Dual demands suiting Loughmore-Castleiney as they bid for Tipperary senior double

Before they focus on Kiladangan in Sunday week’s SHC final, there is the matter of a SFC semi-final clash with Moyle Rovers

Seán Phelan of Nenagh Éire Óg in action against Tomás McGrath of Loughmore-Castleiney during the Tipperary SHC semi-final. Picture: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

All bar 2001 All-Ireland SHC winner David Kennedy of Loughmore-Castleiney’s hurling team will be togging out for the club’s footballers tomorrow as they aim for a second Tipperary senior double success in seven years.

Before they focus on Kiladangan in Sunday week’s SHC final, there is the matter of a semi-final clash with Moyle Rovers in Boherlahan. And at the age of 44, Kennedy, now the hurling goalkeeper, can be forgiven for concentrating on the one code. Besides, he already has four senior football medals in his collection.

Kennedy would still have been at training this week though as there is little distinction between the two codes for the group under the same management team led by Frankie McGrath.

As hurling captain Tomás McGrath says: “The hurleys might be there for the warm-up on Tuesday or Wednesday but the primary focus this week will be football. I find that a week of football freshens up the thing and come the following Tuesday at training, we’d be bursting for hurling again. It works great like that, you can a break from each of them for a week.

If we weren’t playing football next week, we’d be tearing lumps out of each other in football anyway. We’re probably lucky we’re allowed to do what we do. We wouldn’t change it. We love doing it really.

Deprived of the opportunity to watch their team, McGrath is cognisant of supporters’ desire to know how they are preparing for games.

“The main reason we play, it’s grand to be successful, but I think if we can make those people at home proud of what we’re doing then we’re happy enough then.

“It’s the heartbeat of our community. No matter who you meet they are going to be asking you, ‘How are you getting on? What’s the team? Who’s starting?’ We’re not going to bluff them or anything like that because they are our own. 

“It just shows you the importance of the club championships around the country. Talking to friends in other counties, the vibe is similar, it’s huge in every parish and without it the last few months would even have been a lot harder. It’s that bit of normality for people to cling on to, it’s nearly a distraction in some ways, a release from the stresses throughout the country.” 

Tomás McGrath of Loughmore-Castleiney with his own hurley and that of Conor Ryan of Nenagh Éire Óg. Picture: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

When Loughmore-Castleiney were winning all around them in 2013 and ‘14, they did so with almost half the panel living in Dublin.

But now the ability to work remotely has assisted their preparations with Joey Nyland the only player now based in the capital.

Having complete access to the three McGrath brothers as well as county footballers Nyland and John Meagher has been a huge boost.

“For a small club like us, like we have five inter-county players between hurling and football, just to have five extra players at training is huge,” remarks McGrath.

“And they are five players who have driven the standard up higher. You’re at training there and you’re marking Noel or you’re marking John, you know all about it, you are earning your training, when you are going over training you need to be ready. That’s why they are playing at the level they are.”