Philip Maher
Encyclopedia
Philip Maher is an Irish
sportsperson. He plays in the full-back position on the Tipperary
senior hurling
team.
, County Tipperary
in 1979. He showed great skill as a hurler in his youth and quickly started playing with his local club in Borrisoleigh, before he was spotted by the Tipperary
inter-county selectors.
with the famous Borrisoleigh club in Tipperary.
minor hurling team. He won a Munster minor hurling medal in 1997 and quickly moved on to the inter-county under-21 team. On that team he won another Munster title, however, All-Ireland success still eluded him. In 2000 Maher made his senior debut for Tipperary in a Munster Championship game against Waterford
. The following year he won his first National Hurling League
medal before later winning a Munster
title. The year was rounded off when Maher won his first All-Ireland
medal following a victory over Galway
. His performance in the championship earned him his first All-Star
award. The subsequent few years proved frustrating for Maher as Tipp failed to win any further Munster of All-Ireland titles.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
sportsperson. He plays in the full-back position on the Tipperary
Tipperary GAA
The Tipperary County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or C is one of over 30 regional executive boards throughout the world. These executive boards are known as County Boards even though some no longer correspond to the area under the jurisdiction of the counties from which their names...
senior hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
team.
Club career
Philip Maher was born in BorrisoleighBorrisoleigh
Borrisoleigh is a small town in North Tipperary in Ireland. According to the 2006 census, the town has a population of 1,178. The parish, which encompasses , has a population of just 2,000--down from a high count of 7,000 taken in 1842, before the Potato Famine. It is in the barony of Kilnamanagh...
, County Tipperary
County Tipperary
County Tipperary is a county of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster and is named after the town of Tipperary. The area of the county does not have a single local authority; local government is split between two authorities. In North Tipperary, part of the Mid-West Region, local...
in 1979. He showed great skill as a hurler in his youth and quickly started playing with his local club in Borrisoleigh, before he was spotted by the Tipperary
Tipperary GAA
The Tipperary County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or C is one of over 30 regional executive boards throughout the world. These executive boards are known as County Boards even though some no longer correspond to the area under the jurisdiction of the counties from which their names...
inter-county selectors.
Club
Maher plays his club hurlingHurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
with the famous Borrisoleigh club in Tipperary.
Inter-county
By the late 1990s Maher had made his debut with the TipperaryTipperary GAA
The Tipperary County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or C is one of over 30 regional executive boards throughout the world. These executive boards are known as County Boards even though some no longer correspond to the area under the jurisdiction of the counties from which their names...
minor hurling team. He won a Munster minor hurling medal in 1997 and quickly moved on to the inter-county under-21 team. On that team he won another Munster title, however, All-Ireland success still eluded him. In 2000 Maher made his senior debut for Tipperary in a Munster Championship game against Waterford
Waterford GAA
The Waterford County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Waterford GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for all levels of Gaelic games in County Waterford. The County Board is also responsible for the Waterford inter-county teams. The county...
. The following year he won his first National Hurling League
National Hurling League
The National Hurling League is an annual hurling competition between the county teams of Ireland. Contested by 35 teams , it operates on a system of promotion and relegation between four different divisions, with Division One...
medal before later winning a Munster
Munster Senior Hurling Championship
The Munster GAA Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1888 for the top hurling teams in the province of Munster in Ireland....
title. The year was rounded off when Maher won his first All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....
medal following a victory over Galway
Galway GAA
The Galway County Boards of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Galway GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Galway. The county boards are also responsible for the Galway inter-county teams.Unlike all other counties in Ireland,...
. His performance in the championship earned him his first All-Star
GAA All Stars Awards
The All Stars Awards, currently sponsored by Vodafone, are given annually since 1971 by the Gaelic Athletic Association to the best player in each of the fifteen positions in Gaelic football and Hurling in Ireland. Additionally, one player in each code is selected as the player of the year...
award. The subsequent few years proved frustrating for Maher as Tipp failed to win any further Munster of All-Ireland titles.