TIPPERARY HURLER NOEL McGrath has spoken openly about the utter shock he felt after being diagnosed with testicular cancer earlier this year.
“I was just gutted,” the two-time All-Star said during an appearance on Second Captains Live on Wednesday night. “All the thoughts are going through your head. You don’t know if you’re coming or going.”
The 24-year-old centre-forward underwent surgery back in April and says he was thankful to have loved ones close by to help him through those dark days.
“Look, there were good people around me,” he said. “The family at home and friends as well. It was good to have them around as they give you a bit of support and I got many texts and phone calls.
“It does help but at the end of it all you just have to try and get your head around it and get through it as best you can.”
Having informed his mother and family about the illness, the Loughmore-Castleiney clubman wanted to let his club and intercounty team-mates hear the news from him before it spread — so opted to use messaging app WhatsApp.
“It was on a Monday when I found out and I rang a few of my close friends from Loughmore and we had a chat,” he rememebers. “We were training on the Wednesday and the lads were going to find out anyway so I just wanted to let them know myself.
On the Tuesday I just threw it up on the WhatsApp group. It’s the easiest way to do it if you’re trying to contact anyone these days!
“Plenty of the boys rang and text back with well-wishes and they were there for most of the journey along — the club lads and the Tipp lads as well.”
After undergoing chemotherapy, McGrath returned to training with the Tipp panel in June and made a remarkable comeback for the Premier County as a substitute in the All-Ireland senior hurling championship semi-final, which they narrowly lost to Galway.
He has praised the good work that campaigns like Movember, which he has lent his support to, are doing to raise awareness and urged young men to take better care of their health.
It wouldn’t have crossed my mind until this year but since then I’ve heard a lot of Irish men don’t like talking about things like that,” he said.
“The Movember campaign that’s coming up in the the next few weeks is something that highlights it and they have been doing a lot of good work over the last few years raising a lot of money.
“They’re making people aware that it is okay to speak up because at the end of the day it is your health and if you don’t look after yourself nobody else is going to do it for you.”
Liverpool will win with ease.
You won the village idiot award of the day already.
I don’t remember that.
You won a cuckoo clock
Nice to see Mata start again ahead of Lingard people will moan about Fellaini but was good in last two rounds.. My biggest worry is a sending off for him.
Do you think Mata will be gone next year if Jose shows up? I hope not.
Bleedin FA cup is turning into Super Bowl
It’s sad United used to win league titles and the champions league….they are happy trying to get 4th every season and winning the FA cup. Paul Scholes was right United have turned into Arsenal. #eraisover
Don’t worry don’t cry..
It’s been three season since United won last, get over yourself. No-one can stay at the top forever.
What makes you say they are happy. United fans are furious at the drop in form over the last 4 years
Classic clattenburg cock up there, how is he considered the best ref right now?
Ya he’s a disgrace, bottled sending cabaye and Delaney off. Going out to injury players is an utter disgrace . He had no problem throwing around yellows cards for hand bags but ignores leg breakers.
Palace will feel very aggrieved with that decision. Poor refereeing from Clattenberg.
You pop up infrequently but ref decisions go for or against in every game. Reality is United fans would prefer 4th over FA, just like Liverpool. Ye will do well under Klopp and you know that.
C’mon Palace!
Haha GGMU
Scottish Cup Final 3-2 Hibernian beat Rangers, one of the best games of football I have seen for years even considering it was Scottish football
The pitch invasion after was even better….hup the Hibees!
Disallowed goal. Answers on a postcard please.
Pardew should have a good interview if they lose….
I’m hoping for a 2-1 win for United. I can’t see Palace making it as comfortable for United as they did at Old Trafford in April.
Martin Keown is the worst commentator
Ever !
Woohoo. Deserved win.
United are so boring to watch. Awful first half from a neutral perspective
From a neutral point of view I was looking forward to both games today. Scottish cup was brilliant, this has been really poor. Clattenberg is a wab.
Commiserations to Crystal Palace. Worthy finalists, and it could have gone either way. Congrats to Man United.
Please not another 30 mins.. #Dire
Do you not realise that you can change the channel.
Get in thereeeeeeeeee !!!!!
Ah christ Fellaini starts :-(
At least he’s not playing as a striker or attacking mid…
He’s good for a few peoples elbows.
He’ll properly score then
LVG OUT.
#Moyes in.
He gone now
Expect Man Utd to win, LvG did steady the ship towards the end and looked better, just do not know which Palace team will show up……
How did he? They fooked fourth place away…
A top 4 finished was thrown away long before the last few games , that last few just made it still mathematically possible
4th was being fooked away by Man City… You do actually follow what happens, right?
They fooked away a lot more then fourth place, you do actually follow what happens?
So, you gave up on your original comment? You do follow what you are saying, right?
How am I!!? Utd did fook away fourth place but previously city fooked away any chance they had of winning the league. So again, do you follow it at all??
Fooking hell lads
He properly saw van Goals tactics
PUNCHEON!!!!!
Great win for Hibs!
Damian Delaney was outstanding.Martin O’Neill, please ask Damian to play for Ireland, ignore Keane, he won’t refuse.
It’s o Neill that has the problem with him
I was of the option that Delaney had a problem with Keane since Ipswitch.
Ya he did have a falling out with Keane at Ipswich, but he was asked about it before and said’ its not Roy who had the problem with me at all ‘. There was talk that he would only come back if he was guaranteed a start. O Neill told him where to go
Will take it and be glad of a cup. Springboard for better things hopefully.
What sort of a dirtbag , takes off his club shirt and throws it on the ground after scoring, the mind boggles .
Yours would !
…….
disgraceful scenes.
oops wrong article
Just some prlck lads, move along.
Well done to Palace , a great game best final in years
It was a terrible game. What you talking about Willis
Someone tell who the second commentator on TV3 is!! It’s driving me mad
Welsh hippy we did enjoy that .
Great win , great week for United fans
Yeaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh
Years ago winning the fa cup meant something unfortunately not nowadays…
Fellaini for man of the match!