The McGraths of Loughmore-Castleiney in Tipperary are a clear example of what we all want the GAA to be.
The mid-Tipperary brothers of Noel and John are two of the most gifted hurlers in the game, and they have been for some time.
Younger brother Brian is a rising star in Tipperary GAA circles, with his captaining of Tipperary to an All-Ireland minor triumph on that famous September day of 2016.
Three All-Ireland medals were collected by the three brothers in Croke Park on that day in the famous blue and gold.
We all know what these lads are capable of doing for their county, but what they do for their club, their unfailing commitment to that famous Loughmore jersey and parish, is a true measure of the men.
Loughmore-Castleiney is one of the smallest parish areas in Tipperary. It is a rural village on the outskirts of Thurles that is bound together by the closest-knit community you’re likely to come acorss.
They don’t compete like a small parish, however, and are an epitome of the old adage, “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog.”
The club may only have a small population, but this small population has been competing at the top level of Tipperary hurling and football for some years now.
They’re in the A grade in almost every age group along, but their senior team have won both the hurling and football and senior championships in Tipperary in recent years. They lifted the Dan Breen for their hurling victory in 2013, and followed this up with football triumphs in 2014 and 2016.
This pride of place and admirable community spirit is epitomised by the McGrath family.
Anytime their senior hurling or football team plays a game, opponents will be lucky if there’s any less than ten McGraths on the team.
There are cousins in Tipperary football panellist Liam, there’s Aidan, Ciaran, Tomás and there’s many many more.
Noel and John are the current stars, however, and what they did for their club just days after their Munster first round loss to Cork tells you all you need to know about them.
Tipperary suffered a crushing defeat to Cork, that was as harrowing as it was unexpected. Many Tipperary players were understandably down in the dumps and could have been excused for feeling sorry for themselves.
Not the McGraths, that’s not their style.
Noel and John lined out for their club just three days after this loss in a County Senior football group game against Galtee Rovers in Cashel.
They were instumental in firing their side to victory with 0-11 points out of the side’s 2-14 total scored by McGraths.
The Loughmore-Castleiney spirit is one that all GAA clubs are striving for but few can match.
After their triumph over Clare on Saturday, the whole family were in hospital visiting a family member, who was donning the famous green and red of Loughmore.
When a team-mate, and former Tipperary player Eddie Connolly bravely battled against brain cancer in 2015, the community rallied around him and his family like nothing seen before.
Eddie passed away after a spirited fight, but the whole of Loughmore ensured that his legacy would live on forever.
The Eddie Connolly Trust Fund was set-up and raised valuable awareness. The ‘Score4Eddie’ campaign spread throughout the country and the Loughmore club’s one spoke of an area in mourning but in solidarity.
@Score4eddie now over it you @MartyM_RTE @NedzerB13 @jasonryan31 please text 'match' to 50300 pic.twitter.com/OmHjyDNYtI
— Brendan Cummins (@BrenCummins1) September 17, 2015
It’s not just the McGraths that are a family, the whole community is a family.
You can’t keep a good club down.
