Brian Barry
GAA Editor @BrianGBarry
Noel McGrath relishing family ties on Tipperary senior panel
Last Updated: 12/02/19 1:12pm
Noel McGrath is setting out on his 11th season with the Tipperary seniors. While he has achieved the highest accolades in the game, 2019 is somewhat novel as younger brother Brian joins his two elder siblings.
"The three of us at home are used to playing together for the club, the last four or five years at senior level and it is a nice thing to have the three there," commented the two-time All-Ireland winner. "But at same time you're just three lads fighting it out amongst a panel of players to be the best that you can and to do the best for Tipperary.
"If you're at home in our house, you wouldn't see any difference, we're just used to going together for Loughmore-Castleiney matches and now luckily enough we're getting the chance to go in training together with Tipp."
"Luckily enough we're getting the chance to go in training together with Tipp."
Noel McGrath is joined by his two younger brothers
Although Noel has a remarkable record of never having missed a championship game for Tipp due to injury, he knows that knocks can stem players' careers, and he never took it for granted that the trio would be on the senior panel together.
"You just don't know," explained the 2009 Young Hurler of the Year. "There was always a chance that the two of them were going to come in but it's no different than anyone else, you have to work hard at it. Just because you're good at 16, 17, 18, even up to 20, doesn't guarantee anything after that.
"You always have to keep working, you always have to keep learning, the two lads were no different to anyone else coming in. There's no point saying it's not something that in a few years' time it won't be nice to look back on, all of us in there, especially if Tipp are successful.
"Luck has a lot to do with making it at inter-county level," he added. "There's loads and loads of fellas you'd say probably should have played with Tipp, or could have played with this county or that county, but timing and injuries, getting in at the right time, putting in a few good performances, all those things count for a lot."
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Amid a league campaign in which Liam Sheedy is experimenting with the Tipperary fullback position, it is an ideal time for 2018 U21 All-Ireland winner Brian McGrath to make a case for inclusion in his first year with the senior squad. However, an early season injury has delayed his progress but he'll be returning in the coming weeks.
"If there's anything he needs to know or wants to ask us, we'd have no problem guiding him in the right way," said the eldest sibling. "Personally, I wouldn't be going to him saying too much. In fairness to that group of U21s that have come in, they've been successful enough over the last few years as minors and U21s so they're a good bunch and driven.
"If there's any bits that any of them look for, help and the like, you'd get to know them and chat to them and tell them different things and he'd be no different."
Noel won his first All-Ireland in 2010. In 2016, he picked up his second Celtic Cross alongside John. In 2019, he's hunting a third Liam MacCarthy triumph, this time with all three on the squad.
