13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
RTE Up for the Match competition winner is county councillor and TD's daughter
The winner of a pair of All-Ireland hurling final tickets on RTE's Up for the Match was Tipperary county councillor Máirín McGrath, who is the daughter of independent TD Mattie McGrath.
The independent councillor for the Cahir Electoral Area on Tipperary County Council won a competition on the programme for a pair of tickets for Sunday's final between Tipp and Cork at Croke Park.
Máirín went up against Toronto-based Cork fan Lisa-Marie O Mahony, who flew home from Canada for the decider.
The competition saw Máirín and Lisa-Marie have to say if a former hurling star had more or less All Stars than the player that was called out before them.
Máirín won the tickets after correctly guessing that Anna Geary (four) had more All Stars than Seán Óg Ó hAilpín (three).
Speaking on the programme ahead of the game starting, Máirín said: "Big stakes for me. I'm with one of my friends. I'm her bridesmaid, she's getting married in a couple of weeks, but she's an insufferable Cork fan and so she's looking for a ticket too. She said if I win the game I'll be upgraded to maid of honour." Máirín McGrath and Mattie McGrath TD (Image: Instagram/ Máirín McGrath)
Her victory amused viewers online, with one person writing on X: "Does @rte know one of the guests competing for tickets on Up For The Match is a county councillor in Tipperary and Mattie McGrath's daughter?"
However, many people didn't see an issue with the county councillor winning the tickets.
One viewer said: "Don't see the problem here? Are county councillors forbidden to enter competitions? Erm no is the answer"
Another commented: "Do these things disqualify her from taking part? Of course not. Jasus, the manufactured outrage is tedious."
Someone else said: "Why is this relevant? Is there a law forbidding councillors to keep for prizes?"
RTE have been contacted by the Irish Mirror for comment.
