He played hurling with his local club Rickardstown and with the Westmeath senior inter-county team from 1950 until 1965.
McGrath added to his collection in 1959 and 1963 when he captured two more county championship medals.
McGrath first came to prominence on the inter-county scene with the Westmeath minor hurling team in the 1940s.
In 1950 McGrath made his debut for the Westmeath senior team, beginning a fifteen-year inter-county career.
During this era he enjoyed minimal success with the county as Westmeath were one of the minnows of the Leinster Championship.