Noel McGrath (born 17 December 1990) is an Irish hurler who plays for Tipperary Senior Championship club

Loughmore-Castleiney Loughmore-Castleiney is an ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly. It is located in County Tipperary, Ireland. The area is made up of the villages of Loughmore and Castleiney and their hinterland. Loughmore ...

and at inter-county level with the

Tipperary senior hurling team The Tipperary county hurling team represents Tipperary in hurling and is governed by Tipperary GAA, the county board of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The team competes in the three major annual inter-county competitions; the All-Ireland Seni ...

. He usually lines out as at midfield.

Playing career

Our Lady's Secondary School

McGrath first came to prominence as a hurler with Our Lady's Secondary School in

Templemore Templemore () is a town in County Tipperary, Ireland. It is a civil parish in the historical barony of Eliogarty. It is part of the parish of Templemore, Clonmore and Killea in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly. The 2011 Censu ...

. On 6 December 2006, he scored 1-03 from midfield when Our Lady's Secondary School defeated De La Salle by 1-10 to 2-04 to win the Dean Ryan Cup.

University College Dublin

During his studies at

University College Dublin University College Dublin (commonly referred to as UCD) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile, Baile Átha Cliath) is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a collegiate university, member institution of the National University of Ireland ...

, McGrath joined the university's senior hurling team in his second year. He lined out in several

Fitzgibbon Cup The Fitzgibbon Cup ( ga, Corn Mhic Giobúin) is the trophy for the premier hurling championship among higher education institutions (universities, colleges and institutes of technology) in Ireland. The Fitzgibbon Cup competition is administered ...

campaigns and served as team captain for two years.

Loughmore–Castleiney

McGrath joined the Loughmore–Castleiney club at a young age and played in all grades at juvenile and underage levels, enjoying championship success in the under-21 grade. He joined the club's senior teams as a

dual player Dual player or dual star is a term used in Hiberno-English to describe someone who competes in multiple sports — for example, in Victorian Ireland, cricket and hurling. The term today in Gaelic games typically describes a male player who plays ...

in 2007. On 21 October 2007, McGrath was just 16-years-old when he lined out at left wing-forward in the Tipperary Hurling Championship final. He scored six points, including three frees, and collected a winners' medal following the 0-22 to 0-13 defeat of Drom–Inch. McGrath retained his position at left wing-forward for the Munster final against

Tulla Tulla () is a market town in County Clare, Ireland. It is situated in the east of the county, on the R462 and near its junction with the R352, 18km from Ennis. Etymology Tulla is generally translated as ''An Tulach'', meaning "round hill". ...

on 2 December 2012. He ended the game with a winners' medal following the 1-06 to 0-07 victory. On 7 November 2010, McGrath lined out at left wing-forward when Loughmore–Castleiney faced Aherlow in the Tipperary Football Championship final. He was held scoreless throughout and ended the game on the losing side after a 2-04 to 1-06 defeat. On 13 October 2013, McGrath lined out at midfield against Nenagh Éire Óg in the Tipperary Hurling Championship final. He ended the game with a second winners' medal following the 1-17 to 1-16 victory. On 3 November 2013, McGrath lined out in his second final of the year when Loughmore–Castleiney faced Aherlow in the Tipperary Football Championship final. He ended the game with a second winners' medal as Loughmore–Castleiney completed an historic

double A double is a look-alike or doppelgänger; one person or being that resembles another. Double, The Double or Dubble may also refer to: Film and television * Double (filmmaking), someone who substitutes for the credited actor of a character * Th ...

following a 3-10 to 0-09 victory. McGrath lined out in a second successive Tipperary Hurling Championship final on 2 November 2014. He top scored with five points from left wing-forward in the 2-22 to 3-11 defeat by

Thurles Sarsfields Thurles Sarsfields is a Tipperary GAA club which is located in County Tipperary, Ireland. Both hurling and Gaelic football are played in the "Mid-Tipperary" divisional competitions. The club is centred in the town of Thurles at Semple Stadium ...

. McGrath lined out in a second successive Tipperary Football Championship final on 21 December 2014. He lined out at midfield in the 2-07 to 1-10 draw with

Cahir Cahir (; ) is a town in County Tipperary in Ireland. It is also a civil parish in the barony of Iffa and Offa West. Location and access For much of the twentieth century, Cahir stood at an intersection of two busy national roadways: the Dublin ...

. McGrath retained his position at midfield for the replay on 26 December 2014 and collected a second successive winners' medal following a 0-09 to 2-02 victory. McGrath lined out in a third Tipperary Football Championship final in four seasons on 30 October 2016. He scored two points from midfield and ended the game with a third winners' medal following a 1-09 to 1-06 defeat of

Moyle Rovers Moyle may refer to: Places *Moyle District Council, a former local authority in County Antrim, Northern Ireland *Moyle River, Northern Territory, Australia *Straits of Moyle, the sea between northeastern Northern Ireland southwestern Scotland ...

. McGrath completed his second Tipperary double as Loughmore–Castleiney won the Tipperary Senior Football Championship against

Clonmel Commercials Clonmel Commercials GFC is a Gaelic Athletic Association Gaelic football club located in the town of Clonmel in County Tipperary, Ireland. The club is part of the South Division of Tipperary GAA. They have been Tipperary Senior Football champ ...

on 21 November 2021, and then a week later won the Hurling Championship against

. McGrath captained the team against Thurles Sarsfields.

Tipperary

Minor & under-21

McGrath first played for

Tipperary Tipperary is the name of: Places *County Tipperary, a county in Ireland **North Tipperary, a former administrative county based in Nenagh **South Tipperary, a former administrative county based in Clonmel *Tipperary (town), County Tipperary's na ...

as a 15-year-old when he joined the minor team during the 2006 Munster Championship. He made his first appearance for the team on 3 May 2006 when he came on as a substitute for Gearóid Ryan in a 2-23 to 3-08 defeat of

Limerick Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...

. McGrath was again selected on the bench for the Munster final. He was introduced as a substitute for

Séamus Hennessy Séamus Hennessy (born 1 May 1989) is an Irish hurler who played as a midfielder for the Tipperary senior team. Hennessy made his first appearance for the team during the 2009 Waterford Crystal Cup. During that time he has won one All-Irelan ...

in the 2-20 to 1-15 defeat by

Cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...

. On 3 September 2006, McGrath broke onto the starting fifteen and was named at midfield when Tipperary faced

Galway Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a City status in Ireland, city in the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lo ...

in the

All-Ireland final The All-Ireland Final may refer to: * All-Ireland Hurling Final, the last match to be played in the All-Ireland Hurling Championship (Senior, Minor and Under-21 levels) * The last match to be played in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship ...

. He ended the game with a winners' medal following the 2-18 to 2-07 victory. On 8 July 2007, McGrath scored a point from midfield when Tipperary won the

Munster Championship The Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship, known simply as the Munster Championship, is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-county hurlin ...

following an 0-18 to 1-11 defeat of Cork in the final. On 2 September 2007, he was again selected at midfield for the

against Cork. He scored a point from play and claimed a second successive winners' medal following the 3-14 to 2-11 victory. McGrath was again eligible for the minor grade for a third and final season in

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

. On 13 July 2008, he scored five points from play when Tipperary suffered a 0-19 to 0-18 defeat by Cork in the Munster final. McGrath was drafted onto the Tippearry under-21 prior to the start of the 2009 Munster Championship. He made his first appearance for the team on 3 June 2009 when he scored a point in a 2-22 to 0-25 defeat of Cork. On 28 July 2010, McGrath won a

medal after lining out at midfield in Tipperary's 1-22 to 1-17 defeat of Clare in the

final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...

. He retained his position at midfield for the

against Galway on 11 September 2010. McGrath ended the game with an All-Ireland medal following the 5-22 to 0-12 victory. McGrath was appointed

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

of the Tipperary under-21 team for the 2011 Munster Championship. He played his last game in the grade on 15 July 2011 when he captained Tipperary to a 4-19 to 1-21 defeat by Cork.

Senior

McGrath joined the Tipperary senior team in early

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...

in advance of the 2009 National League. He made his first appearance for the team on 14 February 2009 when he came on as a substitute for

James Woodlock James Woodlock (born 24 March 1986) is an Irish hurler and coach who plays for Drom & Inch and is a former member of the Tipperary inter-county team. He primarily plays as a midfielder. Born in Drom, County Tipperary, Woodlock was first intr ...

in the 58th minute of a 2-15 to 0-09 defeat of Cork. On 3 May 2009, McGrath scored 1-05 from right corner-forward in Tipperary's 2-26 to 4-17 extra-time defeat by Kilkenny in the National League final. On 31 May 2009, he made his

debut when he scored three points from right wing-forward in a 1-19 to 0-19 defeat of Cork. On 12 July 2009, McGrath started the Munster final at right corner-forward and ended the game with a winners' medal after scoring three points in the 4-14 to 2-16 defeat of

Waterford "Waterford remains the untaken city" , mapsize = 220px , pushpin_map = Ireland#Europe , pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ireland##Location within Europe , pushpin_relief = 1 , coordinates ...

. He was again selected at right corner-forward for the

against Kilkenny on 6 September 2009. McGrath scored two points from play but ended the game on the losing side following a 2-22 to 0-23 defeat. He ended his debut season by being named at right corner-forward on the All-Star team while he was also named Young Hurler of the Year. On 5 September 2010, McGrath was selected at right corner-forward when Tipperary qualified to play Kilkenny in a second successive

. He was one of two goal-scorers for Tipperary and collected his first All-Ireland medal following a 4-17 to 1-18 victory. McGrath ended the season by winning a second All-Star award. On 10 July 2011, McGrath won a second Munster Championship medal after scoring two points from right wing-forward in a 7-19 to 0-19 defeat of Waterford in the Munster final. On 4 September 2011, he was selected at centre-forward when Tipperary faced Kilkenny in a third successive

. McGrath scored three points from play but ended the game on the losing side following a 2-17 to 1-16 defeat. On 15 July 2012, McGrath lined out at left corner-forward when Tipperary qualified to play Waterford in a second successive Munster final. He ended the game with a third winners' medal in four seasons after scoring three points in the 2-17 to 0-16 victory. On 5 May 2013, McGrath was selected at right wing-forward when Tipperary faced Kilkenny in the National League final. He scored three points from play but ended on the losing side following a 2-17 to 0-20 defeat. McGrath lined out at right corner-forward in a second successive National League final against Kilkenny on 4 May 2014. He scored five points from play but ended the game on the losing side following a 2-25 to 1-27 defeat. On 7 September 2014, McGrath scored four points from right corner-forward in a 1-28 to 3-22 draw with Kilkenny in the

. He was switched to centre-forward for the replay on 27 September 2014, however, he ended the game on the losing side after a 2-17 to 2-14 defeat. On 15 April 2015, it was revealed that McGrath was to undergo surgery for

testicular cancer Testicular cancer is cancer that develops in the testicles, a part of the male reproductive system. Symptoms may include a lump in the testicle, or swelling or pain in the scrotum. Treatment may result in infertility. Risk factors include an u ...

two days later. He later said: "I knew for two or three weeks that there wasn't something fully right. You're just hoping that you got hit in training or maybe you got a belt but the longer it was there, I knew something wasn't right. Thankfully I got looked after very well." McGrath returned to the Tipperary training panel in June 2015. On 16 August 2015, he received a standing ovation when he came on as a substitute in Tipperary's 0-26 to 3-16 defeat by Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final. McGrath was named as the 2015 Tipperary Person of the Year by the Tipperary Association Dublin. McGrath claimed a fourth Munster Championship medal on 10 July 2016 after scoring a point from left wing-forward in a 5-19 to 0-13 defeat of Waterford in the

. On 5 September 2016, he retained his position at left wing-forward for the

against Kilkenny. McGrath scored a point from play and collected a second All-Ireland medal following a 2-29 to 2-20 victory. On 23 April 2017, McGrath lined out in his fourth National League final. He scored two points from right corner-forward but ended the game on the losing side following a 3-21 to 0-14 victory for Galway. On 30 June 2019, McGrath scored a point from midfield when Tipperary suffered a 2-26 to 2-14 defeat by Limerick in the Munster final. On 18 August 2019, he was selected at midfield when Tipperary faced Kilkenny in the

. McGrath scored two points from play and ended the game with a third All-Ireland winners' medal following the 3-25 to 0-20 victory. He ended the season by receiving his third All-Star award. In November 2022, McGrath was named as the new Tipperary

for the

2023 Events Predicted and scheduled events * January 1 ** In the United States, books, films, and other works published in 1927 will enter the public domain, assuming there are no changes made to copyright law. ** Croatia will adopt the eu ...

season.

Munster

McGrath was added to the

Munster Munster ( gle, an Mhumhain or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the south of Ireland. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" ( ga, rí ruirech). Following the ...

team in advance of the 2012 Railway Cup. He made his first appearance for the team on 9 February 2014 when he scored two points from centre-forward in a 1-18 to 0-16 defeat by

Connacht Connacht ( ; ga, Connachta or ), is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, Conmhaícne, and Delbhn ...

. On 15 December 2016, McGrath was selected on the bench when Munster faced

Leinster Leinster ( ; ga, Laighin or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, situated in the southeast and east of Ireland. The province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige. Following the 12th-century Norman invasion of Ir ...

in the Railway Cup final. He was introduced as a half-time substitute for Shane Bennett and claimed a

Railway Cup The GAA Interprovincial Championship ( ga, An Corn Idir-Chúigeach) or Railway Cup (''Corn an Iarnróid'') is the name of two annual Gaelic football and hurling competitions held between the provinces of Ireland. The Connacht, Leinster, Munster ...

medal following the 2-20 to 2-16 victory.

Personal life

McGrath is the son of Pat McGrath who won an All-Ireland medal with Tipperary in

1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress Street Viaduct, Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxo ...

. His brother,

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...

, is also an All-Ireland medal winner, and a current teammate on the Tipperary senior team, while his youngest brother,

Brian Brian (sometimes spelled Bryan in English) is a male given name of Irish and Breton origin, as well as a surname of Occitan origin. It is common in the English-speaking world. It is possible that the name is derived from an Old Celtic word me ...

, has also lined out with the Tipperary senior team.

Career statistics

Club

Hurling

Football

Inter-county

Honours

;Loughmore–Castleiney *

Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship The Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the AIB Munster GAA Hurling Senior Club Championship) is an annual hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1964 f ...

(1):

2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...

Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship The Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the FBD Insurance Tipperary County Senior Hurling Championship) is an annual hurling competition organised by the Tipperary County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Associati ...

(3):

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...

Tipperary Senior Football Championship The Tipperary Senior Football Championship is an annual Gaelic Athletic Association club competition between the top Gaelic football clubs in Tipperary. The winners of the Tipperary Championship qualify to represent their county in the Munster ...

(4): 2013,

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...

Mid Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship The Mid Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Centenary Agri Mid Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship) is an annual hurling competition organised by the Mid Tipperary Board of the Gaelic Athletic Associati ...

(3): 2011, 2016, 2018 * Mid Tipperary Senior Football Championship (9): 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 ;Tipperary *

All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship, known simply as the All-Ireland Championship, is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-county hurling competition i ...

(3):

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

Munster Senior Hurling Championship The Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship, known simply as the Munster Championship, is an annual Inter county, inter-county hurling competition organised by the Munster GAA, Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the h ...

(4):

2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...

Waterford Crystal Cup The Waterford Crystal Cup was an annual hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association from 2006 to 2015 for the top inter-county teams and third-level institutes and universities in the province of Munste ...

(2):

All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship The GAA Hurling Under-20 All-Ireland Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Bord Gáis Energy GAA Hurling Under-20 All-Ireland Championship) is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association (G ...

(1):

Munster Under-21 Hurling Championship The Munster GAA Hurling Under-20 Championship, known simply as the Munster Under-20 Championship, is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-co ...

(2):

All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Minor Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Electric Ireland GAA Hurling All-Ireland Minor Championship) is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). I ...

(2):

2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...

Munster Minor Hurling Championship The Munster GAA Hurling Minor Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Electric Ireland Munster GAA Hurling Minor Championship) is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Associ ...

(1):

;Munster *

(1):

;Individual *

All Stars Young Hurler of the Year The Gaelic Athletic Association/Gaelic Players Association Young Hurler of the Year (known for sponsorship reasons as the PwC GAA/GPA Young Hurler of the Year, or simply the Young Hurler of the Year) is an annual award given to the player aged 21 ...

(1): 2009 *

GAA GPA All Stars Awards The Gaelic Athletic Association-Gaelic Players' Association All Stars Awards (often known simply as the All Stars) are awarded annually to the best player in each of the 15 playing positions in Gaelic football and hurling. Additionally, one pla ...

(3): 2009, 2010, 2019 * GAA/GPA Player of the Month (2): August 2010, August 2019 *All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final Man of the Match (1):

*''

The Sunday Game ''The Sunday Game'' is RTÉ's main Gaelic games television programme. It is shown on RTÉ2 every Sunday during the Football Championship and Hurling Championship seasons. It is one of RTÉ2's longest-running shows, having been on air since 197 ...

'' Team of the Year (1): 2019 *''The Sunday Game'' Hurler of the Year (1): 2019

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McGrath, Noel 1990 births Living people Dual players Loughmore-Castleiney hurlers Loughmore-Castleiney Gaelic footballers UCD hurlers Tipperary inter-county hurlers All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship winners