Noel McGrath (Hurling)
Encyclopedia
Noel McGrath is an Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...

 sportsperson. He plays hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...

 with his local club Loughmore-Castleiney
Loughmore-Castleiney GAA
Loughmore-Castleiney GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club in County Tipperary, Ireland. The club draws its players and support from the small parish of the same name. The area comprises the villages of Loughmore and Castleiney and their surrounding hinterland.-History:Loughmore-Castleiney has...

 and has been a member of the Tipperary
Tipperary GAA
The Tipperary County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or C is one of over 30 regional executive boards throughout the world. These executive boards are known as County Boards even though some no longer correspond to the area under the jurisdiction of the counties from which their names...

 senior inter-county team since 2009.

Biography

Noel McGrath was born in Loughmore
Loughmore
Loughmore, officially Loughmoe , is a village in North Tipperary in the province of Munster, Ireland. The village is best known for its castle, seat of the Barons of Loughmoe....

, County Tipperary
County Tipperary
County Tipperary is a county of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster and is named after the town of Tipperary. The area of the county does not have a single local authority; local government is split between two authorities. In North Tipperary, part of the Mid-West Region, local...

 in 1990, the son of former Tipp footballer Pat McGrath. He was educated at the local national school before later attending Our Lady's Secondary School in nearby Templemore
Templemore
Templemore is a town in North Tipperary, Ireland. It is a civil parish in the historical barony of Eliogarty. It is part of the Roman Catholic parish of Templemore, Clonmore and Killea....

. Here McGrath's hurling talents first came to the fore, and he was a regular on the school's senior team. In 2006 Our Lady's qualified for the final of the Dean Ryan Cup competition. Waterford's De La Salle
De La Salle College Waterford
De La Salle College Waterford is a secondary school in Waterford, Ireland. It currently houses over 1000 students and 70 teachers.-Notable alumni:* Paul Begadon- national taekwondo champion* Jim Beglin - soccer player...

 provided the opposition and a close game developed. McGrath ended the game as the top scorer, having bagged 1-3 as the Tipperary side won the game by 1-10 to 2-4.

Following the completion of his Leaving Certificate
Leaving Certificate
The Leaving Certificate Examinations , commonly referred to as the Leaving Cert is the final examination in the Irish secondary school system. It takes a minimum of two years preparation, but an optional Transition Year means that for those students it takes place three years after the Junior...

 McGrath attended the Limerick Institute of Technology
Limerick Institute of Technology
Limerick Institute of Technology is an institution of higher education in Limerick, Ireland and is one of 13 institutes that are members of the Institutes of Technology Ireland . The Institute has four campuses in Limerick City, one in both Thurles and Clonmel in County Tipperary and a regional...

 where he studied until 2010 before moving to Dublin City University
Dublin City University
Dublin City University is a university situated between Glasnevin, Santry, Ballymun and Whitehall on the Northside of Dublin in Ireland...

 where he currently is studying.

Club

McGrath plays his club hurling and Football with his local Loughmore-Castleiney
Loughmore-Castleiney GAA
Loughmore-Castleiney GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club in County Tipperary, Ireland. The club draws its players and support from the small parish of the same name. The area comprises the villages of Loughmore and Castleiney and their surrounding hinterland.-History:Loughmore-Castleiney has...

 club and, even at a young age, he has enjoyed much success.

In 2007 he was only sixteen years-old when he played with the club's senior team in the county championship. That year Loughmore-Castleiney reached the county final for the first time since 1989. Drom-Inch
Drom-Inch GAA
Drom-Inch GAA Gaelic Athletic Association club is affiliated to the areas of Drom, Inch and Barnane . The main club grounds is located in Bouladuff, five miles outside Thurles in mid County Tipperary. It is located on the main Thurles to Nenagh R498_road. The clubs second pitch is located in Drom...

 provided the opposition, however, the game turned into a rout and was a largely disappointing affair due to its one-sided nature. McGrath chipped in with five points to help his team to a 0-22 to 0-13 victory. It was his first county senior championship
Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship
The Tipperary Senior Hurling Club Championship is an annual club competition between the top Tipperary hurling clubs...

 winners' medals. This win allowed Loughmore-Castleiney to represent the county in the subsequent provincial series of games. McGrath's club had little difficulty in reaching the final where Clare side Tulla
Tulla GAA
Tulla GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Tulla, County Clare, Ireland. It is affiliated with Clare county board.-Achievements:* Clare Senior Hurling Championship Winners 1889, 1896, 1897, 1898, 1913, 1933, 2007...

 provided the opposition. In atrocious conditions Loughmore-Castleiney emerged the winners by 1-6 to 0-7 giving McGrath a Munster
Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship
The Munster GAA Club Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1964 for the top hurling clubs in the province of Munster in Ireland...

 club winners' medal. Loughmore-Castleiney's next game was an All-Ireland semi-final meeting with Portumna
Portumna GAA
Portumna GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the town of Portumna in County Galway. The club is almost exclusively focused on hurling.-History:...

. The club's great run of success came to a halt in this game, in spite of McGrath scoring 1-4, as the Galway side powered to a 2-13 to 2-9 victory.

Since 2007 McGrath's club have failed to reach the summit of club hurling in Tipperary.

He played in the 2010 Tipperary Senior Football Championship final but was on the losing side as Aherlow
Aherlow GAA
Aherlow GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association gaelic football club located in West Tipperary in Ireland. The club is part of the West division of Tipperary GAA. They have been Tipperary Senior Football champions on two occasions...

 ran out 2-04 to 1-06 winners on the day.

Minor & under-21

McGrath first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as a member of the Tipperary under-16 team. He won an All-Ireland title with that team before later making a bigger impact on the inter-county scene.

In 2006 McGrath was only fifteen years-old, however, he became a key member of the Tipperary minor hurling team. That year the Tipp minors reached the Munster final and played Cork. McGrath was introduced as a late substitute as a high-scoring game followed, however, at the full-time whistle victory went to 'the Rebels' by 2-20 to 1-15. In spite of this defeat, Tipperary still had a chance to claim the All-Ireland title via the 'back-door' route. Subsequent defeats of Carlow
Carlow GAA
The Carlow County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Carlow GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Carlow and the Carlow inter-county teams.-Gaelic football:...

 and Kilkenny
Kilkenny GAA
The Kilkenny County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland and is responsible for Gaelic Games in County Kilkenny. The county board has its head office and main grounds at Nowlan Park and is also responsible for Kilkenny inter-county teams...

 allowed Tipperary to advance to the All-Ireland final where Galway
Galway GAA
The Galway County Boards of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Galway GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Galway. The county boards are also responsible for the Galway inter-county teams.Unlike all other counties in Ireland,...

 provided the opposition. The westerners had won the previous two championship deciders and were going for a coveted three-in-a-row. Tipperary proved too strong for the reigning champions and powered to a 2-18 to 2-7 victory. It was McGrath's first All-Ireland
All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Minor Championship is an annual competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1928 for competitors under eighteen years of age in the game of hurling played in Ireland.The series of games are played during the summer months with the All-Ireland final...

 winners' medal in the minor grade.

In 2007 McGrath was still a key member of the Tipperary minor team. For the second year in succession he lined out in the Munster final with Cork providing the opposition once again. On this occasion the result was reversed as Tipp won the game by 0-18 to 1-11. It was McGrath's first Munster
Munster Minor Hurling Championship
The Munster GAA Hurling Minor Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1928 for the youngest competitors in the province of Munster in Ireland...

 winners' medal in the minor grade. Tipp subsequently defeated Kilkenny to qualify for the All-Ireland final. Cork, the defeated Munster finalists, provided the opposition and a high-scoring game developed over the course of the hour. At the full-time whistle Tipp were the champions by 3-14 to 2-11 and McGrath added a second consecutive All-Ireland medal to his collection.

In 2008 McGrath was in his final year as a member of the Tipp minor hurling team and for the third year in succession Tipperary lined out against Cork in the provincial decider. A close game developed with neither side taking an extensive lead, however, two late points deep into injury-time allowed Cork to take the title by 0-19 to 0-18. Tipp later trounced Antrim
Antrim GAA
The Antrim County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Antrim GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Antrim. The county board is also responsible for the Antrim inter-county teams...

 in the All-Ireland quarter-final before losing out to Kilkenny in the penultimate stage of the championship.

McGrath graduated onto the Tipperary under-21 hurling team in 2009, however, his debut season ended in early defeat. 2010 was different as Tipp defeated Clare
Clare GAA
The Clare County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Clare GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Clare. The county board is also responsible for the Clare inter-county teams....

 in the provincial decider by 1-22 to 1-17, giving McGrath his first Munster
Munster Under-21 Hurling Championship
The Munster GAA Hurling Under-21 Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1964 for players aged between 18 and 21 in the province of Munster in Ireland...

 under-21 winners' medal. Tipp subsequently qualified for an All-Ireland meeting with Galway, however, the game turned into an absolute rout. McGrath chipped in with 1-3, the goal coming from a long-range free that deceived the goalkeeper, as Tipperary powered to a 5-21 to 0-11 victory. It was McGrath's first All-Ireland
All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship
The All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship is the premier "knockout" competition for players aged between 18 and 21 in the game of hurling played in Ireland...

 under-21 winners' medal.

Senior

McGrath made his senior inter-county debut for Tipperary against Clare in the final of the Waterford Crystal Cup
Waterford Crystal Cup
The Waterford Crystal Cup is an annual hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 2006 for the top inter-county teams and third-level universities and institutes of technology teams in the province of Munster in Ireland.The series of games are...

 in 2009. He scored a point from play at right corner-forward, however, Tipp were defeated in that game. McGrath went on to make his National Hurling League
National Hurling League
The National Hurling League is an annual hurling competition between the county teams of Ireland. Contested by 35 teams , it operates on a system of promotion and relegation between four different divisions, with Division One...

 debut against Cork in a special Saturday night game under floodlights at Semple Stadium
Semple Stadium
Semple Stadium, located in Thurles, North Tipperary, Ireland, is the home of hurling for Tipperary GAA and for the province of Munster. It is the second largest stadium in Ireland with a capacity of 53,500....

. Tipp later went on th qualify for the final of that competition, with Kilkenny providing the opposition. McGrath's stormed into a decisive lead as they took the game by the scruff of the neck; however, ‘the Cats’ clawed their way back into the game. At the end of normal time both sides were level. A period of extra-time followed, however, in spite of a 2-26 to 4-17 defeat, Tipp were widely lauded for their performance. The subsequent championship campaign saw McGrath make his debut in a quarter-final defeat of Cork. He went on to score seven points against Clare in the semi-final, allowing Tipp to advance to the provincial decider. Waterford
Waterford GAA
The Waterford County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Waterford GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for all levels of Gaelic games in County Waterford. The County Board is also responsible for the Waterford inter-county teams. The county...

, the team that had put Tipp to the sword in the All-Ireland semi-final the previous year provided the opposition. McGrath's side raced into a decisive lead at the interval, however, the Decies fought back to narrow the deficit and maybe cause an upset. In the end Tipp won the game by 4-14 to 2-16. It was McGrath's first Munster
Munster Senior Hurling Championship
The Munster GAA Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1888 for the top hurling teams in the province of Munster in Ireland....

 winners' medal in the senior grade and allowed Tipperary to advance to an All-Ireland semi-final meeting with Limerick
Limerick GAA
The Limerick County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Limerick GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Limerick...

 in Croke Park
Croke Park
Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...

. Tipperary went on to defeat Limerick
Limerick GAA
The Limerick County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Limerick GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Limerick...

 in the All Ireland Semi-Final by 6-19 to 2-7 on 16 August 2009, to set up a final meeting with Kilkenny
Kilkenny GAA
The Kilkenny County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland and is responsible for Gaelic Games in County Kilkenny. The county board has its head office and main grounds at Nowlan Park and is also responsible for Kilkenny inter-county teams...

, McGrath scored 1-03 in the Semi-final. In the final
2009 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final
The 2009 All-Ireland Hurling Final was a hurling match played on 6 September 2009 in Croke Park, Dublin, between Kilkenny and Tipperary. It was the first time the two teams had met in the All-Ireland final since 1991...

 on the 6 September, Tipperary lost to Kilkenny by 2-22 to 0-23 in a match described as one of the best finals ever, with McGrath scoring two points.

In September 2009, McGrath was nominated for the 2009 All Star Team
GAA All Stars Awards
The All Stars Awards, currently sponsored by Vodafone, are given annually since 1971 by the Gaelic Athletic Association to the best player in each of the fifteen positions in Gaelic football and Hurling in Ireland. Additionally, one player in each code is selected as the player of the year...

, and also for the All Star Young Hurler of the Year award. On the 16 October 2009, he was presented with his first All Star award in the corner forward position, and was also named as young hurler of the year for 2009.

On 5 September 2010, McGrath started at centre-forward and scored a goal as Tipperary won their 26th All Ireland title
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....

, beating reigning champions Killkenny
Kilkenny GAA
The Kilkenny County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland and is responsible for Gaelic Games in County Kilkenny. The county board has its head office and main grounds at Nowlan Park and is also responsible for Kilkenny inter-county teams...

 by 4-17 to 1-18 in the final
2010 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final
The 2010 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final was the 113th All-Ireland Final and the culmination of the 2010 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, an inter-county hurling tournament for the top teams in Ireland. The match was held at Croke Park, Dublin, on 5 September 2010 and was a...

, preventing Kilkenny from achieving an historic 5-in-a-row, it was McGrath's first All-Ireland winners medal in his second final. He later picked up a second All Star Award for is proromences.

Loughmore-Castleiney

  • Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship
    Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship
    The Munster GAA Club Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1964 for the top hurling clubs in the province of Munster in Ireland...

    :
    • Winner (1): 2007
  • Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship
    Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship
    The Tipperary Senior Hurling Club Championship is an annual club competition between the top Tipperary hurling clubs...

    :
    • Winner (1): 2007

Tipperary

  • All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
    All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
    The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....

    :
    • Winner (1): 2010
    • Runner-up (2): 2009, 2011
  • Munster Senior Hurling Championship
    Munster Senior Hurling Championship
    The Munster GAA Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1888 for the top hurling teams in the province of Munster in Ireland....

    :
    • Winner (2): 2009, 2011
  • National Hurling League
    National Hurling League
    The National Hurling League is an annual hurling competition between the county teams of Ireland. Contested by 35 teams , it operates on a system of promotion and relegation between four different divisions, with Division One...

    :
    • Winner (0):
    • Runner-up (1): 2009
  • All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship
    All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship
    The All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship is the premier "knockout" competition for players aged between 18 and 21 in the game of hurling played in Ireland...

    :
    • Winner (1): 2010
  • Munster Under-21 Hurling Championship
    Munster Under-21 Hurling Championship
    The Munster GAA Hurling Under-21 Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1964 for players aged between 18 and 21 in the province of Munster in Ireland...

    :
    • Winner (1): 2010
  • All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship
    All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship
    The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Minor Championship is an annual competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1928 for competitors under eighteen years of age in the game of hurling played in Ireland.The series of games are played during the summer months with the All-Ireland final...

    :
    • Winner (2): 2006, 2007
  • Munster Minor Hurling Championship
    Munster Minor Hurling Championship
    The Munster GAA Hurling Minor Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1928 for the youngest competitors in the province of Munster in Ireland...

    :
    • Winner (1): 2007
    • Runner-up (2): 2006, 2008

External links


Teams

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