Maher: County final glory meant as much as Tipp’s All-Ireland
IMAGINE a giant-sized champagne bottle being shaken and then uncorked – that’s kind of scene that unfolded at the final whistle of the Tipperary county final. Joy unfulfilled as Borris-Ileigh won a first senior title since the milestone victory of 1986 which led all the way to All-Ireland glory, the emotion of it all bubbling over and spilling on to the pitch.
Brendan Maher’s face beams as he paints the picture of it all in vivid detail.
‘After the final whistle I can remember just being overcome with emotion. A real sense of relief. I remember shouting a lot. You lose control of yourself for those 10 or 15 seconds. Everyone was jumping. I got more raps in the celebrations than I got during the game,’ explains Maher.
‘Everyone was on the pitch which was really good. With Tipp wins in Croke Park you have the stewards, you’ve to go over to hug people. Everyone was on top of each other – it was just brilliant.
‘Into the dressing room then and Timmy Delaney – I don’t know did you see the video of Timmy singing Lovely Fair Ileigh – that’s our anthem. Timmy was involved in the last win with Borris. It was really special, emotional, for him to come in.
‘He spoke to us first in only the way he could. What was it he came up with? “A ton of breeding is worth a ton of feeding.” I suppose he was referring to JD and the Devaney breeding.
‘We went back to Borrisoleigh and the club. It was the first time we used the new building. We had a couple of drinks there. Then we marched behind a piper up through the town, into Stapletons pub, which is like a second clubhouse. Into the early hours of the morning then. Same on Monday. We knuckled down on Wednesday then at training.’
Now that’s how to mark a breakthrough. The club still remains a great leveller. Maher is someone who has nearly won and done it all. Three-time All-Ireland winner with Tipperary, as captain in 2016, and again this year in another All-Star turn – a remarkable achievement when his very career was in doubt this time last year following a cruciate knee ligament injury.
Just listen then to where he ranks the senior final breakthrough. ‘Probably number one. What would come close or maybe tops it is bringing the [Liam MacCarthy] Cup back to Borris in 2016. That was a special moment for myself, Dan [McCormack], Paddy [Stapleton] and Mick Clohessy, our masseur was involved as well. I remember turning the corner on the bus and seeing the crowd. Hard to top that.
‘As regards a medal or a win, it’s definitely number one on the list. It’s just different with the club. You’ve brothers and family involved – my brother is a selector. The McCormacks, there is four brothers playing on the team. You just have those connections that you don’t have with inter-county.’
Given how the local community has been buffeted by tragedy and the loss of young life this past year, it was no surprise the win was such an emotional one. A win that has led the club to today’s Munster club final.
‘We didn’t see it as pressure. We were talking about it, that it was an opportunity for us to do something positive for the club. But we’re not under pressure to do it. Like we’ve been through so much – wouldn’t it be great if we could bring a bit of positivity and lift spirits a bit.
‘It’s the same now going in to this. You could call it bonus territory. Not that we have nothing to lose but we’re going to give it everything. As long as we come off the pitch with our heads held high, be able to look at each other and say “we gave it everything”, the result hopefully will go our way. If it doesn’t, we’ll be able to deal with that.
Maher was speaking at an event in Dublin on Tuesday to promote AIB’s sponsorship of the club championships, a sponsorship that is now in its 29th year. The appeal of the club is how it is rooted in community, Maher’s day-to-day being a prime example.
Tied in to the clubhouse development at Bishop Quinlan Park, Maher branched out from his teaching qualification only recently to set up a gym business on site.
‘Leap Gym and Fitness Studios. An acronym for Leading Edge Athletic Performance. Take a leap and make change in your life. That’s where the name came out of,’ he remrks.
And so his working week now has a different hue to it as he jobshares.
‘Teaching Monday, Tuesday, every second Wednesday. Running the gym as well in
Borris. The first class was on October 7. I’ve two guys working with me.’
Beating Glen Rovers of Cork in the Munster semi-final set up today’s provincial final against holders Ballygunner of Waterford and meant Maher missed out on Tipperary’s trip to New York for last weekend’s Super 11s hurling classic.
Win again and he’ll be double booked for the county’s official team holiday in January to New York and Cancun in Mexico.
‘If the result goes our way, I’ll be pulling the plug. I’ll gladly do that,’ he admits.
Whether this team emulates the team of 1986-87 who famously went all the way to All-Ireland glory on St Patrick’s Day, he says their own place in history is secure.
‘You walk into Stapletons pub and the walls are covered with photos of all the winning teams, Tipp and Borris teams. Obviously the teams of the ’80s dominate the walls – they won so much. It’s nice now that we’re going to have our picture up there.’