Noel McGrath: Provincial playground brings freedom to express yourself

Loughmore-Castleiney are in Munster action this weekend. Noel McGrath agrees there’s an element of freedom for clubs in the provincial championships.

Thu, 13 Nov, 2025 - 06:54

John Fogarty

The GAA should take heed of what the Joe McDonagh Cup counties think about disbanding the All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals, says Noel McGrath.

The Hurling Development Committee (HDC) will later this month recommend to next year do away with the games pitting the third-placed teams in Leinster and Munster against the Joe McDonagh finalists.

McGrath has played in two preliminary quarter-finals, in 2023 when Tipperary put up an aggregate 59 points in beating Offaly by 32 points and this past season’s 23-point win over Laois.

The short turnaround from the McDonagh Cup final does the second tier no favours, he says. “There's only been one Joe McDonagh team that has won one and that was Laois in 2019. I think it's probably more how the Joe McDonagh teams feel about it. Whether an extra week or two after their All-Ireland, the Joe McDonagh final, is what they want or what they don't want.

“Over the last few years, we've seen some of the results and they're not nice. People don't want to see that happen to anyone. Playing a Joe McDonagh Cup final on a Sunday and playing the following Saturday isn’t fair because you should be allowed to celebrate and enjoy the few days.”

The HDC also propose to introduce a 30m free advancement for dissent to hurling McGrath has experienced the football version at club level and is in favour providing not too much more is done to the game. “I think it has stamped out a lot of stuff in football.

“I know it doesn't happen as much in hurling anyway, but from playing and from hearing what referees are thinking of it, they're very in favour of it. They're saying that it has clamped down on a lot of chat. It takes a lot of hassle maybe out of their hands as well.

“As regards playing rules, I wouldn't change an awful lot about hurling. It's a game I don't think you tinker an awful lot with it. We see how well it has worked for football, but I don't think hurling needs to be changed too much at the moment.”

After last month’s successful defence of their Tipperary SHC title, there were a few days of celebrating for Loughmore-Castleiney. By Tuesday, McGrath was done as he had baby girl Aoibhín to care for with his wife Aisling. By Friday, the players were back training for this weekend’s Munster semi-final clash with Éire Óg, Ennis.

“Once you get back to the field, it's all systems go again. It's so cool to be still going at this time of the year. While the weather is changing and the nights get miserable, it's a different feeling to going to the field in January or February, when the weather is the exact same but now you're at the business end of the year. You're somewhere where it's so hard to get to.

“It's great to have the opportunity to compete in Munster. We're an ambitious group and lads are really clued-in and really want to do well. That's not just because we're in Munster. That's the same in Tipp where we want to perform we go out. It'll be the same now again when we go to Ennis. Whatever happens then happens. It won't be from the want of lack of preparation.”

McGrath agrees there’s an element of freedom for clubs in the provincial championship when they have already proven themselves in their respective counties. “You get the opportunity to go and express yourself. It's a step-up then again because you're out of your county. You've played the best teams in Tipperary and now you have to go and play the best team from Clare.

“We've been lucky enough, we've gone down there in football twice in the last four years, so we kind of know where we're going as regards to pitch, the dressing room, all that kind of stuff. But you just have to be ready to go when the ball is thrown in. All the little things outside of it don't really matter.”