Our Games… with Antrim’s Arron Graffin

Name:

Arron Graffin.

Teams played for:

Cushendall Ruairi Ogs, UUJ, Antrim, Ulster and Ireland (hurling/shinty).

Current involvement:

Club senior player and Antrim minor coach.

Which club game, that you played in, will you never forget and why?

No doubt about it, it would have to be February 6, 2016 All-Ireland Senior Club semi-final – Cushendall v Sarsfields in Navan.

I was captain and we won. Our club finally got over the line to win an All-Ireland semi-final. It was the first time in our history we were going to Croker on St. Patrick’s Day to play on the biggest stage in an All-Ireland final. Fantastic memories seeing all of the Cushendall people flood onto the pitch at the final whistle.

Which club game, that you watched, will you never forget and why?

1999 Antrim Senior County final – Cushendall v Dunloy. Six points down with four minutes to go and we ended up winning by two points. I was only a young lad but I remember it was a super comeback inspired by a young Brian McNaughton, the super sub who scored a few points.

Which county game, that you played in, will you never forget and why?

2007 All-Ireland Hurling Championship Qualifier Antrim v Clare in Casement Park.

It was my full Antrim championship debut and I had just turned 19. It was a scorcher of a day with a great crowd cheering us on.

Clare beat us handy in the end but we were really competitive for long spells and I even managed to score a long-range point from corner-back near the end of the game.

Which county game, that you watched, will you never forget and why?

2003 All-Ireland quarter-final final Antrim v Wexford in Croke Park. Antrim got beat by three points but really should have won that day as we had a controversial goal disallowed.

I remember Aidan Delargy from my own club coming on as a second-half sub and scoring four points from play in an epic performance.

What was the funniest thing you ever saw in a game?

A few comments and insults that Martin Burke has dished out to opponents in games over the years were very original and comical. Unfortunately they cannot be repeated.

What was the strangest thing you ever saw in a game?

Paddy Burke scored an own point in a club challenge game v Oulart-the Ballagh a few years ago.

He was playing full-back and tried to flick the ball back to our ’keeper but he caught it too well and ended up flicking it over our own crossbar. He got some slagging.

What was the most memorable performance from a player in a game that you watched?

2005 Antrim County final – Cushendall v Loughgiel.

We beat Loughgiel by a point but Conor ‘Monty’ McCambridge played full-forward for us and must have score 2-8 out of our 2-10 on the day. He scored two of the best goals you will ever see. A heroic performance.

What was the most memorable performance from a player in a game that you played?

2008 Antrim v Waterford in the All-Ireland Championship Qualifiers. Big ‘Hippy’ Donnelly gave Eoin Kelly his fill of it that day in a super performance at full-back. I was corner-back beside him trying to mark John Mullane. A tough day but Eoin Kelly ended up going home with two missing front teeth.

What did you love about the games you played in?

I love to compete. I loved competing and putting myself against the best players from other counties and really challenging myself to see if I could handle them.

What did you hate about the games you played in?

Very little but a cold, wet and windy pre-season challenge game on a bog pitch is never too enjoyable.