# Pat Maher

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For the rugby league footballer, see [Pat Maher (rugby league)](/source/Pat_Maher_(rugby_league)).

**Patrick "Fox" Maher** (13 September 1872 – 8 December 1933) was an [Irish](/source/Irish_people) [hurler](/source/Hurling) who played as a goalkeeper for the [Kilkenny](/source/Kilkenny_GAA) senior team.[1]

Born in [Tullaroan](/source/Tullaroan), [County Kilkenny](/source/County_Kilkenny), Maher first played competitive hurling in his youth. He made his senior debut during the [1893 championship](/source/All-Ireland_Senior_Hurling_Championship_1893) and became a regular player over the next decade. During that time Maher won one [All-Ireland](/source/All-Ireland_Senior_Hurling_Championship) medal and eight [Leinster](/source/Leinster_Senior_Hurling_Championship) medals. He was an All-Ireland runner-up on four occasions.

At club level Maher was a six-time [championship](/source/Kilkenny_Senior_Hurling_Championship) medallist with [Tullaroan](/source/Tullaroan_GAA) and [Johnstown](/source/Johnstown_GAA).[2]

Maher retired from inter-county hurling during the [1905 championship](/source/1905_All-Ireland_Senior_Hurling_Championship).

## Playing career

### Club

In 1895 Maher was in goal as Tullaroan faced [Threecastles](/source/Threecastles_GAA) in the senior championship decider. A narrow 1–4 to 1–2 victory gave him his first [championship](/source/Kilkenny_Senior_Hurling_Championship) medal.

After missing Tullaroan's next championship triumph, Maher was back as goalkeeper when Tullaroan contested the 1899 final. [Young Irelands](/source/Young_Irelands_GAA_(Gowran)) provided the opposition, however, Maher collected a second championship medal following a 3–6 to 1–5 victory.

Tullaroan failed to retain the title the following year, however, in 1901 the team were back in the county decider once again. A high-scoring 5–10 to 3–7 defeat of Threecastles gave Maher a third championship medal.

Maher was appointed captain of the team in 1902, as Tullaroan reached yet another final. [Mooncoin](/source/Mooncoin_GAA) provided little opposition as Tullaroan powered to a 3–16 to 0–1 victory. It was Walsh's fourth championship medal.

Three-in-a-row proved beyond Tullaroan, however, they qualified for a third final in four seasons in 1904. Once again the game turned into a mismatch, as a 6–14 to 1–6 defeat of [Piltown](/source/Piltown_GAA) gave Maher a fifth championship medal.

In 1914 Maher was in the twilight of his career when he lined out his final championship decider, this time with Johnstown. A 3–1 to no score victory gave him his sixth and final championship medal.

### Inter-county

Maher made his senior debut with Kilkenny during the 1893 championship campaign. He won his first [Leinster](/source/Leinster_Senior_Hurling_Championship) medal that year as Kilkenny were granted a walkover by [Dublin](/source/Dublin_GAA). On 22 June 1894 Kilkenny faced [Cork](/source/Cork_GAA) for the very first time in an All-Ireland decider. After the original venue was unplayable the goalposts were uprooted and spectators and players alike moved to the [Phoenix Park](/source/Phoenix_Park) after a long delay. Cork, represented by [Blackrock](/source/Blackrock_GAA), gave an exhibition of hurling and led by 3–4 to 0–1 at the interval. Each side made exactly the same return in the second half to give Cork a 6–9 to 0–2 victory.

After surrendering their provincial crown in 1894, Maher collected a second Leinster medal the following year as Dublin were defeated by 1–5 to 0–5. [Tipperary](/source/Tipperary_GAA), represented by [Tubberadora](/source/Tubberadora_GAA), faced Kilkenny in the delayed All-Ireland decider on 16 March 1896. In the first decider to take place at what would later be called [Croke Park](/source/Croke_Park), Tipperary tore into Kilkenny. [Paddy Riordan](/source/Paddy_Riordan) is said to have scored all but one point of Tipp's total. [Mick Coogan](/source/Mick_Coogan) captured Kilkenny's only score of the game, as Tipperary claimed a massive 6–8 to 1–0 victory.

Maher collected a third Leinster medal in 1897, as Kilkenny claimed the provincial title after receiving a walkover from [Wexford](/source/Wexford_GAA). On 20 November 1898 Kilkenny faced [Limerick](/source/Limerick_GAA) in the All-Ireland decider, as both sides were hoping to win the title for the first time. "The Cats" got off to a great start and led by 2–4 to 1–1 at half-time. Limerick, however, powered on in the second half and used their new technique of hooking. They got two quick goals early in the half and scored the winning goal from a free after 52 minutes. At the final whistle Limerick emerged victorious by 3–4 to 2–4.

Kilkenny retained the provincial title for the first time in their history in 1898. A 4–12 to 3–2 defeat of Dublin gave Maher a fourth Leinster medal. On 25 March 1900 Kilkenny once again faced Tipperary in an All-Ireland final. "The Cats" dominated for the opening twenty-three minutes, however, controversy reigned over hand-passed scores which were awarded to Kilkenny in spite of being illegal at the time. [Mikey Maher](/source/Mikey_Maher) of Tipperary scored a second-half hat-trick to help Tipperary to a huge 7–13 to 3–10 victory.

Maher won a fifth Leinster medal in 1900 as Kilkenny narrowly defeated Dublin by 4–11 to 4–10.

In 1903 Maher picked up a sixth Leinster medal. The game against Dublin ended in a 1-5 apiece draw, however, Kilkenny were subsequently awarded the title by the [Leinster Council](/source/Leinster_GAA). Maher's side later trounced [Antrim](/source/Antrim_GAA) before lining out against Cork in the All-Ireland home final which wasn't played until 11 July 1905. Cork's [Andy "Dooric" Buckley](/source/Andy_Buckley_(hurler)) scored at least six goals as Kilkenny were humiliated by 8–9 to 0–8.

Maher added a seventh Leinster medal to his collection in 1904 as Kilkenny recorded a 2–8 to 2–6 defeat of Dublin in the provincial decider. The subsequent All-Ireland final was delayed until 24 June 1906, with three-in-a-row hopefuls Cork providing the opposition. It was the beginning of a hugely successful era for "the Cats" as Cork were heading into decline. A first half goal by [Dick Doyle](/source/Dick_Doyle_(Kilkenny_hurler)) put Kilkenny in the driving seat, while Maher made a great save in the dying moments of the game to help Kilkenny to a 1–9 to 1–8 victory.[3] It was Maher's and Kilkenny's first [All-Ireland](/source/All-Ireland_Senior_Hurling_Championship) triumph.

In 1905 Maher won an eighth and final Leinster medal as Dublin were once again bested by 2–8 to 2-2.

## Honours

### Team

**Tullaroan**

- [Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship](/source/Kilkenny_Senior_Hurling_Championship) (5): 1895, 1899, 1901, 1902 (c), 1904

**Johnstown**

- [Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship](/source/Kilkenny_Senior_Hurling_Championship) (1): 1914

**Kilkenny**

- [All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship](/source/All-Ireland_Senior_Hurling_Championship) (1): [1904](/source/1904_All-Ireland_Senior_Hurling_Championship)
- [Leinster Senior Hurling Championship](/source/Leinster_Senior_Hurling_Championship) (8): [1893](/source/1893_All-Ireland_Senior_Hurling_Championship#Leinster_Senior_Hurling_Championship), [1895](/source/1895_All-Ireland_Senior_Hurling_Championship#Leinster_Senior_Hurling_Championship), [1897](/source/1897_All-Ireland_Senior_Hurling_Championship#Leinster_Senior_Hurling_Championship), [1898](/source/1898_All-Ireland_Senior_Hurling_Championship#Leinster_Senior_Hurling_Championship), [1900](/source/1900_All-Ireland_Senior_Hurling_Championship#Leinster_Senior_Hurling_Championship), [1903](/source/1903_All-Ireland_Senior_Hurling_Championship#Leinster_Senior_Hurling_Championship), [1904](/source/1904_All-Ireland_Senior_Hurling_Championship#Leinster_Senior_Hurling_Championship), [1905](/source/1905_All-Ireland_Senior_Hurling_Championship#Leinster_Senior_Hurling_Championship)

## References

1. ["County profile: Kilkenny"](https://web.archive.org/web/20111014192436/http://hoganstand.com/Kilkenny/Profile.aspx). Hogan Stand. Archived from [the original](http://www.hoganstand.com/kilkenny/Profile.aspx) on 14 October 2011. Retrieved 26 September 2011.

1. ["Tullaroan GAA on KilkennyCats.com"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110928025201/http://www.kilkennycats.com/clubs/cgi-bin/cginews.pl?record=4). Kilkenny Cats. Archived from [the original](http://www.kilkennycats.com/clubs/cgi-bin/cginews.pl?record=4) on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 26 September 2011.

1. ["Celebrations for hurling centurions"](https://web.archive.org/web/20141129021050/http://www.kilkennypeople.ie/sport/gaelic-games/celebrations-for-hurling-centurions-1-2151010). Kilkenny People. 21 July 2004. Archived from [the original](http://www.kilkennypeople.ie/sport/gaelic-games/celebrations-for-hurling-centurions-1-2151010) on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 17 November 2014.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Pat Maher](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Maher) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Maher?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.