The Loughmore/Castleiney family tree

 

By Shane Brophy

In almost every GAA club in the country you’ll find relations playing on every team but Loughmore/Castleiney take it to another level altogether.

Of the starting fifteen against Nenagh Eire Og in the county senior hurling semi-final, nine were first cousins, Noel, John & Brian McGrath are brothers…then you have Ciaran and Aidan McGrath who are also brothers, captain Tomas McGrath, Joseph Hennessy, Willie Eviston and John Ryan.

That’s because they are all the second generation of descendants from the McGrath family from Castlequarter that have helped spawn a remarkable GAA tradition. 

There were four brothers (Mick, Dick, Phil and John) and three sisters (Mary Jo, Nancy and Peggy) in that group of McGraths, of which they had 31 grandchildren.

Mick McGrath is the father of Tom, Pat, Michael and Frankie McGrath from whom Pat’s son are Noel, John & Brian; Aidan and Ciaran are Michael’s son while Frankie’s son Michael is the sub goalkeeper. But for Tom’s son Liam taking a year out travelling, there would have been another McGrath in the starting line-up.

Joseph Hennessy is a grandson of Phil McGrath, and is a first cousin of Tomas McGrath while Evan Sweeney is also a cousin of Tomás on the other side; their mothers are sisters.

Conor McGrath is a grandson of a third brother Dick McGrath, while his sister Mary Jo McGrath has two grandchildren on the team in Willie Eviston and John Ryan. Willie Eviston is then a first cousin to Noel, John and Brian as their mother is Mary Eviston.

John Ryan is a first cousin of Willie Eviston. Liam Treacy’s father is another first cousin of the McGrath’s (through Nancy McGrath) while Ciaran Connolly would be a third cousin of all the McGrath’s. 

Captain Tomas McGrath is a son of selector Taffy McGrath and is a second cousin of the aforementioned McGrath’s, while newbie Conor McGrath is another first cousin’s son. 

David Kennedy is a fourth cousin in the family tree, which leaves John Meagher, Lorcan Egan and Joey Nyland as the only players of the starting fifteen against Nenagh not related to eachother.

This Saturday also sees the McGrath’s heavily involved in the County Senior Camogie final with Drom & Inch with Frankie McGrath’s daughter Aoife captains the side that also contains Eimear McGrath, Mairead Eviston; Niamh Treacy, Anne Eviston, Siobhán McGrath and Miriam Campion.

If Drom & Inch had reached the county hurling final against Loughmore it would have seen first cousins come up against one another as Podge, Lorcan and Michael Campion are all first cousins of the McGrath’s as well while the Shortts in Upperchurch are also first cousins.