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Pete McGrath

Peter McGrath
Personal information
SportGaelic football
BornCounty Down, Northern Ireland
OccupationTeacher
Club management
Years Club
Rostrevor
Inter-county management
Years Team
1989-2002
2014-2017 		Down
Fermanagh
Inter-county titles
County League Province All-Ireland
Down 1 6 3

Peter McGrath (born 6 June 1953), from Rostrevor, County Down, is an Irish former Gaelic footballer and current manager. He managed the Down senior football team to the All-Ireland titles in 1991 and 1994.[1][2]

Professional career

McGrath was employed for almost thirty years as a physical education teacher at St Colman's College, Newry.[3] He retired from this position in 2006.[4]

Playing career

McGrath played at all grades for Rostrevor GAC, including togging out for the first team aged only 15, and represented St Colman's at all levels of schools' competition; he also played for Down Minors.[5] McGrath captained the first Queen's University team to win the All-Ireland Freshers title by defeating UCD 2-16 to 0-6 in Dundalk in March 1973.[6][7]

Management career

In 1987 McGrath was in charge of the Down team that won the All-Ireland Minor Football Championship.[3] He managed the Down senior team between 1989 and 2002[8] and was at the helm when Down won the Ulster and All Ireland Senior Championships in 1991 and 1994.[9] He managed the Ireland team in the International Rules Series in 2004[10] and 2005.[4]

McGrath managed the Down U-21 team to the All Ireland final in 2009,[11] before stepping down in October 2009.[12]

McGrath has had spells in club management with Cooley Kickhams,[13] An Riocht[14] and Bryansford.[15] He also coached the Gaelic football teams at St Colman's College, guiding them to five Hogan Cup wins between 1975 and 1998.[16]

In October 2010, he returned to county management after being named as the Down minor manager on a three-year term, his second time in charge of the team.[3][17]

He was twice manager of the Fermanagh Senior Football team and took the team to the All-Ireland quarter-final in 2015 after having gained promotion to Division Two of the National Football League for 2016.[18][19]

He managed the Louth senior football team in 2018 but resigned after ten months into a two-year term following a shock Championship defeat to Leitrim.[20]

He managed his native club St Bronagh's, Rostrevor, for three years having taken over for the 2019 season, the club's centenary year. He remains in charge of the club's minor team.[5]

McGrath was appointed manager of Antrim GAA club Aghagallon in March 2023.[21]

Honours

Player
  • 1 Down Senior Football Championship 1976
  • 1 All-Ireland Higher Education Freshers Title (QUB, 1972-73)
Manager

Ireland

Ulster

Down

Club

  • 1 Down Senior League Football Division 1 2007
  • 1 Louth League Division 1 2004
  • 1 Down Under-21 Football Championship 2012
  • 1 Ulster U21 Championship 2013 (with Bryansford)

School

  • 4 Hogan Cup 1986, 1988, 1993, 1998 (with Ray Morgan)
  • 6 McCrory Cup 1978, 1979, 1981,1988 1993 1998 (with Ray Morgan)

References

  1. ^ Declan Bogue, 'Pete McGrath: why I still savour my All-Ireland glory with Down in 94'. Belfast Telegraph, 18 May 2019. Retrieved 16 June 2024
  2. ^ Neil Loughran, 'The reluctant hero of Gaelic football, Peter Withnell'. Irish Examiner, 15 July 2017. Retrieved 16 June 2024
  3. ^ a b c "Down boss McGrath bids to repeat success of '87". Belfast Telegraph. 28 December 2010. Retrieved 18 January 2011.
  4. ^ a b "The Mentors". Celebrity Bainisteoir. RTÉ Television. March 2009. Retrieved 6 December 2011.
  5. ^ a b (06:45–07:26) 'The GAA Social Pete McGrath. His life. Down legend'. BBC Sport NI, 11 June 2024. Retrieved 16 June 2024
  6. ^ ’50 YEARS AGO: Queen’s win their first Freshers title’. Queen’s GAA Past Members Union, 22 March 2023. Retrieved 18 June 2024
  7. ^ 'Hall of Fame'. Queen's University Belfast Gaelic Football Club, 23 December 2012. Retrieved 18 June 2024
  8. ^ "Dream team for Down?". BBC Sport. 10 June 2002. Retrieved 18 January 2011.
  9. ^ "McGrath expresses interest in Down return". RTÉ Sport. 30 July 2009. Retrieved 18 January 2011.
  10. ^ "Pete McGrath confirmed as Ireland Rules boss". BreakingNews.ie. 30 March 2004. Retrieved 18 January 2011.
  11. ^ "Cork 1-13 2-9 Down". BBC Sport. 4 May 2009. Retrieved 6 December 2011.
  12. ^ "McGrath resigns as Down U21 boss". BBC Sport. 28 October 2009. Retrieved 18 January 2011.
  13. ^ "McGrath gets Cooley job". Argus.ie. 12 December 2003. Retrieved 6 December 2011.
  14. ^ "All Ireland Football Championship: This is Down's biggest test yet, says Pete McGrath". Belfast Telegraph. 26 August 2010. Retrieved 6 December 2011.
  15. ^ "Down Senior Football Championship: Bryansford breeze to replay success". Belfast Telegraph. 30 September 2010. Retrieved 6 December 2011.
  16. ^ "A football education". Irish Examiner. 17 September 2010. Retrieved 6 December 2011.
  17. ^ "Pete McGrath appointed Down minor manager". BBC Sport. 22 October 2010. Retrieved 18 January 2011.
  18. ^ Declan Bogue, 'Age remains no barrier for Louth manager Pete McGrath'. Irish Examiner, 27 January 2018. Retrieved 18 June 2018
  19. ^ 'Armagh too strong for Fermanagh in League Decider'. Ulster GAA, 27 April 2015. Retrieved 18 June 2024
  20. ^ "Pete McGrath steps down as Louth football manager". Irish Examiner. 5 July 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  21. ^ Neil Loughran, '"If you don't bend, you'll break": Pete McGrath on remaining relevant as Aghagallon prepare for Cargin showdown']. Irish News, 8 September 2023. Retrieved 18 June 2024
Sporting positions
Preceded by Down Senior Football manager
1989-2002 		Succeeded by
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