McGrath, Joe
January 16, 2013Tribute to Joe McGrath, RIP, 1936 - 2012
It is with great sadness that Down GAA and in particular East Down GAA learned of the death of great friend and supporter Joe McGrath on January 2. Joe, a past pupil of St Patrick's Grammar School, Downpatrick, in the late 1940s and early 1950s, was a great devotee of the school who, even though he lived in his adopted home in Cork for almost 40 years, never forgot his Downpatrick origins, beginning his football career playing for Loughinisland and Down.
On leaving St Patrick's Grammar, Joe started his employment journey with Plessey Communications in Ballynahinch. Upon his marriage to his beloved Olga (nee Killen) he moved to The Ardee Chair Company as manager and began his coaching career with St Mary's, Ardee.
Building on his successful managerial career, he was invited by the multinational company, Molex, to set up Molex Ireland in 1971 and to lead the company's growth as a major employer in Ireland, initially in Shannon and later in Millstreet, Cork, as its managing director.
Joe was renowned throughout Ireland as a legendary GAA man and strategist par excellence as well as an accomplished coach in hurling, camogie and football. He held many coaching positions within the GAA including chairman of the National Coaching Committee. Former Cork secretary and chairman, Tom O'Sullivan, described him as an extremely professional coach. He guided his club, Blackrock, to County Championship victories in 1973, 1975, 1978 and 1979, and to All Ireland club successes in 1974 and 1979. Joe was at the helm when Limerick beat Tipperary at the Cork Athletic Grounds in 1971 to win the National Hurling League title for the first time in 24 years. In 1983, he coached the Cork senior footballers when they scored a dramatic victory in the Munster final in Pairc Ui Chaoimh, denying Kerry and Mick O'Dwyer a record ninth consecutive provincial title. Five years later, the Down native coached Cork to the All Ireland U-21 hurling title, defeating Kilkenny 4-11 to 1-5 in the final. Credited with revolutionising training sessions, he was also involved in setting up coaching structures at national level and was one of the first full-time coaching officers in Cork. This labour of love Joe continued until his health deteriorated last year. He had a huge impact on GAA and coaching in Munster throughout his lifetime and his legacy lives on in the form of the McGrath Cup which sees the inter-county and Third Level clubs of Munster compete with each other in a bid to promote Gaelic football in Munster. A minute's silence was held at all Munster fixtures last weekend to mark Joe's passing and contribution to Gaelic games in the Province. The final of the McGrath Cup will take place on January 27.
Joe never forgot his Downpatrick roots and in particular his beloved Red High. During his last visit to the school in September he articulated how he valued greatly the education he had received and was keen to pass on that legacy, including his love of Gaelic games, to the young men and women of today.
Over the past 30 years, Joe arrived at the school each year with a car full of hurls and sliothars for the boys' use. He was also very generous financially, donating trophies and finance to promote Gaelic games within the school. In November, when St Patrick's reached its first Ulster senior hurling final, the Casement Cup, Joe, too unwell to travel, insisted on sponsoring the boys' kit for the match. He was absolutely delighted when the text informing him of the school's success made its way to Cork within minutes of the victory. The team dedicated their victory to Joe on the night.
In the weeks leading up to Christmas, Joe, although very ill, contacted the school to congratulate them on the awarding of four All Star awards, three in hurling, one in football. He generously donated his significant coaching library to the school as a legacy for the future and, as meticulous as ever, arranged for the library to be delivered before Christmas. A fitting legacy to the man is the establishment of St Patrick's Grammar as a Centre of Excellence for Down hurling by the Down County Board. The school sports hall will be dedicated to his name later this year. Joe was buried in St James' Cemetery, Chetwynd, following Requiem Mass in Ballinlough on January 5 at which the chief celebrant was Canon James O'Donovan PP.
In attendance were former GAA president Mick Loftus, Cork All Ireland hurlers Ray Cummins, Frank Cummins, Eamonn O'Donoghue, John Considine, Sean O'Gorman, Denis Burns, Sean Silke (Galway) and Limerick brothers Pat and Bernie Hartigan. They played in the 1971 League final and were on the last Limerick team to win the Liam MacCarthy Cup two years later.
Also present were commentator Micheal O Muircheartaigh, Munster Council vice-chairman Robert Frost, former Limerick chairman Rory Kiely, former Cork chairman Mick Dolan, Fianna Fail leader and fellow parishioner Micheal Martin, former Assistant Garda Commissioner Joe Long and representatives of the Blackrock club.
Friends, relatives and members of staff from St Patrick's also made the sad journey from Down to Cork to pay their last respects to a great County Down Gael.
To his wife Olga and devoted children Siobhan, Grainne, Deirdre, Roisin, and Niall, the community of St Patrick's Grammar School and Down GAA, offer its deepest sympathy. Ar dheis De go raibh a anam.
Courtesy of The Mourne Observer. Tweet
