Record breaker Graeme Mulcahy: Most hurling championship appearances for Limerick

IN the 53rd minute of the 2009 Munster SHC replay against Waterford, Graeme Mulcahy was introduced as a substitute to replace Mark Foley.

The conclusion of that season was to mark the end of Mark Foley’s inter-county career – departing with 48 championship appearances – the most by any Limerick senior hurler.

That was until earlier this month when Graeme Mulcahy made his 49th championship appearance.

A debut as a sub on June 20, 2009, Mulcahy made his first senior championship start in 2010. The following year the Kilmallock man missed an All-Ireland SHC Qualifier against Antrim through injury and since that outing has featured in 44 successive Limerick championship games.

He has played against 13 different counties and scored 10-78 in 44 starts and five substitute appearances across 13 seasons. On top of that he has played 61 times in the Allianz League, scoring 13-70.

Not bad for a six year old that started out under the guiding hands of Jim Moloney and the late Mick Keane in Kilmallock’s Fitzgerald Park.

“I was involved with him when he was 12 - we won the Limerick Feile that year. We went up to Antrim and that was 2002 and who was playing in the team that knocked us out only Patrick Horgan and Glen Rovers,” recalled Bernie Savage this week.

“Graeme played three years U14 with us,” said Savage, who worked alongside Paddy Kelly with those club underage teams.

“He was small of course and I can remember one game and we had another fella who was 14 and I was saying to Paddy that fella who was 14 was doing no good. It was over in Kilfinane and at half time we brought on Graeme and he won the match at the age of 12!” said Savage.

“He lived for a while there near the castle as you come in Kilmallock town and he always had the hurley and hitting a ball off the wall there at the castle - always practicing. His brother Jake was two years younger than him, but they were always together and hitting ball.”

“He was a grand young fella and always had great speed and stick work. He was never afraid or never drew a dirty stroke in his life,” said a proud Savage.

“He is a very dedicated man and has been fantastic - never any complaining, he just gets on with the job. He lives in Cork and has a fairly big job but never let Kilmallock or Limerick down - never ever,” he said.

Paudie O’Brien is a year older than Mulcahy but shared many a team at club and county level with Mulcahy.

“I actually saw a photo of that (Feile) team recently enough - myself and Graeme were the two corner forwards. We played Glen Rovers in that quarter final. We had those old cotton jerseys and they were down around our knees and Graeme isn’t a big lad but he definitely wasn’t a big lad back then and all you could see was his boots and a bit of a white short and then the jersey,” laughed O’Brien.

“That group went on to win three U16 hurling and football titles, three minor and four U21 hurling titles and Graeme would have been to the forefront of all those teams,” he recalled.

“Graeme was a supreme athlete at everything - he was equally as good a soccer player, very good Gaelic footballer and he would have played a bit little of rugby underage. His dad Tommy played soccer for Limerick and his uncle Donie Barry played rugby to Irish Schools level and hurling for Limerick so the family are just a very good sporting family - Graeme’s brother Jake just as good at soccer, hurling or rugby” outlined O’Brien. 

“​He has athleticism in abundance. The one thing that always stood to him is that he is unbelievably brave. He might be small but never once wanted for throwing himself about and unbelievably competitive be it in the tackle or getting the ball or taking on his man - he is like a terrier,” said O’Brien of Mulcahy.

“He went to college in UCC in 2008 until 2012 and he has lived below there since. All his inter-county life he has travelled up and down. All those years for Kilmallock and Limerick he is not one for whinging or moaning about travelling and with all due respect to teachers or sales reps, he is an engineer with Arup would have to be accountable from 8am to well into the evening and not much down time like some other jobs. He is a high achiever in fairness to him.”

Living in Cork and a busy work schedule and yet Mulcahy has already reached 49 championship games for Limerick.

“Even if you took hurling ability aside, to even be fit for all those games and to be only injured once is an incredible stat. I can tell you that Graeme went into a lot of those games with knocks. He did struggle with his groin for a couple of years and I remember for one league John (Kiely) gave it off to him and it rejuvenated him because that groin injury he has struggled to shake off. He is so tough and brave and always wanted to be involved. He has an incredible medal haul already but to be able to say you only missed one championship game in so many years is some stat,” said O’Brien who won the 2013 Munster SHC title with his club colleague.

SHC APPEARANCES

Graeme Mulcahy (Kilmallock) 49
Mark Foley (Adare) 48
Nickie Quaid (Effin) 47
Timmy Ryan (Ahane) 46
Niall Moran (Ahane) 46
Donal O’Grady (Granagh-Ballingarry) 46
Brian Geary (Monaleen) 45
John Mackey (Ahane) 44
Seamus Hickey (Murroe-Boher) 44
Declan Hannon (Adare) 44
Mick Mackey (Ahane) 42
Eamonn Cregan (Claughaun) 40
TJ Ryan (Garryspillane) 40
* Stats with help from the 20/20 Vision: Hurling and Limerick book