Maurice Shanahan

{{Short description|Waterford hurler}} {{multiple issues| {{BLP sources|date=February 2013}} {{BLP one source|date=February 2013}} }} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}} {{Use Hiberno-English|date=August 2022}} {{Infobox Gaelic games biography |image = |name = Maurice Shanahan |irish = Muiris Ó Seanacháin |nickname = Shandy |occupation = Truck driver |birth_date = {{birth date and age|1990|2|1|df=yes}} |birth_place = [[Waterford]], [[Ireland]] |height = {{convert|1.93|m|ftin|0|abbr=on}} |sport = Hurling |code = Hurling |county = Waterford |province = Munster |club = [[Lismore GAA|Lismore]] |clyears = 2007– |clposition = Full Forward |clapps(points) = |clcounty = 0 |clprovince = |clallireland = |counties = [[Waterford county hurling team|Waterford]] |icyears = 2009–2019 |icposition = Full-forward |icapps(points) = 37 (7–121) |icprovince = 1 |icallireland = 0 |nhl = 1 |allstars = 1 |clupdate = |icupdate = 16:00, 17 October 2019 }}

'''Maurice Shanahan''' (born 1 February 1990) is an [[Irish people|Irish]] [[Hurling|hurler]] who plays as a right corner-forward at senior level for the [[Waterford county hurling team|Waterford county team]].

Born in [[Lismore, County Waterford|Lismore]], [[County Waterford]], Shanahan first played competitive hurling during his schooling at Blackwater Community School. He arrived on the inter-county scene at the age of seventeen when he first linked up with the Waterford minor team, before later joining the under-21 side. He made his senior debut during the [[2009 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship|2009 championship]]. Shanahan immediately became a regular member of the starting fifteen and has won one [[Munster Senior Hurling Championship|Munster]] medal and one [[National Hurling League]] medal.

At club level Shanahan plays with [[Lismore GAA|Lismore]].

His brother, [[Dan Shanahan|Dan]], also had a lengthy career with Waterford.

In 2015, Maurice spoke candidly to the Irish media about suffering from depression, and he was widely praised for speaking out as a high-profile sportsperson on the topic.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/maurice-shanahan-reveals-extent-of-struggle-against-depression-363673.html|title=Maurice Shanahan reveals extent of struggle against depression|date=8 November 2015}}</ref>

==Club== Shanahan has played with his club, [[Lismore GAA|Lismore]] since a young age. Shandy presently plays in the half forward line for the club and is the club primary free taker and is well known for his accuracy and towering height of 6 foot five inches. Lismore reached the county final in 2009 with Shanahan playing a pivotal role. Old foes Ballygunner provided the opposition, and after an epic 2 game contest, it was the city side who claimed the cup, leaving the cathedral men disappointed at the final hurdle once more. The next few years proved unsuccessful for Lismore culminating in a shock relegation from the senior ranks after 47 years as a senior club. The club bounced back immediately in 2016 by winning the county intermediate championship. Lismore and Shanahan also added the Munster Intermediate title that year by seeing off Kerry champions Kilmoyley 2–14 to 0–13, with Shanahan scoring 1–9.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/hurling/lismore-lift-off-in-second-half-431557.html|title = Lismore lift off in second-half|date = 21 November 2016}}</ref>

==Inter-county== Shanahan first came to attention for Waterford in 2009 at U-21 level with a good performance against a hotly fancied Tipperary outfit winning 3–21 to 2–14. Waterford lost to Clare in the Munster final. Shanahan made his Senior Inter-county debut for Waterford against [[Tipperary GAA|Tipperary]] in the first round of the [[National Hurling League 2009|2009 National Hurling League]].<ref>[http://archives.tcm.ie/waterfordnews/2009/02/11/story30147.asp Archives]. Archives (2009-02-11). Retrieved on 2012-02-07. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110622110340/http://archives.tcm.ie/waterfordnews/2009/02/11/story30147.asp |date=22 June 2011 }}</ref> 2009 continued to be a successful year as he established himself as an upcoming star for Waterford after his performance at under 21. Shanahan's tenacity and temperament have led to critics comparing the young man to his brother Dan.

By 2015, Shanahan was a well established member of the Waterford senior hurling team. A youthful Deise side surprised many by winning only their third [[National Hurling League]] year that year with victory over Cork 1–24 to 0–17. They also reached the All Ireland semi final that year but a typically wily Kilkenny were victors 1–20 to 0–18. Shanahan was honoured that year by winning his first All star award.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.the42.ie/maurice-shanahan-waterford-5421384-Apr2021/|title=Maurice Shanahan: 'I dream about playing with Waterford again...I'll never give up on it'|date=27 April 2021|work=The 42|accessdate= 28 April 2021}}</ref>

==Career statistics== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |- !rowspan="2"|Team !rowspan="2"|Year !colspan="3"|[[National Hurling League|National League]] !colspan="2"|[[Munster Senior Hurling Championship|Munster]] !colspan="2"|[[All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship|All-Ireland]]

!colspan="2"|Total |- !Division!!Apps!!Score!!Apps!!Score!!Apps!!Score!!Apps!!Score |- |rowspan="11"|[[Waterford county hurling team|Waterford]] |2009 |rowspan="3"|[[National Hurling League|Division 1]] |3||0-00||1||0-00||2||0-00||6||0-00 |- |2010 |6||0-24||3||0-01||0||0-00||9||0-25 |- |2011 |3||0-05||2||0-03||1||0-02||6||0-10 |- |2012 |rowspan="3"|[[National Hurling League|Division 1A]] |5||2-13||2||0-15||1||0-09||8||2-37 |- |2013 |4||0-09||1||0-07||3||1-22||8||1-38 |- |2014 |3||0-04||1||0-00||0||0-00||4||0-04 |- |2015 |rowspan="1"|[[National Hurling League|Division 1B]] |6||2-11||2||1-17||2||1-21||10||4-49 |- |2016 |rowspan="4"|[[National Hurling League|Division 1A]] |7||0-30||2||1-02||3||0-05||12||1-37 |- |2017 |4||0-08||1||1-01||5||1-08||10||2-17 |- |2018 |5||0-00||2||1-07||0||0-00||7||1-07 |- |2019 |2||0-01||3||0-01||0||0-00||5||0-02 |- !colspan="3"|Total |'''48'''||'''4-105'''||'''20'''||'''4-54'''||'''17'''||'''3-67'''||'''85'''||'''11-226''' |}

==Honours== ;Lismore *[[Waterford Intermediate Hurling Championship]] (1): 2016 *[[Munster Intermediate Club Hurling Championship]] (1): 2016

;Waterford *[[Munster Senior Hurling Championship]] (1): [[All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 2010#Munster Senior Hurling Championship|2010]] *[[National Hurling League]] (1): [[2015 National Hurling League|2015]]

===Individual=== *[[GAA All Stars Awards winners (hurling)|All-Stars]] (1): 2015

==References== {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shanahan, Maurice}} [[Category:1990 births]] [[Category:All Stars Awards winners (hurling)]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Hurling forwards]] [[Category:Lismore hurlers]] [[Category:People from Lismore, County Waterford]] [[Category:Waterford inter-county hurlers]] [[Category:21st-century Irish sportsmen]]