By Niall McCoy

DOWN hurling legend Gerard McGrattan has paid tribute to the man that had such a massive influence on his career – the late Sean McGuinness.

Ulster hurling was left in mourning earlier this week as Belfast man, and former Antrim and Down manager, passed away.

One of his biggest achievements was bringing Down to their first-ever All-Ireland semi-final in 1992 and after a commendable performance against Cork, McGrattan became Down’s first – and to date, only – hurling All-Star.

He spoke not only about Sean’s ability to get the best out of him as a player, but also about his warmth and friendly demeanour as a person.

“He was a very iconic figure and a very passionate man,” said McGrattan. “He knew his hurling inside out.

“A couple of weeks ago his two sons, Niall and Sean Og, were down in Portaferry with the Sarsfields u-7s. I was talking to the two of them and they were saying their Da was in good form and was actually thinking of coming down to Portaferry that day, so it was a shock.”

McGuinness was a famed players’ person and that ensured that he was able to unite the Ards clubs inside the Down dressing room, and historic Ulster titles in 1992 and ’95 followed.

“Of the four walls in the dressing room, Portaferry were along one, Ballygalget along another and Ballycran the other with me sitting on my own along the fourth,” he told Antrim journalist David Mohan back in a 2012 interview.

McGrattan said that such issues had been sorted by the time he was added to the squad.

“I came onto the panel when he had sorted that out, that bond was already there. Sean had ironed out those issues.

“He brought everyone together, everyone mucked in and everyone believed in Sean and that was it.”

The Portaferry man will forever be grateful for the faith McGuinness showed in him.

“I was the youngest player in the squad and he certainly gave me my chance,” he said. “He was definitely a great mentor to me as a young man in the group.

“Sean and his wife Eileen, many a night we were going to functions and we’d go to his house first. We’d always be meeting people and he’d be introducing them to me and telling stories.

“He was a lovely man and he told some great stories about hurling. He was very passionate and will be sorely missed.”