Hello All, The Greyhound Master McGrath was whelped in Dungarvan Co Waterford, he was the runt of a litter of five and he was named after a young boy. Lord Lurgan purchased all five dogs for his racing kennells in his Lurgan estate.Despite appearances McGrath turned out to be the best of the five and later on was good enough to be entered in the 1869 premier Waterloo Cup at Altcar, near Liverpool. Having surprised all by winning with ease he went on the following year to repeat his win. Entered again for the 1871 he had the misfortune to fall through the ice of a pond denying him an unprecedented hat-trick. Lord Lurgan was determined his charge would not be denied the glory, and entering once again in 1872, he beat all before him and carried off the Waterloo Cup for an all time record breaking win. Lter that year McGrath was presented at the Court of Queen Victoria. Sadly the following year The Master died and despite the best efforts of his beloved Trainer John Walsh the dog succumbed. McGraths grave is a few hundred yards from my home and for as long as I have heard the song performed in Lurgan I have only know the Colm O lochlainn version and I am referring to men in their seventies and this was as far back as the 1940`s, according to old Lurgan lore the song was written by Lurgan man James McCusker. Slan Ard Mhacha.