Shane Mcgrath

Northern Ireland

Chief Sports Writer at Irish Daily Mail

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Articles

Abuse of volunteers in sports will have far-reaching effects

6 days ago | extra.ie | Shane Mcgrath

When we speak of volunteering in sport, we use the language of sacrifice. People ‘give up’ their ‘free time’, as if surrendering something precious out of duty. But for most people, it’s not like that. Their assistance isn’t offered under sufferance, but governed by more emotional impulses. Love, rather than sacrifice, explains their involvement.
Olympic hero McCarthy has Euro hat-trick in his sights

1 week ago | extra.ie | Shane Mcgrath

Double Olympic champion Fintan McCarthy will on Friday morning continue his bid to become a three-time European winner, after securing his place in the semi-finals of the double sculls at the championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Alongside team-mate Konan Pazzaia, McCarthy took the first significant step in a heavyweight race, and the pair eased to second place to secure their place in today’s race.
O’Rourke has pedigree to land Tyrone’s fifth All-Ireland

1 week ago | extra.ie | Shane Mcgrath

For a calm man with a studied demeanour, Malachy O’Rourke has a long record of explosive impacts. The roll-call of achievements from his first season in a job is staggeringly good. In 2008, he led his native Fermanagh to their first Ulster final in 26 years, and they only lost to Armagh after a replay. Today's top videos STORY CONTINUES BELOW In 2013, his debut season in charge of Monaghan brought their first Ulster title in 28 years.
Cork-Waterford showdown will come down to sheer desire

2 weeks ago | rte.ie | Shane Mcgrath

As I sat in the Ardán Ó Riain stand in Semple Stadium last Sunday after the final whistle, Tipperary fans all around me were soaking in a first championship hurling win in Thurles in six years. Bruce Springsteen's 'Glory Days' was blaring out over the speakers, the sun was shining and all was well in the world of Tipperary hurling. Our Under-20s had been crowned Munster champions a few days previously and are now looking forward to an All-Ireland final in two weeks.
Squeezed middle provides headaches for Kerry

3 weeks ago | extra.ie | Shane Mcgrath

Time was that Kerry used to fear emerging from Munster untested. Their near-absolute control of the provincial championship — they have won 14 of 16 titles since 2010 — caused anxiety about entering the All-Ireland series without their team being properly stressed. The dilemma is of a different order this summer. Their match with Roscommon in Fitzgerald Stadium tomorrow afternoon is the first of the group stages, and it is also likely to be the first step in a trouble-free stroll for Kerry.
Limerick and Cork will offer a glimpse of the very best

3 weeks ago | rte.ie | Shane Mcgrath

As I sat to write this piece I was not entirely sure what to focus on this week. Should it be the season defining game in Thurles between two teams both trying to just stay in the competition and see where the road takes them? Perhaps I should look towards Nowlan Park where a team from the capital are coming, full of confidence, full of hope that they could overturn the Cats in their own back yard and cement a place in the Leinster final by doing so.
Andy Farrell between a rock and a hard place as original plans go up in smoke

1 month ago | extra.ie | Shane Mcgrath

Grievance is a vital ingredient in making the Lions relevant. It’s not a feeling that lends itself to marketing campaigns. Nor is it a part of the concept that makes champions of the concept misty-eyed. But grievance is key. Just think of how put out supporters of the four constituent nations will be following this afternoon’s announcement of the touring squad.
Ger Brennan is a manager on the rise and it could bring him all the way back to Dublin

1 month ago | extra.ie | Shane Mcgrath

There will come a time, and it could be sooner than later, when Ger Brennan’s name is central to the discussion of who becomes the next Dublin manager. Dessie Farrell is in year six of a reign that has eked two All-Ireland titles from the remnants of a legendary group. Today's top videos STORY CONTINUES BELOW Their Leinster semi-final loss to Meath showed that reliance on what’s left of the old masters to compensate for inexperience and gaps in quality elsewhere won’t work any longer.
Meath skipper praises players’ response as they look forward to Leinster final

1 month ago | extra.ie | Shane Mcgrath

It could, the Meath captain agrees, have gone either way. When coaches Joe McMahon and Martin Corey abruptly left the set-up a week before their championship started, it was the sort of disruption that could sink a county struggling to escape years of flux. The background to their departures remains unclear, but Eoghan Frayne acknowledges the risks that accompany such upheaval.
Clare v Tipp Munster rivalry reminiscent of 90s classic

1 month ago | rte.ie | Shane Mcgrath

It's 29 May in the year of 1994. Most people are getting ready for what will be an unforgettable summer in the USA for the World Cup, a tournament that some Irish went to and just never came home, for the best of reasons now. In the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick, Clare were about to end the Premier county’s summer of hurling before it had even got a chance to begin.