“Aggression was part of me game.”
One wonders if that was the working title for Ken McGrath’s autobiography. In the end, the former Waterford hurler went with Hand on Heart and no-one was arguing with him.
McGrath was a guest on The GAA Hour, on Wednesday, and recalled a few of his most famous run-ins on the playing field. We limited him to a few as we could have been there all day.
The Mount Sion club-man always felt he was playing at his best if he was teetering on the very edge of his emotions. So it proved, and so he played, in an all-time classic Munster final, in 2004.
The Déise went toe to toe with a formidable Cork team and edged them out by a solitary point, 3-16 to 1-21.
In the final moments of the game, with Waterford the slimmest of noses ahead, McGrath leapt, soared and fielded a high ball that all but ended Cork’s hopes. Once he deposited the sliothar back down the field, it would not leave Cork with enough time to claim an equalising point, or winning goal.
The equally passionate Cork defender Diarmuid O’Sullivan jogged past him as the sliothar was sent into orbit, and muttered something. McGrath was briefly transported from his state of delirium. He was convinced ‘The Rock’ had thrown out a smart remark.
“Massive crowds; your adrenaline is pumping. I thought Sully wanted to to say something and I went back to him.
“He had actually said, ‘Great catch’. I said thanks.
“I’d have massive respect for Sully. He played minors when I did. That was part of it – that respect – during that era.”
Waterford went on to the All-Ireland semis where they lost out on a final spot to Kilkenny, who were then beaten by the same Cork team that had fallen to McGrath & co.
“That’s the killer. That’s that made me sit back and look at your career and say ‘Jaysus, who did we not do that?’
“Massive games with Cork but they won two-in-a-row in ’04 and ’05 and in 1999 too. And we were left scratching ourselves saying ‘We haven’t even one [All-Ireland] to our name’.”
Enjoy your victories when you get them.
In the latest GAA Hour, we talk to Ken McGrath of Waterford and with Declan Brennan about a new club players’ association.
