At club level he played with Killenaule and was also a member of the Tipperary senior hurling team.
[citation needed] He had success in different divisions, winning consecutive South Tipperary Championship titles.
[citation needed] O'Dwyer first appeared on the inter-county scene with the Tipperary minor team that won the All-Ireland Minor Championship in 1976.
[1] He progressed to the Tipperary under-21 team and won back-to-back All-Ireland Under-21 Championship titles.
[2] O'Dwyer subsequently made a number of league and championship appearances with the Tipperary senior hurling team before lining out with the junior team.