Pete McGrath (born 6 June 1953) is an

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

Gaelic football manager and former manager of the Down senior football team.

Professional career

McGrath was employed for many years as a

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teacher A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. whe ...

at St Colman's College, Newry. He retired from this position in 2006.

Management career

In 1987 McGrath was in charge of the Down team that won the

All-Ireland Minor Football Championship The Electric Ireland All-Ireland Minor Football Championship is the premier under-17 "knockout" competition in Gaelic football played in Ireland. 2017 was the final year of the minor under 18 football championship as it were replaced by an under ...

. He managed the Down senior team between 1989 and 2002, and was at the helm when Down won the

Ulster Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kin ...

and All Ireland Senior Championships in

1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phi ...

and 1994. He managed the Ireland team in the

International Rules Series The International Rules Series is a senior men's international rules football competition between the Australia international rules football team (selected by the Australian Football League) and the Ireland international rules football team (se ...

in 2004 and 2005. McGrath managed the Down under 21 team to the All Ireland final in 2009, before stepping down in October 2009. McGrath has had spells in club management with

Cooley Kickhams Cooley Kickhams Gaelic Football Club is a Gaelic football and ladies' Gaelic football club based on the Cooley Peninsula, County Louth, Ireland. History The club was founded in 1887 and is named after the Cooley Peninsula on which it stands. ...

, An Riocht, and Bryansford. He also coached the Gaelic football teams at St Colman's College, guiding them to five Hogan Cup wins between 1975 and 1998 with Ray Morgan. In October 2010, he returned to county management after being named as the Down minor manager on a three-year term, his second time in charge of the team. He took manager of the Fermanagh Senior Football team as his second term as manager there after taking the post in 2014. He has taken Fermanagh to the All Ireland Quarter Finals in 2015 and earlier that year gained promotion to Division Two of the Allianz Football League. He managed the Louth senior football team in 2018 but resigned after ten months into a two-year term following a shock Championship defeat to Leitrim. He is managed his native club St Bronagh's, Rostrevor for three years having taken over for the 2019 season - the club's centenary year. Now he has taken charge of the club's minor (u17) side for 2022.

Honours

;Player * 1 Down Senior Football Championship 1976 * 1 All-Ireland Freshers 1973 (c) ;Manager Ireland * 1 Compromise Rules Series 2004 Ulster * 1 Interprovincial 2016 Down * 4

Dr McKenna Cup The Dr McKenna Cup is an annual Gaelic football competition played between counties and universities in the province of Ulster. It is the secondary Gaelic football competition based in Ulster behind the Ulster Senior Football Championship, an ...

1989 1992 1996 1998 * 2

All-Ireland Senior Football Championship The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (SFC) ( ga, Craobh Shinsir Peile na hÉireann) is the premier competition in Gaelic football. An annual tournament organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), it is contested by the county ...

1991 1994 * 2

Ulster Senior Football Championship The Ulster Senior Football Championship is an inter-county competition for Gaelic football teams in the province of Ulster. It is organised by the Ulster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) and begins in early May. The final is ...

1991 1994 * 2

Ulster Under-21 Football Championship The Ulster GAA Football Under-20 Championship, known simply as the Ulster Under-20 Championship, is an annual inter-county Gaelic football competition organised by the Ulster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest in ...

2009 2008 * 1

1987 * 2

Ulster Minor Football Championship The Ulster Minor Football Championship is the Minor "knockout" competition in the game of Gaelic football played in the province of Ulster in Ireland. The series of games are organised by the Ulster Council. The trophy for the winning side is Th ...

1986 1987 * 1 National Football League Division 3 1997 Club * 1 Down Senior League Football Division 1 2007 * 1 Louth League Division 1 2004 * 1 Down Under-21 Football Championship 2012 * 1 Ulster U21 Championship 2013 (with Bryansford) School * 4 Hogan Cup 1986, 1988, 1993, 1998 (with Ray Morgan) * 6 McCrory Cup 1978, 1979, 1981,1988 1993 1998 (with Ray Morgan)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mcgrath, Pete 1953 births Living people Down inter-county Gaelic footballers Gaelic football managers Ireland international rules football team coaches Irish schoolteachers