Loftus family bidding for famous All-Ireland double

LAST year it was the McGrath family from Tipperary who stole the show on All-Ireland hurling final day as they played their part in a rare minor/senior double, but 12 months later it could be the Loftus clan from Mayo who write their own piece of GAA history.

Brian McGrath captained the Premier to success in the minor decider just hours before older brothers Noel and John were to the fore for Michael Ryan’s seniors but cousins Conor Loftus and Ben McCarron could go one better this Sunday, as they aim to win All-Ireland titles for different counties.

Loftus (pictured) came off the bench to kick two points in Mayo’s replay win over Kerry and will be hoping to make an a similar impact as they chase their first All-Ireland SFC title in 66 years against the hat-trick-seeking Dubs. McCarron, son of Dr Angela Loftus from Ballina, scored three points in the Oak Leaf county’s minor semi-final defeat of Dublin and the Steelstown forward is an integral part in Derry’s bid to lift the Tom Markham Cup in the curtain-raiser against four-in-arow-chasing Kerry. Both sides are underdogs so it would be a particularly special day in Croke Park if they were to prevail but should Mayo end their All-Ireland famine there will be several other family connections with Cillian and Diarmuid O’Connor and the trio of O’Shea brothers, Aidan, Seamus and Conor, all heavily involved. A family affair indeed.