally involved, and he points out that the match serves a purpose arguably even more important than raising money for the two hospitals.

“Raising money is a massive part of it,” he said, “but the real aim is to give people confidence, because when they hear the word ‘cancer’ they fear the worst.

“Even then, they might begin to beat it but there’s a second fear that they won’t get back to normal. The whole idea is to prove that everybody can make a 100% recovery.

“Richard Poole from Laois first thought of it, Professor Hollywood was his consultant. When he passed away, Richard came to me asked if I’d get involved as well, so there has been a big push.

“We wanted to do it in a way that would attract people, so the tickets are only €5. As well as the tickets, there’s a text service whereby if you text ‘Match’ to 50300, that donates €4.”

In 2011, McGrath was diagnosed and though he admits to worrying initially, he soon realised that a positive outlook was required.

“You’d be foolish if you didn’t fear the worst at some stage,” he said, “but when it happens, there’s only one way to go about it, the mind dictates everything. Luckily, when I was brought to hospital I met very positive and encouraging people.”

A desire to make sure he made it back to the football field with Baltinglass and Wicklow helped to provide a driving force.

“Obviously, the first thing was to get out of the bed!” he laughed.

“The way I looked at it was that my last competitive game was losing a county final to Rathnew that autumn, so to be thinking of that as your last game definitely motivates you to get back that bit quicker. I was back on a pitch within five months of being diagnosed. The first time back in the Wicklow jersey, standing alongside 14 other lads looking at the Irish flag, it was emotional.”

Now, he is keen to help others.

“It has more been going to schools and talking to kids about any negative effects people come across,” he said. “There are people in worse places.”