Washington DC Rose reveals unique connection to famous Offaly sporting triumph

The Washington DC Rose Soracha McGrath who is set to appear in this year's Rose of Tralee competition has revealed a surprising connection to one of the most famous GAA matches of all time, the 1982 Gaelic Football All-Ireland final between Offaly and Kerry.

The match went down in history as the Faithful County managed to put a halt to Kerry's five-in-a-row dream with a late goal from Seamus Darby which sealed Offaly's third All-Ireland football title as a result. 

Soracha is the granddaughter of the late PJ McGrath who refereed that famous final. She said that her granddad, who passed away in 2021, always told her that he always stood by a vital decision that he made in that game. 

The incident in question came when Seamus Darby allegedly shoved Tommy Doyle before catching the ball and scoring the winning goal for Offaly. It was a contentious decision for many especially those in Kerry after it wasn't called by the referee.  

In an Interview with 'The Mirror' this week, Soracha explained "he always said he had seconds to read it and everyone else had 20 or 30 years to watch it back on tapes, he made the call in the moment, and he did the right thing and you have to stand with the ref at the end of the day". 

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She remembers being told about her dad and her family members being escorted from the pitch at the time just in case. Soracha continued, "my dad will still tell me, it was the craziest day ever. It was a crazy day for Kerry people but I think for Offaly people it was the best day of their life". 

It's still widely considered as one of the greatest days in Offaly's GAA history, to cause a monumental upset in such dramatic fashion against one of the greatest football teams to ever grace the game. 

Soracha will be hoping to impress as she prepares to appear in this year's edition of the Rose of Tralee. The televised event will take place Monday 18 and Tuesday 19 of August from 8pm - with a break for the Nine O- Clock News and resuming at 9:35pm live on RTE One and RTE Player.