Tipperary hurler Padraic Maher takes on the OurGame Q&A
Premier bulwark Padraic Maher has been a sensation for the county since making his senior debut for the county in 2009.
After winning his third All-Ireland title in 2019, the Thurles Sarsfields man went on to collect a sixth All Star award.
This tied him with fellow county men Nicky English and Eoin Kelly, not to mention Limerick’s Joe McKenna, while only Henry Shefflin (11), DJ Carey and Tommy Walsh (nine), JJ Delaney and Noel Skehan (seven) have more in the hurling stakes.
The 31-year-old was speaking at a Littlewoods GAA event at the tail end of the year, and tackled OurGame’s Q&A, with entertaining results.
He also spoke on the Littlewoods blog about the pressure of playing for a high-profile county such as Tipperary, and how the expectation is huge to win every season.
Maher has now won three Celtic Crosses, but the Premier County have also come up short in other seasons and he spoke of the attention locally.
“Look, there is massive expectation there so when things are not going well, there is a fair bit of criticism,” said the 2016 Hurler of the Year nominee.
“In 2011 and in 2012, I took that to heart — but then you let it fade, and realise it’s something that comes with the territory.
“Even with the social media side of things, it’s something you would experience. It doesn’t bog us down anymore, you just let the noise die down.
“I got rid of social media, Twitter and Facebook, so all I have now is Instagram. You end up seeing things that you don’t need to see.
“I’ve been off Facebook the last year or two, and went off Twitter there during this year around the start of the championship.
“Even if you don’t follow certain accounts, there’s a good chance they’ll end up on your timeline, and I didn’t need that.”
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