Tommy Maher
Encyclopedia
Monsignor Tommy Maher is a retired Irish
hurling
coach
and former player. He played hurling with his local club Thomastown and with the Kilkenny
senior inter-county team in the 1940s. Maher, who also served as a Roman Catholic priest and teacher, also coached Kilkenny to seven senior All-Ireland
titles between 1957 and 1978.
, a virtual nursery for young hurling talent. Maher later trained as a Roman Catholic priest and returned to St. Kieran's where he taught for many years. He also became heavily involved in coaching the college's senior hurling team.
In 1983 he was appointed parish priest of Mullinavat
and immediately became involved in the local hurling scene. He remained at Mullinavat until his retirement in 1998.
with the Thomastown club just outside Kilkenny city. He enjoyed some success with the club, culminating in the winning of a senior county title in 1946.
senior inter-county team in the 1940s. After their expulsion from the championship in the early part of the decade, due to the outbreak of foot-and-mouth in the county, Kilkenny broke his back in 1945. That year Maher won a Leinster
title following a victory over Dublin
in the provincial decider. He later lined out in the All-Ireland final against Tipperary
. However, the Premier County that was victorious on that occasion.
In 1983 he immediately became involved in the local hurling scene in Mullinavat. It came as no surprise to anybody that, in 1984, Mullinavat won the Junior Championship, their first success in 45 years, and in 1985, won the Special Junior B Championship.
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,...
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...
coach
Manager (Gaelic games)
In Gaelic games, a manager or coach is an individual involved in the direction and instruction of the on-field operations of a team. Managing, or coaching, entails the application of sport tactics and strategies during the game itself, and usually entails substitution of players and other such...
and former player. He played hurling with his local club Thomastown and with the Kilkenny
Kilkenny GAA
The Kilkenny County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland and is responsible for Gaelic Games in County Kilkenny. The county board has its head office and main grounds at Nowlan Park and is also responsible for Kilkenny inter-county teams...
senior inter-county team in the 1940s. Maher, who also served as a Roman Catholic priest and teacher, also coached Kilkenny to seven senior 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....
titles between 1957 and 1978.
Biography
Tommy Maher was born in Thomastown in 1923. He was educated locally and later attended St. Kieran's College, KilkennyKilkenny
Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...
, a virtual nursery for young hurling talent. Maher later trained as a Roman Catholic priest and returned to St. Kieran's where he taught for many years. He also became heavily involved in coaching the college's senior hurling team.
In 1983 he was appointed parish priest of Mullinavat
Mullinavat
Mullinavat is a town in south County Kilkenny, Ireland. Its main industries are tourism and agriculture. It has a renowned sporting history, particularly in hurling.-Location and access:...
and immediately became involved in the local hurling scene. He remained at Mullinavat until his retirement in 1998.
Club
Maher played 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 Thomastown club just outside Kilkenny city. He enjoyed some success with the club, culminating in the winning of a senior county title in 1946.
Inter-county
Maher also played hurling with the KilkennyKilkenny GAA
The Kilkenny County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland and is responsible for Gaelic Games in County Kilkenny. The county board has its head office and main grounds at Nowlan Park and is also responsible for Kilkenny inter-county teams...
senior inter-county team in the 1940s. After their expulsion from the championship in the early part of the decade, due to the outbreak of foot-and-mouth in the county, Kilkenny broke his back in 1945. That year Maher won a Leinster
Leinster Senior Hurling Championship
The Leinster 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 Leinster in Ireland....
title following a victory over Dublin
Dublin GAA
Dublin County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or Dublin GAA, is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Dublin. The county board is also responsible for the Dublin inter-county teams...
in the provincial decider. He later lined out in the All-Ireland final against 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...
. However, the Premier County that was victorious on that occasion.
Coaching career
In 1957 Maher joined the Kilkenny senior hurling team as coach. Over the next twenty-one years he would revolutionise Kilkenny's style of play and would preside over an era which saw the county win fourteen Leinster titles and seven All-Ireland titles.In 1983 he immediately became involved in the local hurling scene in Mullinavat. It came as no surprise to anybody that, in 1984, Mullinavat won the Junior Championship, their first success in 45 years, and in 1985, won the Special Junior B Championship.