Having lived in Tipperary for the past 28 years, Galway native Pat McDermott could be forgiven for switching allegiance to his adopted county, but the Templemore-based solicitor will be roaring on the Tribesmen when they meet the Premier County in this year's All-Ireland minor hurling final. Galway are chasing their third consecutive title at this level, with Portumna's Joe Canning is bidding to become only the second player to win three All-Ireland minor medals. "It would be some achievement for Joe Canning to win his third title. He is one of the shining lights of Galway hurling at the moment. Hopefully everything will go right for them on the day," said Pat, who is the principal owner of Nash, McDermott & Co. "I have obviously been following the fortunes of Tipperary since I first moved down here, but I found that when they played Galway in the All-Ireland championship a few years back, my heart strings tugged in favour of my native county." Pat admits that he was disappointed by Galway's performance against Kilkenny in this year's All-Ireland senior quarterfinal, although he feels that there is enough young talent coming through the ranks for the Tribesmen to make the breakthrough in the near future. "Galway got a terrible start against Kilkenny and they just couldn't recover from that. They tried hard in the second half and showed some spirit. It was bitterly disappointing to see them go out that way as there were high hopes that this side could emulate last year's achievement of reaching the All-Ireland final," he added. "Nonetheless, the success of the minors in recent years suggests that there is a very good young crop of hurlers coming through and hopefully the majority of these will make the breakthrough to the senior team." Hailing from the hurling mad area of Turloughmore, it is not surprising to learn that Pat is a keen follower of the small ball game. The area has produced some of the county's best hurlers down through the years including All-Ireland winners Martin Naughton and Frank Burke. "I went to university with Frank Burke and always admired him as a hurler. He was part of the Galway side that made the breakthrough in 1980 and it was great to see Martin Naughton represent the club also in the late eighties." Galway enter this year's All-Ireland minor final as favourites and although Pat admits it's hard to say how good teams are at this level, he believes that the Westerners should have the edge. "I've heard a lot of talk about this Tipperary team and the fact that they defeated Kilkenny in the semi final suggests that they are a very good side indeed. However, Galway will have a number of players on show that have experienced the final before and that could make a huge difference at this level," stressed Pat. Tipperary senior hurlers have failed to reach the dizzy heights of their last All-Ireland win in 2000, despite being genuine contenders for the title on an annual basis. Even though they have in their possession one of the country's top hurlers in Eoin Kelly, success has been at a premium and Pat admits that this is a surprising fact. "They take their hurling very serious down here and I must say that there are the best of facilities for the players to train. Tipperary are not too far off from winning an All-Ireland title and the people here deserve that as they are very passionate about the game, which is great to see." Pat is a member of the local JK Brackens club. Tipperary stalwart Eamonn Corcoran hails from the club and the local solicitor admits that the GAA is beneficial to his profession. "I am an advisor to the club on any legal issues while a number of people involved with JK Brackens are clients of mine. The GAA plays a huge part in our society and will continue doing so." Pat has seen many changes in the game down through the years, but he feels the main difference is the pace of hurling has increased dramatically. "There has been a lot of changes to the game alright, but the pace of the game has been upped a few levels. When you look at old matches on television, they seem so pedestrian compared to today's game. "The players have adopted a far more professional level and that is reflected by the standard of play on the pitch. The commitment that they give has to be commended as it cannot be easy, especially for players with young families," he stressed. In 1978, Pat joined Nash & Co Solicitors as a trainee solicitor. The company was established by John Nash in 1929 and has been serving the people of Templemore ever since. Pat became a partner in 1989 and has since taken over full ownership of the business following the unfortunate passing of John Nash over a decade ago. Nash, McDermott & Co employs five people and when asked what area the business specialises in, Pat revealed that no person will be turned away from their door. "I liken our business to that of a local GP. We look after everything, which is the main reason why I love the job. There is always something different to deal with in this business and that keeps it interesting," revealed Pat. An improved economy of the past decade or so has helped Pat's business to thrive and he feels that the Celtic Tiger may continue for some time to come. "Infrastructure has improved in this area over the past few years and there are more and more housing schemes being developed. I can see this lasting for another few years and it is great to see." Pat admitted that he was dismayed by the amount of legal battles that have crept into the GAA, something that has become common practice in the modern game, but he did stress that his personal opinion would not get in the way of handing out professional advice. "It is very regrettable to see so many cases end up in Court and it's a part of the GAA that I would like to see stopped. However, if a client comes to me looking for advice, I will give them the best advice I can as everyone deserves to be heard." Pat has four daughters who have all played camogie at schools and club level. His interest in hurling has never waned and he is confident that Galway and Tipperary will be back on the roll of honour list very shortly. Tweet

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