PREVIEW: Galtee Gaels’ John McGrath confident ahead of Munster club championship

This Saturday Galtee Gaels welcome St Breckans of Clare to the Gaelic Grounds for the Munster Club Intermediate Football Championship quarter-final.

After beating Gerald Griffins in the Limerick decider, Galtee manager John McGrath is looking forward to having a cut of the Clare champions in the same venue where they captured the county title.

“Absolutely looking forward to it. Winning a county title is what you talk about at the start of the year and it’s the goal to reach that ever year. The Munster is the icing on the cake and that’s what every team and every manager wants to be going into.”

After winning the Junior championship in 2017, Galtee Gaels were very close to upsetting Kerry Champions Dromid Pearses in the Munster championship before being beaten in extra time.

McGrath says his side learned a lot from that encounter and are ready to back themselves come Saturday.

“I think that game we played in the Junior two years ago really stood to us this year and last year. We learned an awful lot from that. One thing we learned that we could back ourselves. We had doubt but we learned that we were good enough to be where we were.”

He is fully aware of the challenge that awaits with the Lisdonvarna side earning promotion back to the senior ranks at the very first time of asking.

“I watched the Clare couty final over the weekend and they looked a very fit, fast outfit. Strong at midfield with their kickouts. They came down from senior last year and are going straight back up so there’s plenty of mettle in that team.”

However, the parting message to the players remains the same from McGrath.

“We said it all the year. It’s workrate and leave with no regrets.”