Clarinbridge club secretary Damien McGrath thrilled with All-Ireland victory
Behind any All Ireland club success there are diligent officers, club volunteers and sponsors who do a phenomenal amount of unglamorous and tedious work. Without that support, a team can go nowhere. To win an All Ireland everyone needs to be on board, rowing in the same direction, and putting their shoulders to the wheel.
Clarinbridge are no different, and club secretary Damien McGrath and the other officers were understandably ecstatic to witness the arrival of the Tommy Moore Cup to Clarinbridge on Thursday.
“It was a serious day and it won’t be matched,” he says. “We arrived back to Clarinbridge around 9.30pm and you could not see the village, it was so full with people. The whole parish was out and almost every club in south Galway had people there to support us and offer their congratulations to the team and to the club. It was a wonderful day… and night.
“Brian Carr, who was on the 2001/2002 panel and now has Paddy Burke’s, put up a marquee for the huge crowd, and the mood and joy in the whole place was fantastic to see and be part of. Winning an All Ireland club title is a once in a life time occasion for many clubs and we all savoured the atmosphere and the pure joy of winning and doing so well in Croke Park. The team and all the panel were magnificent on the day and it is an honour for the club to have such a brilliant group of talented players representing us.
“A lot of people have done huge work over the past 50 years or more to get Clarinbridge to the top of the club hurling ladder and they have to take credit for their dedication and work. This success did not happen in the past year or two - the club has been building up to it for a lot longer than that. It was a very special day and one we will never forget. The celebrations died down during the week, but we expect to them to get going again this weekend.”
Clarinbridge hosts a membership registration evening tomorrow (Friday ) in the clubhouse (6.30pm to 8pm ). New Members welcome. Contact membership officer Daithi 086-406 3476.
The club is also looking for photographs of the club’s historic victory in Croke Park. Photos from the match, pictures of supporters, the homecoming, or the parish tour are wanted. Email Joe Egan at [email protected]
