Tipperary's Padraic Maher retires due to neck injury

Tipperary great Padraic Maher has announced his retirement from hurling due to medical advice.

Maher, who turns 33 this month, said in January he still felt he "had something to offer" but has now made the "heart-breaking" decision to retire from both club and county due to medical advice regarding a neck injury.

The three-time All-Ireland winner informed the Tipperary county board of his decision last night.

"It is not the end I would have wished for, but the time has come for me to announce my retirement from hurling," Maher wrote in his retirement statement.

"Unfortunately, I recently received medical advice regarding a neck injury, and I have been advised to step away from contact sport. It is heart-breaking to have to make this decision, but it's the most important one for me and my health moving forward."

Aside from a stack of individual, club and school honours, Maher has been a stalwart for the county since he appeared on the scene winning All-Ireland Minor Hurling medals as a full-back in 2006 and 2007.

Renowned for his fielding ability, distribution and occasional long-range scores, the towering defender was a permanent fixture at senior for over a decade and a key presence on the Tipperary team that stopped Kilkenny's drive for five in 2010. He was again to the fore when Tipp beat the Cats in the 2016 and 2019 All-Ireland finals.

He also won an U21 All-Ireland title with Tipperary, captaining the side to glory in 2010, a week after claiming his first senior title.

Maher was on the losing side in the 2009, 2011 and 2014 deciders against Kilkenny.

Six All-Star awards, in 2009 (full-back), 2011 (wing-back), 2014 (centre-back), 2016 (wing-back), 2017 (wing-back) and 2019 (wing-back), made him Tipperary's joint-record