John Maher (Tipperary hurler) facts for kids

John Maher (born June 26, 1908 – died July 11, 1990) was an amazing Irish hurler. He played for his local club, Thurles Sarsfields, and was their captain many times. He also led the Tipperary senior hurling team to win the All-Ireland Championship in 1945.

Many people think John Maher was one of the best players ever for Thurles Sarsfields. He played for over 30 years! During this time, he won nine Tipperary Senior Championship medals. He was also club captain for two of these wins, in 1944 and 1945.

John Maher first joined the Tipperary senior hurling team in 1930. He was the youngest player on the team that won the All-Ireland Championship that year. For the next 15 years, he was a key player in the half-back line. He won more All-Ireland medals in 1937 and as captain in 1945. John also won four Munster Championship medals.

Hurling was in John's family! His father, Dinny, was the very first captain of the Tipperary senior hurling team. Later, John's relatives, Pa Bourke and Pádraic Maher, also won All-Ireland Championship medals.

John Maher's Early Life and Family History

John Maher was born in Thurles, County Tipperary in 1908. His family had a very strong connection to the sport of hurling in the area. His father, "Long" Dinny Maher, was part of the Thurles Blues team. This team won the first ever All-Ireland hurling title in 1887. Dinny even captained the team in some games. However, he didn't play in the final because of a disagreement about travel money.

Years later, other members of the Maher family helped buy the land for Thurles Sportsfield. This place is now known as Semple Stadium, a famous hurling ground.

John grew up on his family's farm just outside Thurles. He went to school nearby. After a short time in school, he took over the family farm. He got married and worked on the land for the rest of his life.

A Tough Player and a Record Breaker

When John Maher played hurling, he was known as a very tough opponent. He defended the Tipperary half-back line as if his life depended on it! The famous hurler Mick Mackey once said about John: "a tough bony divil, oh you would know all about it if you got past him alright". This shows how hard it was to get past John on the field.

John Maher held a special record for a while. He was the oldest person ever to captain an All-Ireland winning team in either hurling or football. He lifted the Liam MacCarthy Cup in 1945 when he was 37 years old. This record was later broken by Jim Ware, who was 40 when he captained Waterford in 1948.

John's grandson, Pa Bourke, also became a Tipperary hurler. Pa won an All-Ireland medal in 2010. He also played in the 2011 final, where he scored Tipperary's only goal.

John Maher passed away in 1990. In 1999, a part of Semple Stadium was renamed the Maher Terrace in his honour. This was a special way to remember him.

John Maher's Hurling Career

Playing for His Club: Thurles Sarsfields

John Maher played his club hurling with the famous Thurles Sarsfields club. He had a lot of success with them. He won his first senior county title in 1929. This was the start of an amazing winning streak. In total, he won nine county titles with 'the Sars' club. His other county medals were won in 1935, 1936, 1938, 1939, 1942. He also won three in a row from 1944 to 1946.

Playing for His County: Tipperary

John Maher first played for Tipperary in the National Hurling League in 1929–30. His first game wasn't very successful, but Tipp bounced back in 1930. That year, John won his first Munster title. Tipperary easily beat Clare in that game.

The All-Ireland final that year was against Dublin. The first half was close, but goals from Martin Kennedy and captain John Joe Callanan gave Tipp the lead. Tipperary won the game 2–7 to 1–3. This gave John Maher his first All-Ireland medal.

Tipperary had a few quieter years after that. Limerick became the strongest team in Munster. But Tipperary returned to the top in 1937. That year, John won his second Munster medal. His team defeated Limerick, who were the champions at the time. Tipp then reached the All-Ireland final. The game was played in FitzGerald Stadium, Killarney, against Kilkenny. Tipperary won surprisingly easily, with a score of 3–11 to 0–3. This was John Maher's second All-Ireland medal.

Tipperary hurling faced some tough times after this victory. In 1941, the county couldn't play in the provincial championship. This was because of an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. So, Cork were named Munster champions and went on to win the All-Ireland title. In a delayed Munster final, Tipp got their revenge on Cork. John Maher collected his third Munster medal.

In 1945, Tipperary was back at the top in Munster. John Maher was made captain of the Tipperary team that year. He won his fourth Munster title as Tipp defeated Limerick. The All-Ireland final was against Kilkenny again. This game was much closer than their last meeting. Tipp led 4–3 to 0–3 at half-time. But 'the Cats' (Kilkenny) fought back strongly in the second half. Tipp managed to hold on and win 5–6 to 3-6. John Maher collected his third All-Ireland medal and lifted the Liam MacCarthy Cup.

John played for one more season in 1946. However, Tipperary lost their first game that year. John Maher retired from inter-county hurling soon after.

Playing for His Province: Munster

John Maher also played for Munster in the inter-provincial hurling competition. This is where players from different counties in a province play together. He was very successful, winning six Railway Cup medals. He first played for Munster in the Railway Cup in 1934 and won his first medal that year. John won more titles in 1937, 1938, 1940, 1943, and 1946.

John Maher's Achievements

Here are some of the major awards and championships John Maher won during his amazing hurling career:

Thurles Sarsfields

• Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship (9): 1929, 1935, 1936, 1938, 1939, 1942, 1944 (as captain), 1945 (as captain), 1946
• Mid Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship (9): 1929, 1935, 1936, 1938, 1939, 1942, 1944 (as captain), 1945 (as captain), 1946

Tipperary

• All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship (3): 1930, 1937, 1945 (as captain)
• Munster Senior Hurling Championship (4): 1930, 1937, 1941, 1945

Munster

• Railway Cup (6): 1934, 1937, 1938, 1940, 1943, 1946