He played hurling with his local club Blackrock and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1893 until 1894.
Over the course of twelve championship seasons Blackrock qualified for nine county finals, with victory coming on eight occasions.
Hayes was a key member of the team for all of these successes, beginning in 1887 when he captured his first county senior championship title.
[citation needed] Hayes first came to prominence on the inter-county scene with Cork as part of the Blackrock selection in 1893.
An easy 3–4 to 1–2 defeat of Tipperary in the provincial decider gave him a second consecutive Munster winners' title.