Talking Points: Ulster championship defined by bands of brothers, Na Fianna's new record
PUT IT THERE: Newbridge players Shane McGrogan, left, Killian Burke after their side's victory. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
Four years ago, Tom McGrath ran the New York marathon for the last time. He was 71 but that only part of the story, a quarter, to be precise; it was McGrath’s fourth marathon in four days. His finish-line treat each time was a box of chocolates.
The man considered to be the real-life Forrest Gump, and the inspiration behind the 1994 box-office movie written by Eric Roth and starring Tom Hanks, McGrath’s running story began on the day of his wedding in 1977 when he told his bride Mena that he was going to run across America. He took up running the following day and soon ran from the Atlantic to the Pacific in the fastest time ever, breaking the record by 12 hours and five minutes.
McGrath tested the limits of human endurance but his story was also an inspirational tale of determination and salvation. He was a full blown alcoholic. Running saved his life. For decades, McGrath inspired countless people by running over 200,000 miles for charity.
He carried the Olympic torch as part of the Games in Atlanta but McGrath began his sporting career in the fields of Ederney in Fermanagh. He played on the Fermanagh U21 teams that lost two All-Ireland finals to Cork in 1970 and 1971, but McGrath first came to prominence in 1968 when he was the youngest of seven brothers on the Ederney team that won the club’s first county senior title.
‘The Mighty McGraths’ have always been an exemplar of brotherly inspiration in Ulster football but this year’s Ulster club football championship has been defined by the impact of multiple bands of brothers.
Newbridge, the Derry champions, who beat Armagh champions Madden yesterday are the standout example; goalkeeper Nathan Rocks and corner-forward Patrick McMullan are the only two players on the staring 15 that don’t have a brother on the team.
Conor, Pádraig and Shane McGrogan lined out alongside their cousins Callum and Conleth McGrogan. Derry player Conor Doherty also had two brothers, Oisin and Mark on the team. They were joined by the Young siblings, Eamonn and Seán, and the McAteer brothers, Conor and Shea.
The Dunloy Cuchullains side from Antrim that Newbridge beat in the first round contained three sets of brothers; Seaan and Nigel Elliott, Aodhan and Ryan McGarry, Eoin and Tom McFerran. Newbridge will now have to deal with the vast experience of the Hughes brothers, Darren and Kieran, when they meet Scotstown in the semi-final.
Madden, who won a first Armagh senior title this year, were spearheaded by the Grimley brothers, Niall and Liam, who also have eight cousins on the team. Niall and Liam’s brother Ryan won a Tyrone senior title with a Loughmacroy side powered by the five Donaghy brothers; Áodhan, Cathal, Enda, Eoin (who is injured) and Gareth.
Loughmacrory lost on Saturday night to a Kilcoo team driven by the four Brannagan siblings (Aaron, Daryl, Eugene and Niall) and three Johnston brothers (Jerome, Ryan and Shealan). They now meet an Erne Gaels team in the semi-final who are led by the three Kelm brothers, Ultan, Aogan and Oisin.
The Derrygonnelly Harps team that Erne Gaels beat in the Fermanagh final were without the three Jones brothers, Conall, Garvan and Ryan, who have transferred to Leitrim Gaels. Having lost an Ulster final to Kilcoo in 2021, the Jones brothers are now chasing a Connacht title. That would be some story but the most famous brother of a renowned footballing family to leave Fermanagh and make a mark outside the county will always be Tom McGrath.
In his man-of-the-match interview on TG4 after yesterday’s Leinster quarter-final win against Kilcormac-Killoughey, Eoin Cody gave a revealing - but fully understandable - insight into the increased standard of Ballyhale’s second-half performance, and why the Shamrocks have always been such a force inside and outside Kilkenny. “That’s probably what we love as a team,” said Cody, “when our backs are against the wall and we get a chance to go out and prove ourselves.” Trailing by two points at the break, Ballyhale imposed their will on the match after half-time and were on a totally different level to the Offaly champions in that second half. The dye was cast in the third quarter when Ballyhale converted 0-7 from seven shots while KK nailed just one of seven attempts. After having a 47 per cent conversion rate in the first half, the Shamrocks were at 83 per cent after the break.
The first half was a brilliant contest but, while the Shamrocks were able to iron out the kinks in the performance after the break, KK never really were. Of the 19 shots that KK missed in the game, seven were dropped short while five were blocked down. As a comparison, the Shamrocks dropped just three short (all in the first quarter) and had just one attempt blocked down, which was a half goal chance.
One of those KK shots that dropped short was an excellent play by goalkeeper Dean Mason to stop an Adam Screeney close-in free from going over the bar but Screeney should still have been more clinical with his strike. Within seconds, TJ Reid won and converted a free at the other end to tie the match at 0-13 each.
Reid was well marshalled by the excellent Jordan Quinn but he still proved his immense worth to the Shamrocks; as well as nailing 0-11 from 11 placed balls, Reid either scored or assisted another 0-5. All of Ballyhale’s big men delivered; Cody scored 0-5 and had direct assists for another 0-3; Adrian Mullen scored 0-3 and had assists for another 0-3.
The biggest talking point from this match was the disgraceful actions of a KK supporter after the game who punched Mullen on the pitch. Outside of the authorities, county and provincial, KK should internally deal with that supporter and ban him from all matches and club activities for a lengthy period.
It’s a shame for such a good team to be tainted by such an unsavoury incident. Ballyhale have long been the standard in Leinster but when KK analyse back this match, they’ll also appreciate the distance they still have to travel on the pitch to meet the expectations they have in this competition.
Eighteen years ago, Birr went to Nowlan Park and dethroned the All-Ireland champions, Ballyhale Shamrocks. It was a shock but it wasn’t a surprise either because the Shamrocks were without Henry Shefflin and James ‘Cha’ Fitzpatrick.
In the intervening seasons, anytime the All-Ireland champions retained their county title, they either retained their All-Ireland the following year (Portumna, Cuala, Ballyhale Shamrocks), reached a successive All-Ireland final (Portumna, Ballyhale) or retained their provincial crown and made it back to another All-Ireland semi-final (Ballygunner, Loughgiel Shamrocks).
In fact, that pattern has been a theme throughout the history of the All-Ireland club hurling championship for All-Ireland champions that retained their county title. The only teams that didn’t either retain their All-Ireland, reach successive finals or make it back to another All-Ireland semi-final the following year was James Stephens (1977) Buffers Alley (1989) and Ballyhale (2007).
James Stephens lost the 1977 Leinster final to Camross while Buffers Alley lost the 1989 Leinster semi-final to Cuala after a replay. And since Ballyhale’s exit to Birr 18 years ago was in the Leinster semi-final, Na Fianna’s provincial quarter-final defeat to St Martin’s yesterday means it is earliest that the All-Ireland champions that retained their county title departed the provincial championship.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
