'I don't think we get the credit that's due' - Brian McGrath praises Loughmore-Castleiney teammates

"People say we'll dog it out, we'll dog it out but by God we have hurlers all over the field, boy," he added.

Loughmore-Castleiney’s Brian McGrath with his niece Grace after the game. Pic: ©INPHO/Paul Barrett.

On this 12-game unbeaten championship run of theirs over the last two years, Loughmore-Castleiney have averaged an aggregate of over 27 points per game.

Not too shabby for a team who are associated more with battling performances than shooting out the lights.

In this latest SHC success, they have averaged close to 30 points per game, over four points better than 2024. In Sunday’s final, they had 10 different scorers including defenders Brian McGrath and Ed Meagher. McGrath hopes such scoring prowess goes some way to revising some misconceptions about his side.

“Sometimes, I don't think we get the credit that's due there for the hurling. People say we'll dog it out, we'll dog it out but by God we have hurlers all over the field, boy. We're not relying on John or Noel (McGrath) there.

"You spread the ball around to any of them guys, there's some serious stickmen there. We're well able to hurl the ball around the field. I think we've done that in patches today but more of it to come hopefully.”

Proving McGrath’s point, captain Liam McGrath was Loughmore-Castleiney’s highest scorer from play against Nenagh Éire Óg. In the quarter-final win over Toomevara, it was Ed Connolly who pitched in with 1-5.

McGrath paid tribute to his cousin Liam.

“He was unreal, he's been unreal all year. The boys have been exceptional. There's been days where us as backs haven't helped him with the ball going in but any ball that went in to the boys all year, they fought for it on their backs.”

Loughmore’s aspirations of completing a back-to-back double died with defeat to Kilsheelan-Kilcash in the football championship the weekend before the hurling decider.

Parking that setback wasn’t a difficulty for a team as seasoned as Loughmore-Castleiney.

“We got bet by a better team, Kilsheelan, but straight away we knew we had a county final next week. Anybody would give their left arm to be there. So we had to get our heads screwed on and realise the situation that we were in. We couldn't drag on too long with the disappointment, we had to turn our heads on Saturday night.”

Attention will shortly redirect to facing Éire Óg, Ennis in a Munster semi-final in the middle of next month. Loughmore-Castleiney haven’t won a provincial SHC game since they won the title in 2007. It’s a record that will undoubtedly be mentioned in the club.

“I suppose at the start of the year this (winning the Dan Breen Cup) was our goal,” said McGrath.

“We want to get back here to the county final and win the county finals. It's something we as a club have never done, not too many clubs have done it. It's an absolutely unreal achievement.

“We'll enjoy this but, yeah look, we were disappointed (v Ballygunner) last year but we were looking no further than today. I think we're into a semi-final now but we'll knuckle down during the week and we'll get our heads around that and we'll give it one right crack.”