Donal Og Cusack pays tribute to ‘inspirational' Tipperary GAA star for overcoming cancer to play in All-Ireland final

The Irish Sun

15 hours ago

DONAL OG CUSACK paid tribute to Noel McGrath as he lined up for Tipperary in the All-Ireland hurling final ten years on from being diagnosed with cancer.
The Loughmore-Castleiney man learned he had testicular cancer in April 2015 and had surgery just four days later.
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Noel McGrath was on the bench for Tipperary in the All-Ireland final ten years on from being diagnosed with cancer
Credit: Ray McManus/Sportsfile
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Donal Og Cusack paid tribute to him
The then-24-year-old was back in a Tipp jersey just four months later, receiving a standing ovation at Croke Park in a game against Galway.
And on Sunday, he was on the bench as the Premier faced Cork for the first time in an All-Ireland final and Tipp's first since 2019.
He is one of three McGrath's on the panel, with John starting at full-forward and Brian joining Noel on the bench.
And speaking before the game, ex-Cork goalkeeper Donal Og Cusack paid tribute to Noel and his family for overcoming adversity.
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He hailed: "When Noel McGrath comes into my mind, there is one thing I want to say.
"Ten years ago that man was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Ten years ago.
"And everybody within the hurling world would have been given a shock by it.
"Ten years later, he is back here and is on of the main people with two brothers playing.
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"What an inspiration him and his family are for hurlers all over the country."
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SunSport columnist, and Tipperary icon, Babs Keating believes Pat Ryan's men will get the job done.
But he suggested the
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He wrote: "If I was in Cahill's position I would adopt a new strategy that we haven't seen from this Tipp team in recent years — and that's to lower the blade.
"Going back to 1964 when we were facing a Kilkenny team that had won an All-Ireland a year earlier, our full-back line was aging.
"When I say aging, John Doyle was at it for 15 years at that stage and he had six All-Irelands.
"Mick Maher was there with three and the majority of the team had been on the go for a decade — Theo English, Seán McLaughlin, John McKenna, Donie Nealon and all that gang.
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"The word was the Kilkenny full-forward line were speed merchants and I remember John Doyle saying before the game that we'd have to lower the blade.
"It was an old farming expression that you had to go deep down to cut the corn.
"And that was his way of expressing how we had to deal with the speed that Kilkenny had to offer.
"We lowered the blade in that final and won 5-13 to 2-8. Our backs were ravenous.
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"Cahill needs that from Ronan Maher, Bryan O'Mara and Craig Morgan today.
"But whether they have enough craft, experience and knowledge to do it against Alan Connolly, Shane Barrett, Brian Hayes, Declan Dalton or anybody that might come in after that remains to be seen."