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Irish Examiner
23-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
John McGrath on taking chance: 'You just get some breaks and you kick on a bit from there'
John McGrath has admitted Liam Cahill and his management team took a punt on starting him in the opening game of the championship. The three-time All-Ireland winner is in line for a second All-Star after scoring 7-16, including 2-2 in Sunday's final, and was ever present for all eight of the county's SHC games. However, he started just one National League game and came off the bench three times. He didn't appear in the last couple of Division 1 outings and at that stage his excellent championship campaign couldn't have been envisaged. 'I played very little in the National League this year,' said McGrath. 'I came on a couple of times and started one game maybe. They took a chance with me in some ways in the first round of championship. 'Since then, I probably didn't look back. You just get some breaks maybe on that day and you kick on a bit from there. It's small margins at this level. Very small margins, I suppose.' The best club player in the county for several years, McGrath's performances for Loughmore-Castleiney have been outstanding but bringing it to inter-county level following his ankle issues required patience from player and management. 'I couldn't put the last few years all down to bad injury, I suppose. The form wasn't great for a while before that as well. But no, I think maybe even just the break that time, the break from playing, just got the body to recover a bit again. 'And it took a while, maybe after, to really get going. But no, some year, just thrilled to be back stuck in the middle of it. It's unreal to be just toughing it out there with lads and testing yourself. And that's what everyone wants to do.' Not that he would have spoken about it too loudly but McGrath, who turns 31 next week, was fuelled by the idea of proving people wrong. 'There has to be some part of it probably that hurts you a little bit maybe. Or that you find frustrating or hard when you're used to playing and competing and being relatively successful. 'And then to maybe not being in the team at times like it is, it's tough. Any good sportsman that you have a bit about yourself, you do. You want to prove people wrong. You want to get back and show people what you're able to do.'
Irish Daily Mirror
23-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Tipperary renaissance man John McGrath on how he bounced back in 2025
Tipperary's renaissance man John McGrath has admitted that his struggles prior to this season weren't all down to injury. McGrath's 2022 Championship campaign was brought to a premature close by a ruptured Achilles tendon and, even after his return, the injury continued to nag at him. With his form well short of the levels of 2016 and '19, when he was a key forward on Tipperary's All-Ireland winning sides, he was no longer an automatic selection. But that was turned on its head this year as the management 'took a chance', as McGrath says, with him for the Championship opener against Limerick. He hit 2-1 that day as Tipp salvaged a draw and he never looked back. In Sunday's All-Ireland final win over Cork, he scored 2-2 and was fouled for a further 1-2 which Darragh McCarthy converted from placed balls. He finished the Championship as joint top scorer from play with 7-16, alongside Dublin's Cian O'Sullivan (5-22). McGrath was outstanding for Loughmore-Castleiney locally last year and feels that Tipperary's early elimination may have helped him to rediscover his best form. 'It's been a great year,' said McGrath. 'I couldn't put the last few years all down to bad injury, I suppose. The form wasn't great for a while before that as well. "I think maybe even just the break that time, the break from playing, just got the body kind of recovered a bit again. And it took a while, maybe after, to really get going. 'But no, some year, just thrilled to be back stuck in the middle of it. It's unreal to be just toughing it out there with lads and testing yourself. And that's what everyone wants to do.' With his inter-county career effectively written off by many, McGrath admitted that he was fuelled by a desire to prove his critics wrong. 'You probably do have them thoughts. Like yeah, you probably don't bring it out too much. There has to be some part of it probably that hurts you a little bit maybe or you find frustrating or hard, I suppose, when you're used to playing and competing and being relatively successful. 'And then to maybe not being in the team at times, like, it's tough. Any good sportsman, I suppose, that you have a bit about yourself, I suppose, you do. You want to prove people wrong. You want to get back and show people what you're able to do.' With manager Liam Cahill introducing a raft of younger players, the 30-year-old said that they infused him with fresh energy. 'I think a lot of lads have remarked on it. It is infectious. And they're coming on there. We've probably had a few middling years and they know no different to winning and competing at underage at the end of championships. And sometimes you just need something like that maybe to give an extra little bit of impetus to lads.'
Irish Independent
23-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
‘Some year – I'm just thrilled to be back stuck in the middle of it' – Tipp hero John McGrath after fighting his way back
John McGrath was delighted to return to his best form in 2025 and 'prove people wrong' on his way to winning a third All-Ireland medal with Tipperary.
Irish Examiner
21-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
A second half that will have Cork searching for answers saw Tipp's record of winning All-Ireland's in every decade intact
All-Ireland SHC final: Tipperary 3-27 Cork 1-18 The consequence of this result will be judged in units of time. Decades, to be precise. In an unlikely turn of events, and nothing to do with the 21-point turnaround, Tipperary have ensured their proud record of winning an All-Ireland every decade continues. A sixth consecutive victory in the one championship, a record for the county, they were absolutely fabulous in a second half they didn't so much play as own. All the faith Liam Cahill had put in youngster Darragh McCarthy was repaid here. All the class John McGrath has shown when he is not bothered by an injured ankle was put on display once more. In an unlikely turn of events given how pretty Cork looked at half-time, their wait to get their hands on the cup so named after one of their own now enters a third decade. And the pain will be excruciating and the question must be asked did they jump too far ahead in seeing themselves bracing the finishing line when their advantage was only on the back straight. Tipperary blew them out of the water and if their change of style was a key component to thwarting the Cork attack in the first half, it was their audacity and willingness to keep shooting and not be deterred by a myriad of earlier mistakes. From coronation to capitulation, the fallout from this game won't be easy for Cork. At half-time, leading by 1-16 to 0-13, they turned to face the wind in great shape. Tipperary's game of containment had worked reasonably well and the inside Cork full-forward line has posted just three points from play and then Shane Barrett, his team's best player on the day, drove low a goal that undid some of Tipperary's solid work. Combining with Mark Coleman for that score, Barrett's tally jumped to 1-3. His final haul was 1-4 but in that second additional minute of the first half his was Cork's last score of the game. He was the final starting player to score for his team. A 1-5 blast without reply. In nine early second-half minutes sent Tipperary two points clear. After Patrick Horgan missed a free to send Cork clear, Tipperary had begun to uncoil themselves. With two on the bounce, Andrew Ormond followed a Conor Stakelum score and McCarthy followed it up with two converted frees. Then came the goals. John McGrath followed up on a Jake Morris shot that Patrick Collins brought down and showed a cool head to beat the Cork goalkeeper in the 46th minute. For the second goal, and Michael Breen delivering long, McGrath had pushed into Eoin Downey before he was fouled and Downey sent off for a second booking but he had been infringed upon and McCarthy's 55th minute penalty strike was superb. There was nothing dubious about Tipperary's third and McGrath's second goal in the 60th minute, a phenomenal finish after Eoghan Connolly again airmailed towards him. The touch to foil Collins was exquisite and Tipperary were in raptures. Seamus Harnedy, who provided Cork's last point in the 66th minute and first for almost 20 minutes, was buzzy when he came on but no electric current could revive Cork. They struck post or bar four times in the second half but they were completely outclassed by a team whose were still keen on keeping them out at the death when Rhys Shelly denied Conor Lehane from the penalty line. And how appropriate it was that Noel McGrath picked off a point at the conclusion. One of Cork's few star men, Barrett's goal on the cusp of the break put a better complexion on the scoreboard for Cork following a half where they were the better team and largely for their efficiency. The greatest trick Liam Cahill ever pulled was convincing the world he would never play a sweeper. Here, stationing Willie Connors at wing-back and Bryan O'Mara as the sentinel between the full and half-back lines he did just that. 'We had contemplated maybe after 15 minutes of the second half, it wasn't going our way, reverting to plan B, which had been three across midfield and abandoned the plus one and try and kick on,' Cahill said. 'But we got great traction in the first 15 minutes with the plus one still. And a few chances that maybe we didn't convert in the first half started to go over and gaps started to appear.' Read More Tipperary v Cork player ratings: John McGrath enjoys probably his greatest half in a Tipp jersey Tipperary were shadowing the Cork runners on Collins's puck-outs and Tim O'Mahony, Darragh Fitzgibbon and Barrett weren't running onto ball in space whereas Tipperary's runners were leaving their markers. Barrett had earlier strung together a couple of points to help Cork into a two-point lead by the 10th minute. McCarthy cancelled that out with a free followed by a score from play that required HawkEye's assistance. That 13th minute leveller was the last time Tipperary were on equal terms in the half. Niall O'Leary popped up for a score and Diarmaid Healy restored Cork's two-point lead when he sent over a strike after a Patrick Horgan pass. Tipperary were creating opportunities but five wides in the first 15 minutes was a dreadful statistic, akin to their start in the second half of the All-Ireland semi-final when they also faced into Hill 16. Connolly, a sixth-minute point scorer, hit an ambitious goal chance wide in the 20th minute. Cork's lead grew to four by the 23rd minute when Healy added a third and was as wide as five after Declan Dalton followed up a Horgan free with a long-range version of the same. Twice Tipperary brought it back to a three-point game, corner-back Robert Doyle contributing to his team's total in the 29th minute, but Cork were five up once more on the half-hour mark. After McCarthy's fourth converted free, Jason Forde goal was rightly ruled out for square ball when he touched it into the net before the ball had arrived from the long-range free. McCarthy double his personal score from play in additional time but then Barrett landed that first goal of the game from Cork's first sight of Shelly's net. It was to the last time he was beaten on Tipperary's phenomenal day. Scorers for Tipperary: D. McCarthy (1-13, 1-0 pen, 8 frees, 1 65); J. McGrath (2-2); J. Morris, A. Ormond, J. Forde (0-2 each); E. Connolly, W. Connors. R. Doyle, C. Stakelum, R. Shelly, N. McGrath (0-1 each). Scorers for Cork: S. Barrett (1-4); P. Horgan (0-4, 3 frees); D. Healy (0-3); D. Fitzgibbon (0-2); N O'Leary, D. Dalton (free), A. Connolly, B. Hayes (0-1 each). TIPPERARY: R. Shelly; R. Doyle, R. Maher (c), M. Breen; E. Connolly, C. Morgan, B. O'Mara, W. Connors; C. Stakelum; A. Ormond, S. O'Farrell, J. Morris; D. McCarthy, J. McGrath, J. Forde. Subs: S. Kennedy for B. O'Mara (50); A. Tynan for C. Morgan (56); N. McGrath for S. O'Farrell (60); D. Stakelum for C. Stakelum (65); O. O'Donoghue for J. Morris (66). CORK: P. Collins; S. O'Donoghue, E. Downey, N. O'Leary; C. Joyce, R. Downey (c), M Coleman; T. O'Mahony, D. Fitzgibbon; D. Dalton, S. Barrett, D. Healy; P. Horgan, B. Hayes, A. Connolly. Subs: S. Harnedy for D. Dalton (44); D. Cahalane for D. Healy (56); C. Lehane for P. Horgan (58); S. Kingston for A. Connolly (65); T. O'Connell for T. O'Mahony (67). Sent off: E. Downey (54, second yellow). Referee: L. Gordon (Galway).
Irish Times
21-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Five key moments: Tipperary turnaround stuns Cork in All-Ireland decider
Yellow card is a telling moment Inside the closing five minutes of the first half, everything was going from end-to-end as both teams still searched for the first real breakthrough. After Shane Barrett scored an excellent point for Cork, their advantage went up to five. It was the first sign of danger that perhaps Tipp might drift behind. Then John McGrath was fouled by Eoin Downey, resulting in a yellow card for the Cork full back. That would later prove telling. When Eoghan Connolly's long-range free was then touched into the net by Jason Forde, it appeared Tipp's fortunes might be about to turn. It was rightly called a s, but offered them some encouragement nonetheless. Cork's Shane Barrett scores a goal despite desperate Tipp defensive work. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho Potentially killer blow for Tipp Two minutes of added time were announced at the end of the first half, and on 36:44, Robert Downey won back possession to set in train Cork's first goal chance of the first half. When the ball was passed out to Mark Coleman, he quickly passed on to Shane Barrett. Approaching just left of the goal, under the Davin Stand, Barrett placed his shot with stunning accuracy into the bottom right corner, and ensured that Tipp goalkeeper Rhys Shelly had no chance of stopping it. A killer blow for Tipp just before the break, it put Cork into a commanding 1-16 to 0-13 lead. READ MORE Tipperary's John McGrath celebrates scoring a vital goal. Photograph: Inpho Cahill works the oracle Whatever was said by Tipp manager Liam Cahill at half-time was soon working a treat as his players started to win possession all over the field. After shooting five unanswered points, and shooting one wide, Jake Morris took another shot from distance, which appeared to be within the safe range of Cork goalkeeper Patrick Collins. But instead, Collins tapped the ball down and out into the path of John McGrath on 46 minutes. He displayed remarkable calmness when he collected the ball and then promptly finished his shot into the Cork net. That made it 1-5 without reply, and the game had turned on its head. Cork's Eoin Downey sees red. Photograph: Inpho Situation goes from bad to worse Cork had finally got their first score of the second half moments after McGrath's first goal, but then conceded another two points without reply. Things were about to get a whole lot worse. After 53 minutes, McGrath made another mesmerising fetch from another long ball in front of the Cork goal, and Eoin Downey had little choice other than to foul him. Downey was shown a second yellow card, and his All-Ireland final was over. When Darragh McCarthy stepped up for the penalty and blasted it into the top left of the Cork goal, Tipp went up 2-20 to 1-17. Tipperary's John McGrath scores his side's third goal. Photograph: Inpho A deft touch into the net finishes Cork The hour-mark proved to be closing time for this most unpredictable of All-Ireland final outcomes. Cork had just conceded another two points without reply, when a third Tipp goal would end all hope of them making a late comeback. Eoghan Connolly attempted another long-range shot, and once that started to fall short, John McGrath read the movement of the ball to absolute perfection, getting to it in advance of Patrick Collins. McGrath finished it off with the deftest of touches into the Cork net. After another move of magic simplicity, Tipp went up 3-22 to 1-17. Game over.
