He showed great skill as a hurler in his youth and quickly started playing with his local club in Borrisoleigh before he was spotted by the Tipperary inter-county selectors.
He won a Munster minor hurling medal in 1997 and quickly moved on to the inter-county under-21 team.
In 2000 Maher made his senior debut for Tipperary in a Munster Championship game against Waterford.
[2] The following year he won his first National Hurling League medal before later winning a Munster title.
[2] The subsequent few years proved frustrating for Maher as Tipp failed to win any further Munster of All-Ireland titles.