NAME: Kevin McGrath DATE OF BIRTH: 7/1/72 HEIGHT: 6' WEIGHT: 12st 7lbs CLUB: Colligan COUNTY: Waterford HONOURS: Under 14, Under 16, Minor, Under 21, Divisional Hurling and Football medals, Under 16 Hurling and Football County medals, Under 161/2 Munster Rice Cup medal, All-Ireland Division 2 Colleges medal with DIT, Munster and All-Ireland Under 21 medals INTER COUNTY DEBUT: Minor hurling - 1989 versus Limerick in Semple Stadium PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Student TOUGHEST OPPONENT: Brian Corcoran - Cork FAVOURITE GROUNDS: Nowlan Park, Kilkenny FAVOURITE POSITION: Wing forward SPORTING AMBITION: To win a senior All-Ireland for Waterford DO YOU PLAY ANY OTHER SPORTS? Football BOYHOOD HEROES: Jimmy Barry Murphy FAVOURITE PLAYERS: Jim Cashman BIGGEST INFLUENCE ON CAREER: Peter Power DISLIKES ABOUT THE GAA: None BEST GAME SEEN: 1991 Munster Final PLAYERS WITH A PROMISING FUTURE: Paul Flynn (Waterford), Conor O'Donovan (Galway) HOPES FOR 1993: To retain the Under 21 title YOUR CLUB HAS A MOST UNUSUAL NAME. HOW DID THE TITLE COLLIGAN ROCKIES COME ABOUT? It was founded in the 1940s. As for the name, I don't know where they got the Rockies from. The reason we're called Colligan is because the Colligan River flows through the parish TELL US ABOUT YOUR CLUB: Chairman Paddy Walsh, Secretary Paudie Flynn, Treasurer Michael Flynn. These officers have been with the club for the best part of 30 years as players and officers. At present we are building our own dressingrooms. They are almost completed. The club last won the Intermediate in 1984 and last Sunday we beat Clonea in the Waterford Intermediate decider WATERFORD STAR JIMMY BERESFORD ALSO PLAYS WITH YOUR CLUB: Yes, Jimmy is a very versatile player and will never let you down. He has been playing for the seniors now for a number of years and is a key player. Without him in the club we would not be where we are today ANY OTHER FORMER COUNTY STARS WHO WORE THE COLLIGAN COLOURS? Our full back, John Dunford played for the county a few years ago. His brother Pat played junior football for the county last year. A lot of our players have played minor or under 21 in the past for the county, such as Michael Beresford, Michael 'Noisey' Dunford, Ollie Whelan, Patsy Coffey, Benny McGrath and Billy Fraher YOUR FIRST COUSIN RAYMOND RYAN PLAYED ON THIS YEAR'S SUCCESSFUL WATERFORD MINOR TEAM: Yes, Raymond plays for a neighbouring club, Naomh Brid and is quite a useful player. He justified his selection for the minors this year with some very fine performances, especially in the Munster Final replay when he scored four points AND OTHER COUSINS, THE RYAN TWINS WERE INVOLVED WITH THE WINNING WATERFORD ALL-IRELAND SENIOR LADIES TEAM: Yes, Geraldine and Martina are second cousins of mine and very fine footballers. Martina played at full back and Geraldine at centre forward in this year's and last year's victorious All-Irelands STAYING WITH YOUR FAMILY, AN UNCLE JOHN MCGRATH PLAYED INTER-COUNTY HURLING: Yes, John is the owner of Clonea Strand Hotel, Gold Coast and Waterford Joinery and played for the county in the 1960s. He won an Oireachtas medal in 1962, a National League and Munster medal in 1963 and also he has a runner up medal from the 1961 All-Ireland. He is presently the Secretary of the Hurlers Association OBVIOUSLY PEOPLE LIKE JOHN AND YOUR FATHER PADDY, THE LOCAL SCHOOLTEACHER, HAD A BIG HURLING INFLUENCE ON YOU GROWING UP: Yes, I was always encouraged to play hurling when I was young YOU ARE UNDERAGE AGAIN IN 1993. ARE THERE MANY MORE OF THE '92 SQUAD ELIGIBLE NEXT SEASON? There are eight of the team that starred in the final eligible for next year and of the whole squad, there are 15 eligible for the next season KIZZY, A PECULIAR NICKNAME. HOW DID YOU GET IT? When I was in primary school, Michael 'Noisey' Dunford heard the name Kizzy on the television and decided that he was going to call me Kizzy. It just stuck to me ever since. By the way, he's called 'Noisey' because he never shuts up THAT UNDER 21 FINAL WIN OVER OFFALY, YOU OPENED THE SCORING IN THE REPLAY MATCH WITH A POINT. THIS MUST HAVE SETTLED THE NERVES CONSIDERABLY: Yes, it was great to get a score, not only that, but the first score. It was a real confidence booster, especially because I hadn't scored that much up to that WAS THERE ANY TIME IN THOSE OFFALY GAMES WHEN YOU FELT VICTORY WAS SLIPPING AWAY FROM WATERFORD? There were a lot of anxious moments in those games, but I was always confident that we would win, especially after the first day when we managed to draw when none of our forwards scored a point YOU WERE CLEAR OUTSIDERS FOR THE REPLAY. THIS MUST HAVE MADE YOU ALL THE MORE RELAXED AND HUNGRIER FOR SUCCESS: The fact that we were outsiders didn't make us any hungrier for success. We've been waiting so long for the breakthrough that this chance wasn't going to slip away. The outsiders tag did however help us to relax going into the replay. All the pressure was on Offaly and that can have a big bearing on a game THE WATERFORD BACKROOM TEAM HAVE COME IN FOR GREAT PRAISE. YOUR OPINIONS ON THESE WISE MEN: Peter, Joey an Tony have all got a great love of the game and they have a great understanding of the game. They know every player very well and this certainly helps because there was a great relationship between them and us. We respected their ideas and they respected us ANY SENIOR COUNTY EXPERIENCE TO DATE? I played a couple of challenge games for the seniors in 1990 but no National League or Championship games ARE THE CELEBRATIONS STILL GOING ON DOWN IN THE SOUTH EAST? Because of the club commitments of many of the players, the celebrations had to be put on hold for a while, but now that they are coming to an end, we can get down to some serious celebrations CAN WATERFORD BUILD ON THE SUCCESSES OF 1992 AND GO ON TO GREATER THINGS AT SENIOR LEVEL? It does not necessarily follow on that because our minor and under 21 teams did well this year, that a senior success is going to come. The same commitment will have to be shown for the senior campaign as was shown this year. However, we're moving in the right direction at least AND KEVIN MCGRATH TO BE INVOLVED? Hopefully! Taken from Hogan Stand magazine 13th November 1992 Vol 2 No 81 Tweet

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