THERE WAS A risk of John McGrath becoming Tipperary’s forgotten forward.
Sticking two goals past Limerick in a classic Munster draw on Sunday is a reminder of what he can offer, as he brought his senior championship tally to 17.
The 2016 All-Star and two-time All-Ireland winner has remained on the national consciousness in recent years primarily for his club heroics with dual champions Loughmore-Castleiney.
But at county level, McGrath had too often been left watching on as Tipp have endured a winless run in Munster.
Prior to the weekend, McGrath had only started one championship game for Liam Cahill and that was the very first one under the new manager in 2023.
By coincidence, that day in Ennis was Tipp’s last provincial win. Not that they have been too far away, registering four draws in their last eight games.
Cúl as a cucumber 🧊
John McGrath lashes it into the net for @TipperaryGAA
McGrath’s role has become an impact sub in that run, although he only appeared in two of their four games last year.
The previous time McGrath played the duration of a championship game for Tipp was their Covid-era defeat to Limerick in 2020, when he netted a goal. His only other three starts since then were all over by half-time, mostly through injuries.
John McGrath takes to the field at Semple Stadium on Sunday. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
He tore his Achilles against Clare in 2022 and it has flared up on occasions to knock him back.
“I found it very frustrating to get back going with it,” said McGrath last September.
“Look, it’s well in the past now and I’m not putting that down to not being at where I liked to be at different stages over the last 12 months.”
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A year before that setback, McGrath’s form was being publicly questioned. While a controversial black-card penalty dominated the narrative after beating the Banner in the 2021 Munster semi-final, his half-time withdrawal came with calls for Alan Flynn or Niall O’Meara to start the provincial final in his place. Flynn got the nod and McGrath was an unused sub.
It seemed a rapid fall off from being ever-present on Tipp’s run to the 2019 All-Ireland final. That year, he rallied from being sent off in the semi-final against Wexford to contribute 0-3 in the showpiece, crowning a 2-18 tally across the campaign. He received further plaudits for his work rate, tracking back to make a heroic hook on Colin Fennelly in the final.
All the while, McGrath’s contribution to his club has been immense. Loughmore-Castleiney have collected an unthinkable three county senior doubles in the past 11 years, with the latter pair earned in 2021 and 2024.
In the space of seven days at the end of November 2021, he scored the stoppage-time winning goal to capture the football title and the stoppage-time winning point to take the hurling honours, both by one-point margins.
In all, he bagged an incredible 7-72 in that year’s Dan Breen Cup. He was said to have won six man-of-the-match awards in six consecutive weeks as he swapped between hurling and football for the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals.
Their man for the big day stepped up again to take the individual award in the 2024 hurling decider, scoring 1-13.
He has been, unquestionably, the outstanding club hurler in the county over the past few years. In blue and gold, however, it was a different story.
It wasn’t that McGrath was ever anonymous, just limited by his game time.
In 2023, he shook off the disappointment of his late missed free which would’ve beaten Cork to help snatch a draw against Limerick in another Thurles thriller.
What was most remarkable about McGrath’s contribution was that he was only introduced in the fifth of six added minutes. He won the free just inside the ’65, was treated for a knock, and stepped up to the plate again for an unerring leveller.
“It took balls of steel to stand up there after the last day and kudos to him. Really proud. Tremendous for him personally,” said Tipp selector and clubmate Declan Laffan.
In the preliminary quarter-final against Offaly when Tipp compiled a record-setting 7-38, McGrath came on for the final 10 minutes to score 1-1 and create two further goals.
Against Galway a week later, his sweet groundstroke to the roof of the net couldn’t save their championship prospects.
He didn’t even play in the League final a fortnight ago but when Liam Cahill sat down to reassess, he sought out experience in the shape of the McGrath siblings, Noel and John.
John McGrath scores Tipperary's opening goal against Limerick. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
The middle brother had to bide his time through a quiet first half, picking off one point from two shots. In the second period, both his shots were stitched into the net.
Tipp needed that clinical edge to break down this Limerick defence, especially given how often those third-quarter surges have sunk their hopes.
McGrath sensed the moment as he stepped onto his left for a lethal 41st-minute finish when many would’ve tapped over. They wouldn’t lead again until his second goal, seven minutes from time.
It capped a flowing five-pass move started by his older brother Noel’s interception. The sliotar passed through Bryan O’Mara, Jake Morris, Conor Bowe, and O’Mara again before McGrath picked out almost the exact same spot high to Nickie Quaid’s right.
GOAL!!! JOHN MCGRATH DOES IT AGAIN FOR @TipperaryGAA!!!
This was a return to the prodigy who scored a hat-trick in his first Munster final and last netted a championship brace of goals a year later in the 2017 qualifier against Dublin.
That day, he was overshadowed by Séamus Callanan’s 3-11 haul.
As he wheeled away on Sunday with his arms outstretched and his face creased in delight, he wasn’t in anyone’s shadow.
Using all his skill, experience, and patience, it was a performance years in the making.
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Tipperary's forgotten forward reminds everyone of his hurling class
THERE WAS A risk of John McGrath becoming Tipperary’s forgotten forward.
Sticking two goals past Limerick in a classic Munster draw on Sunday is a reminder of what he can offer, as he brought his senior championship tally to 17.
The 2016 All-Star and two-time All-Ireland winner has remained on the national consciousness in recent years primarily for his club heroics with dual champions Loughmore-Castleiney.
But at county level, McGrath had too often been left watching on as Tipp have endured a winless run in Munster.
Prior to the weekend, McGrath had only started one championship game for Liam Cahill and that was the very first one under the new manager in 2023.
By coincidence, that day in Ennis was Tipp’s last provincial win. Not that they have been too far away, registering four draws in their last eight games.
McGrath’s role has become an impact sub in that run, although he only appeared in two of their four games last year.
The previous time McGrath played the duration of a championship game for Tipp was their Covid-era defeat to Limerick in 2020, when he netted a goal. His only other three starts since then were all over by half-time, mostly through injuries.
He tore his Achilles against Clare in 2022 and it has flared up on occasions to knock him back.
“I found it very frustrating to get back going with it,” said McGrath last September.
A year before that setback, McGrath’s form was being publicly questioned. While a controversial black-card penalty dominated the narrative after beating the Banner in the 2021 Munster semi-final, his half-time withdrawal came with calls for Alan Flynn or Niall O’Meara to start the provincial final in his place. Flynn got the nod and McGrath was an unused sub.
It seemed a rapid fall off from being ever-present on Tipp’s run to the 2019 All-Ireland final. That year, he rallied from being sent off in the semi-final against Wexford to contribute 0-3 in the showpiece, crowning a 2-18 tally across the campaign. He received further plaudits for his work rate, tracking back to make a heroic hook on Colin Fennelly in the final.
All the while, McGrath’s contribution to his club has been immense. Loughmore-Castleiney have collected an unthinkable three county senior doubles in the past 11 years, with the latter pair earned in 2021 and 2024.
In the space of seven days at the end of November 2021, he scored the stoppage-time winning goal to capture the football title and the stoppage-time winning point to take the hurling honours, both by one-point margins.
In all, he bagged an incredible 7-72 in that year’s Dan Breen Cup. He was said to have won six man-of-the-match awards in six consecutive weeks as he swapped between hurling and football for the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals.
Their man for the big day stepped up again to take the individual award in the 2024 hurling decider, scoring 1-13.
He has been, unquestionably, the outstanding club hurler in the county over the past few years. In blue and gold, however, it was a different story.
It wasn’t that McGrath was ever anonymous, just limited by his game time.
In 2023, he shook off the disappointment of his late missed free which would’ve beaten Cork to help snatch a draw against Limerick in another Thurles thriller.
What was most remarkable about McGrath’s contribution was that he was only introduced in the fifth of six added minutes. He won the free just inside the ’65, was treated for a knock, and stepped up to the plate again for an unerring leveller.
In the preliminary quarter-final against Offaly when Tipp compiled a record-setting 7-38, McGrath came on for the final 10 minutes to score 1-1 and create two further goals.
Against Galway a week later, his sweet groundstroke to the roof of the net couldn’t save their championship prospects.
He didn’t even play in the League final a fortnight ago but when Liam Cahill sat down to reassess, he sought out experience in the shape of the McGrath siblings, Noel and John.
The middle brother had to bide his time through a quiet first half, picking off one point from two shots. In the second period, both his shots were stitched into the net.
Tipp needed that clinical edge to break down this Limerick defence, especially given how often those third-quarter surges have sunk their hopes.
McGrath sensed the moment as he stepped onto his left for a lethal 41st-minute finish when many would’ve tapped over. They wouldn’t lead again until his second goal, seven minutes from time.
It capped a flowing five-pass move started by his older brother Noel’s interception. The sliotar passed through Bryan O’Mara, Jake Morris, Conor Bowe, and O’Mara again before McGrath picked out almost the exact same spot high to Nickie Quaid’s right.
This was a return to the prodigy who scored a hat-trick in his first Munster final and last netted a championship brace of goals a year later in the 2017 qualifier against Dublin.
That day, he was overshadowed by Séamus Callanan’s 3-11 haul.
As he wheeled away on Sunday with his arms outstretched and his face creased in delight, he wasn’t in anyone’s shadow.
Using all his skill, experience, and patience, it was a performance years in the making.
*****
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John McGrath Munster SHC Tipperary GAA