Derek McGrath: You feel like you’re Mother Teresa

Derek McGrath has laid bare the extent that hurling invades inter-county managers’ personal lives.

Derek McGrath: You feel like you’re Mother Teresa

Derek McGrath has laid bare the extent that hurling invades inter-county managers’ personal lives.

The former Waterford boss shared the story of how he convinced Jamie Barron to stay on with the Waterford hurlers for the 2015 season instead of going to America for the summer, despite the call coming at the most inconvenient of times.

He answered the phone while with his father, who was in for a heart procedure at the Beacon Clinic, but jumped into the car to make the 500km round trip to talk to Barron in person.

Barron had missed out on the championship during an injury-hit 2014 season, but McGrath wanted to explain the new role he envisaged for him.

“My father went into the Beacon for a shutdown on the heart, where they put a bit of mesh outside of his heart, and Jamie Barron rang me in the Mardyke to tell me he was going to America, that he wasn’t committing for the next year,” he said at CBC’s ‘The Road to Success’ event.

I actually left my father in the Beacon Clinic. I said, ‘stay there’, and I drove from the Beacon Clinic in Sandyford down to the Dyke.

"I walked around the field with Jamie Barron, said to him: ‘Jeez, we were going to play you in midfield this year.’

“It’s easy talk about it now, because it worked out well for Jamie, he got an All-Star and was nearly Hurler of the Year, but you feel like you’re Mother Teresa doing everything for them.”

In 2015, Barron played every minute as Waterford made the All-Ireland semi-final, embedding himself as a central figure for his county and becoming a two-time All-Star in the following years.

Don’t miss the Irish Examiner's Weekend Sport for our big read on the insights from CBC’s ‘The Road to Success’ event with McGrath, John Kiely and John Meyler.

more courts articles

Man (25) in court charged with murdering his father and attempted murder of mother Man (25) in court charged with murdering his father and attempted murder of mother
Man appears in court charged with false imprisonment of woman in van Man appears in court charged with false imprisonment of woman in van
Man in court over alleged false imprisonment of woman Man in court over alleged false imprisonment of woman

More in this section

Back-to-back titles for Spioraid Naoimh after win over 14-man Clonakilty Community College Back-to-back titles for Spioraid Naoimh after win over 14-man Clonakilty Community College
Adam O'Sullivan missed final due to Cork U20's upcoming Munster championship Adam O'Sullivan missed final due to Cork U20's upcoming Munster championship
Monaghan v Armagh - Allianz Football League Division 1 Kernan doesn't want return of Armagh 'handcuffs'
Sport Push Notifications

By clicking on 'Sign Up' you will be the first to know about our latest and best sporting content on this browser.

Sign Up
Sport
Newsletter

Latest news from the world of sport, along with the best in opinion from our outstanding team of sports writers

Sign up
Cookie Policy Privacy Policy Brand Safety FAQ Help Contact Us Terms and Conditions

© Examiner Echo Group Limited