Ken McGrath

{{Infobox Gaelic Athletic Association player

|image = Semple Stadium Wall of Fame 2.jpg

|name = Ken McGrath

|irish = Cionnaith Mac Craith

|nickname = Mac

|occupation = Coffee Business

|feet = 6

|inches = 1

|sport = Hurling

|code = Hurling

|county = Waterford

|province = Munster

|club = Mount Sion

|clyears = 1995–

|clposition = Centre Back

|clapps(points) =

|clcounty = 6

|clprovince = 1

|clallireland =

|counties = Waterford

|icyears = 1996–2011

|icposition = Centre Back

|icapps(points) = 51 (1–93)

|icprovince = 4

|icallireland =

|nhl = 1

|allstars = 3

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1978|2|20}}

|birth_place = Waterford, Ireland

}}

Ken McGrath (born 20 February 1978) is an Irish hurler and hurling selector who played as a centre-back for the Waterford senior team. He joined the team in 1996 and was a regular member of the starting fifteen until his retirement in 2011.{{cite web|url=http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/hurling/2011/0315/277686-mcgrathk/|title=McGrath retires from inter-county hurling|publisher=RTÉ Sport|date=15 March 2011|access-date=3 August 2012}}

Son of former hurler Pat and older brother of former player Eoin, McGrath was a stalwart on the Waterford team for more than a decade. He has won four Munster winners' medals, one National League winners' medal and three All-Star awards. He ended up as an All-Ireland runner-up on one occasion.

At club level McGrath is a Munster medalist with Mount Sion. In addition to this he has also won six county club championship medals.

McGrath has also served as a selector with the Waterford senior hurling management team.{{cite web|url=http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/hurling/2012/0323/313351-mcgrath-appointed-waterford-selector/|title=Ken McGrath is appointed Waterford selector|publisher=RTÉ Sport|date=23 March 2012|access-date=3 August 2012}}

Playing career

=Club=

McGrath plays his club hurling with the Mount Sion club in Waterford city and has had several successes.

In 1998 McGrath won his first county club championship medal following a 3–19 to 0–10 trouncing of Ballyduff Upper.{{cite news|url=http://archives.tcm.ie/irishexaminer/1998/10/12/shead.htm |title=Mount Sion master Ballyduff |publisher=Irish Examiner |access-date=2 August 2012 |date=12 October 1998 |first=John |last=Murphy |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629073517/http://archives.tcm.ie/irishexaminer/1998/10/12/shead.htm |archive-date=29 June 2011 }}

After surrendering their title to Ballygunner in 1999, Mount Sion were back the following year to exact revenge. A 1–20 to 0–9 defeat of Ballygunner gave McGrath a second county championship medal.{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/sport/browne-leads-his-mount-back-to-top-366803.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130107213603/http://www.independent.ie/sport/browne-leads-his-mount-back-to-top-366803.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=7 January 2013 |title=Browne leads his Mount back to top |publisher=Irish Independent |access-date=2 August 2012 |date=4 September 2000 |first=Matt |last=Dickinson }}

Mount Sion surrendered their club title in 2001, however, McGrath's side were back in the final again in 2002. A 1–19 to 2–14 defeat of Ballygunner secured the championship once again.{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/mcgrath-masters-lead-sion-to-promised-land-288280.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130107200659/http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/mcgrath-masters-lead-sion-to-promised-land-288280.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=7 January 2013 |title=McGrath masters lead Sion to promised land |publisher=Irish Independent |access-date=2 August 2012 |date=7 October 2000 |first=Paddy |last=Hickey }} It was the first of three county final victories in-a-row over Ballygunner.{{cite news|url=http://www.hoganstand.com/Waterford/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=29876|title=McGrath goal sets a record|publisher=Hogan Stand website|access-date=2 August 2012|date=9 November 2003}}{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/sport/hurling/marvellous-mounts-three-on-the-bounce-a-sion-of-their-recent-times-149200.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130107195454/http://www.independent.ie/sport/hurling/marvellous-mounts-three-on-the-bounce-a-sion-of-their-recent-times-149200.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=7 January 2013 |title=Marvellous Mount's three on the bounce a Sion of their recent times |publisher=Irish Independent |access-date=2 August 2012 |date=11 October 2004 |first=Shane |last=Scanlan }}

In 2002 McGrath won a Munster club medal as Mount Sion defeated Sixmilebridge to take the title.{{cite news|url=http://www.hoganstand.com/Waterford/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=29926|title=Mount Sion are champs of Munster|publisher=Hogan Stand website|access-date=2 August 2012|date=2 December 2002}} The club was defeated in the subsequent All-Ireland semi-final.

Four club titles in-a-row proved beyond Mount Sion, however, the club bounced back in 2006 with McGrath winning a sixth county championship medal following a seven-point defeat of Ballygunner.{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/sport/hurling/mcgraths-fire-sion-to-victory-over-gunners-74620.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130107224652/http://www.independent.ie/sport/hurling/mcgraths-fire-sion-to-victory-over-gunners-74620.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=7 January 2013 |title=McGraths fire Sion to victory over Gunners |publisher=Irish Independent |access-date=2 August 2012 |date=23 October 2006 |first=Adrian |last=Flanagan }}

=Inter-county=

McGrath first came to prominence on the inter-county scene at the age of seventeen as a member of the Waterford minor hurling team. He later played with the under-21 county side.

By 1996 McGrath had joined the Waterford senior team and made his debut in that year's championship.

In 1998 McGrath played in his first Munster final in the senior grade. Waterford held All-Ireland champions Clare to a draw in the Munster final, however, the Decies lost the replay. McGrath's side later faced Kilkenny in the All-Ireland semi-final in what would be the county's first appearance in Croke Park since 1963. Kilkenny won by a single point.

Four years later in 2002 McGrath claimed his first Munster winners' medal as Waterford defeated Tipperary by 2–23 to 3–12 to claim the provincial crown for the first time in thirty-nine years.{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/sport/hurling/waterford-wonders-whip-tipp-with-awesome-display-298042.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121205034835/http://www.independent.ie/sport/hurling/waterford-wonders-whip-tipp-with-awesome-display-298042.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=5 December 2012 |title=Waterford wonders whip Tipp with awesome display |publisher=Irish Independent |access-date=2 August 2012 |date=1 July 2002 |first=Martin |last=Breheny }}

After surrendering the Munster title to Cork in 2003, McGrath's side were back in the provincial showpiece for a third successive year in 2004. In the Munster final, Waterford defeated Cork for the first time in forty-five years to take the title by 3–16 to 1–21.

In 2007 McGrath added a National Hurling League medal to his collection when Waterford defeated Kilkenny by 0–20 to 0–18 in the final.{{cite news|url=http://www.munster-express.ie/sports/gaa-hurling/waterford-end-44-year-faminewith-national-league-title/|title=Waterford end 44-year faminewith National League title|publisher=Munster Express|access-date=2 August 2012|date=4 May 2007|first=Martin|last=Breheny}} He later claimed a third Munster winners' medal as Waterford defeated Limerick by 3–17 to 1–14 in the provincial decider.{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/sport/hurling/dynamic-dan-adds-some-extra-dash-for-the-dise-995588.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120904121742/http://www.independent.ie/sport/hurling/dynamic-dan-adds-some-extra-dash-for-the-dise-995588.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 September 2012 |title=Dynamic Dan adds some extra dash for the Déise |publisher=Irish Independent |access-date=2 August 2012 |date=9 July 2007 |first=Martin |last=Breheny }} While Waterford were viewed as possibly going on and winning the All-Ireland title for the first time in almost half a century, Limerick ambushed McGrath's side in the All-Ireland semi-final.

2008 began poorly for Waterford as the team lost their opening game to Clare as well as their manager Justin McCarthy. In spite of this poor start McGrath's side reached the All-Ireland final for the first time in forty-five years. Kilkenny provided the opposition and went on to defeat Waterford by 3–30 to 1–13 to claim a third All-Ireland title in-a-row.{{cite news|url=http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/hurling/2008/0907/237822-kilkenny_waterford/|title=RTÉ Sport: Kilkenny 3–30 Waterford 1–13|publisher=RTÉ Sport|access-date=2 August 2012|date=8 September 2008}}

McGrath lined out in another Munster final in 2010 with Cork providing the opposition. A 2–15 apiece draw was the result on that occasion, however, Waterford went on to win the replay after an extra-time goal by Dan Shanahan. It was a fourth Munster winners' medal for McGrath, a record that he shares with five other Waterford players.

McGrath returned to inter-county hurling for the National League in 2011, however, midway through that competition he retired from the Waterford panel due to injury.

=Inter-provincial=

McGrath was also a regular on the Munster team at various times between 1997 and 2009. He won two Railway Cup medals, in 1997 and 2001.{{cite web|url=http://munster.gaa.ie/history/railway-cup-hurling/|title=Railway Cup Hurling|work=Munster GAA website|access-date=7 August 2012}}

Coaching career

McGrath has some coaching experience with various Mount Sion underage teams. In 2012 he was announced as a replacement for Nicky Cashin as a Waterford selector under Michael Ryan. He resigned as selector in 2013 when Ryan stepped down.

Media career

McGrath has been an analyst on League Sunday.{{cite news|url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2017/0416/868164-davy-fitzgerald/|title=League Sunday panel: Davy Fitzgerald overstepped the mark|publisher=RTÉ|date=17 April 2017}}

Honours

=Team=

;Mount Sion

Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship (1): 2002
Waterford Senior Club Hurling Championship (6): 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006

;Waterford

Munster Senior Hurling Championship (4): 2002, 2004, 2007, 2010
National Hurling League (1): 2007

;Munster

Inter-provincial Championship (2): 1997, 2001

=Individual=

All-Stars (3): 2002, 2004, 2007
In May 2020, the Irish Independent named McGrath at number ten in its "Top 20 hurlers in Ireland over the past 50 years". He was the only inclusion without an All-Ireland medal.{{cite news|first=Martin|last=Breheny|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/the-greatest-players/revealed-the-top-20-hurlers-in-ireland-over-the-past-50-years-39244506.html|title=Revealed: The Top 20 hurlers in Ireland over the past 50 years|newspaper=Irish Independent|publisher=Independent News & Media|date=30 May 2020|access-date=30 May 2020}}