By the time Leahy's club career was coming to an end Mullinahone had been promoted to the senior grade.
In 2002 he battled back from a cruciate ligament injury to be appointed player-manager of the club's senior hurling side.
[2] Leahy's hurling skills quickly came to the attention of the Tipperary inter-county selectors and he joined the minor panel in 1987.
That year he was the first Mullinahone man to Captain a Tipperary Side to a Munster Hurling Title.
In 1988 Leahy made his senior inter-county debut in a National Hurling League game against Antrim.
Leahy won a second National League medal before adding a second All-Star award to his collection at the end of 1994.
In the first year of the 'back-door system', however, Tipp later qualified to play Clare again in the first-ever All-Munster All-Ireland final.
Injuring his right cruciate ligament[5] in the first round of the championship ruled Leahy out of both the Munster and All-Ireland finals, which Tipperary won.