Brendan Maher (born 5 January 1989) is an Irish hurler who plays for club side Borris–Ileigh and previously at inter-county level with the Tipperary senior hurling team.
Regarded as one of the great talents of his generation, Maher enjoyed a 13-season career with the Tipperary senior hurling team, won three All-Stars and was a Hurler of the Year nominee in 2010.
A versatile player who switched between attacking and defensive positions, Maher made a combined 124 league and championship appearances.
[1] Maher studied at Mary Immaculate College in Limerick between 2006 and 2009 and joined the senior hurling team in his second year.
On 7 March 2009, he was named man of the match when Mary Immaculate College defeated the University of Ulster by 1–12 to 1–05 to win the Ryan Cup.
[citation needed] Maher joined the Borris–Ileigh club at a young age and played at all grades in juvenile and underage levels.
On 7 August 2005, Maher was selected on the bench when Borris–Ileigh faced Nenagh Éire Óg in the North Tipperary Championship final, however, in a late change he was drafted onto the starting fifteen.
Maher lined out at right wing-forward when Borris–Ileigh renewed their rivalry with Nenagh Éire Óg in the North Tipperary Championship final on 9 September 2007.
On 2 September 2017, Maher lined out at centre-back when Borris–Ileigh faced Nenagh Éire Óg in the North Tipperary Championship final once again.
On 8 October 2017, Maher was selected at midfield but spent much of the game at centre-back when Borris–Ileigh faced Thurles Sarsfields in the Tipperary Senior Championship final.
[3] On 24 November 2019, Maher won a Munster Club Championship medal after giving a man of the match display in the 1–12 to 1–11 defeat of Ballygunner in the final.
On 30 July 2008, Maher won a Munster Championship medal after lining out at left wing-back in a controversial 1–16 to 2–12 defeat of Clare.
[11] On 28 July 2010, Maher won a second Munster Championship medal after lining out at left wing-back in Tipperary's 1–22 to 1–17 defeat of Clare in the final.
[16] On 12 July 2009, Maher started the Munster final on the bench but was introduced as a 34th-minute substitute for Paul Curran and ended the game with a winners' medal following the 4–14 to 2–16 defeat of Waterford.
[19] On 5 September 2010, Maher was selected at midfield when Tipperary qualified to play Kilkenny in a second successive All-Ireland final.
[21] A fractured fibula in March 2011 brought Maher's involvement in the latter stages of the National League to an end, while he also missed Tipperary's opening games of the Munster Championship.
[24] On 15 July 2012, Maher lined out at midfield when Tipperary qualified to play Waterford in a second successive Munster final.
[50] In October 2022, Maher was announced as Offaly senior hurling team performance coach under the management of Johnny Kelly.