FAMILY BUSINESS: Loughmore and Toomevara continuing rich tradition on county final day

Family tradition is always a feature of clubs in the GAA, particularly rural clubs and once again, this Sunday’s Senior decider between Loughmore Castleiney and Toomevara will be no different.

Success hasn’t been in short supply in recent generations for both clubs and it is always a fascination for people in Ireland when trying to connect the dots in terms of who is related to whom.

Between the two clubs, they have played in 11 county finals and have won nine between them, with Toomevara’s last coming in 2008 and Loughmore’s coming more recently in 2021.

LOUGHMORE CASTLEINEY

Loughmore Castleiney have a massive tradition of playing in county finals in both codes and the name ‘McGrath’ is synonymous with the well-renowned dual club, who have certainly punched above their weight in terms of playing population in the last 40-odd years.

This year is unique in that they have an outsider in Eamonn Kelly in situ as manager after Frankie McGrath ended a successful stint in charge of both teams.

Frankie - uncle of the three McGrath’s Noel, Brian, and John - lined out in the 1988 senior final against Borris-Ileigh in a replay, with Frankie lining out in the goals on that occasion alongside his brothers Pat, Tom, and Michael who played at at wing-back, midfield and corner forward respectively. There was no fewer than seven McGraths starting in the semi-final win over Thurles Sarsfields.

Aidan and Ciaran are Michael’s sons while Frankie’s son Michael is the sub goalkeeper, with Tom’s son Liam is the captain of this year’s side and will be hoping to emulate Noel cousin’s Noel and Ciaran in lifting the Dan Breen this Sunday.

And in messers Tomas McGrath, Joseph Hennessy, Willie Eviston, Liam Treacy and John Ryan, you have first cousins of the McGrath clan mentioned above.

They are all second generation of the McGrath clan of Castlequarter.

There is also a strong connection from old teams for the Connolly brothers Ed and Ciaran. Their cousin Eddie Connolly was a club stalwart for the club in the noughties and tens, winning several county medals in both codes along with a Munster Championship in 2007.

Connolly went on to play for Tipperary too, before his untimely and sad passing back in 2015.

A real family affair!

TOOMEVARA

Toomevara have plenty of history on the other side and there is plenty of family tradition being carried forward into this county final, despite the 16-year wait to appear in the Tipperary hurling showpiece.

If we go through the team in order we can straight away see the familiar name of Rory Brislane in goals, whose father Rory was a mainstay of the Toomevara team of the 90’s at full back, while Rory’s nephew Michael is also on the panel.

Current team captain Liam Ryan is a second cousin of Dunne’s of Gurtagarry and will be hoping to carry on a rich tradition of the clan captaining successful Toomevara teams.

Then we have Darren Delaney whose father Tony won eleven county medals in his illustrious club career with the Greyhounds.

The Nolan brothers, David and Shane, also have a strong connection to the team of the 90s through their father Liam who has several county medals from that period of dominance.

Young Adam Hall has played well recently and he is following in his father Ken’s footsteps in playing in a county final. Ken featured on winning teams in the early 2000s.

Jake Hackett is playing in his first year at senior level and will follow his uncle Padraig into the final, having played with the successful Toome team of the late 90s and early 2000s where he won numerous county medals, including in the club’s last final win in 2008, playing at wing-back.

Jack Ryan has been a regular fixture at wing-back in the past two years and his father John would have been a member of panels in the breakthrough years in the early 90’s.

Jack is also be first cousin of the McCarthy brothers Kevin and Darragh whose cousin Tomas was involved in winning panels in the 2000’s to boot.

Full-back Andrew Ryan has been a regular at the back for Toomevara in the last decade, and he gets some of his pedigree from his father John, who is a first cousin of Roger and Tom Ryan, the former captaining Tipperary to All-Ireland success back in 1971.

Andrew’s distant cousins Jake and Paul Ryan are also part of the panel this year, and would also have great history in their family, with their grandfather Jim McDonnell who played for the Greyhounds throughout the 50s and 60s and won a county medal with Toomevara in 1960.

He is well known for his pub in Gurtagarry known as “The Shop” which has been open in the area and has been run by his family since 1887 to this very day.

Into the management sphere, the exploits of Ken Dunne would be well known. Ken, along with his brothers Tommy, Benny, Terry, and Barry were essential members of the successful era, and he is also joined on the management team by Francis Devaney and Philip Shanahan who were key members of the teams of the 2000’s also.

Darren Cuddihy featured as a substitute goalkeeper on several winning teams in the 2000’s and is the current goalkeeping coach on the management ticket.