Michael Maher, Irish hurler, Died at 87

  Sports

Michael Maher was born in 1930, in Holycross, County Tipperary and died on March 8, 2017.

He was an Irish hurler and Gaelic games administrator.

Maher’s league and championship career with the Tipperary senior team spanned fifteen seasons from 1951 to 1966.

Maher had a strong hurling family backgroung.

Maher’s uncle, Mikey Maher, was a five-time All-Ireland medal winner with Tipperary between 1895 and 1900, while his cousin, Sonny Maher, won three successive All-Ireland medals between 1949 and 1951.

He excelled at hurling during his secondary education at Thurles CBS.

Later, Maher joined the Holycross-Ballycahill team, winning his first senior county championship medal as an eighteen-year-old in 1948.

He added two more championship medals to his collection in 1951 and 1954.

He made his debut on the inter-county scene at the age of sixteen when he was selected for the Tipperary minor team.

Maher enjoyed two championship seasons with the minor team, winning an All-Ireland medal in his debut season in 1947.

Maher made his senior debut during the 1951-52 league.

For the next fifteen seasons, Maher won five All-Ireland medals, beginning with a lone triumph in 1958, back-to-back championships in 1961 and 1962 and another two championships in-a-row in 1964 and 1965.

Maher also won six Munster medals and eight National Hurling League medals.

Maher played his last game for Tipperary in June 1966.

Michael Maher passed away at 87 years old.