Stephen Maher (hurler)
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| Native name | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname | Picky | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 17 January 1993 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Prison officer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Hurling | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Centre-forward | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| *Inter County team apps and scores correct as of 21:24, 10 June 2026. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stephen Maher (born 17 January 1993) is an Irish hurler. At club level he played with plays with Clough–Ballacolla ad at inter-county level with the Laois senior hurling team.
Career
Maher attended St Fergal's College in Rathdowney and played in all grades of hurling during his time there.[1] He later studied at the Institute of Technology, Carlow. Maher was top scorer with 1–13 in IT Carlow's 3–24 to 1–19 defeat by Mary Immaculate College in the Fitzgibbon Cup final in February 2017.[2] He was later named on the Rising Stars Team.[3]
At club level, Maher first played for Clough–Ballacolla at juvenile and underage levels, before progressing to the club's senior team. He won his first Laois SHC medal in 2011, after beating Portlaoise by two points in the final.[4] He claimed a second Laois SHC title in 2015.[5] Maher claimed further Laois SHC honours when he captained Clough–Ballacolla to three consecutive titles between 2020 and 2022.[6] He brought his Laois SHC medal tally to seven after victories in 2024 and 2025.[7][8]
At inter-county level, Maher first played for Laois during a two-year tenure with the minor team in 2010 and 2011.[9] He later spent three consecutive years with the under-21 team.[10] Maher made his senior team debut in a National Hurling League game against Limerick in March 2012.[11]
Maher claimed his first silverware with Laois in 2013, when Laois beat Westmeath to win the National Hurling League Division 2 title.[12] He won a Joe McDonagh Cup medal in June 2019, following Laois's 3–26 to 1–21 win over Westmeath in the final.[13] Maher won further NHL Division 2 medals in 2024 and 2026[14][15] He lined out at centre-forward when Laois beat Carlow by 1–27 to 1–18 to win a second Joe McDonagh Cup title in June 2026.[16]
Career statistics
- As of 6 June 2026
| Team | Year | National League | McDonagh Cup | Leinster | All-Ireland | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Score | Apps | Score | Apps | Score | Apps | Score | Apps | Score | ||
| Laois | 2012 | Division 1B | 2 | 0-01 | — | 2 | 0-03 | 1 | 0-01 | 5 | 0-05 | |
| 2013 | Division 2A | 6 | 1-35 | — | 3 | 0-15 | 1 | 0-05 | 10 | 1-55 | ||
| 2014 | Division 1B | 6 | 1-28 | — | 5 | 1-34 | 1 | 0-02 | 12 | 2-64 | ||
| 2015 | 2 | 0-00 | — | 4 | 1-05 | 1 | 0-01 | 7 | 1-06 | |||
| 2016 | 7 | 1-08 | — | 1 | 0-02 | 0 | 0-00 | 8 | 1-10 | |||
| 2017 | 3 | 0-26 | — | 4 | 0-06 | 1 | 0-03 | 8 | 0-35 | |||
| 2018 | 0 | 0-00 | 5 | 0-12 | — | — | 5 | 0-12 | ||||
| 2019 | 6 | 1-01 | 3 | 0-13 | — | 1 | 0-00 | 10 | 1-14 | |||
| 2020 | 0 | 0-00 | — | 1 | 0-02 | 1 | 0-00 | 2 | 0-02 | |||
| 2021 | 2 | 0-03 | — | 1 | 0-00 | 1 | 0-00 | 4 | 0-03 | |||
| 2022 | 4 | 0-27 | — | 1 | 0-00 | — | 5 | 0-27 | ||||
| 2023 | 6 | 0-43 | 5 | 2-50 | — | — | 11 | 2-93 | ||||
| 2024 | Division 2A | 4 | 0-23 | 4 | 0-11 | — | 1 | 0-02 | 9 | 0-36 | ||
| 2025 | Division 1B | 0 | 0-00 | 0 | 0-00 | — | 0 | 0-00 | 0 | 0-00 | ||
| 2026 | Division 2 | 2 | 0-04 | 5 | 1-38 | — | — | 7 | 1-42 | |||
| Total | 50 | 4-199 | 22 | 3-124 | 22 | 2-67 | 9 | 0-14 | 103 | 9-404 | ||
Honours
- Clough–Ballacolla
- Laois
- Joe McDonagh Cup (2): 2019, 2026
- National Hurling League Division 2 (3): 2013, 2024, 2026
References
- ↑ "Pacquiao looks to cement greatnessPacquiao looks to cement greatness". Irish Independent. 13 November 2010. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
- ↑ "Mary I retain Independent.ie Fitzgibbon Cup title". GAA website. 25 February 2017. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
- ↑ "Three Laois players named on Rising Stars Hurling Team 2017". Laois Today. 31 March 2017. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
- ↑ "Clough-Ballacolla champions again". Irish Examiner. 10 October 2011. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
- ↑ "'Picky' Maher drives Clough/Ballacolla to Laois title". RTÉ Sport. 27 September 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
- ↑ "Laois SHC Final: Clough-Ballacolla triumph again". GAA website. 2 October 2022. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
- ↑ "Maher inspires Clough-Ballacolla to fourth Laois SHC title in five years". Hogan Stand. 6 October 2024. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
- ↑ "Laois SHC Final: Clough/Ballacolla make it five titles in six years". GAA website. 20 October 2024. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
- ↑ "Laois Minor Hurlers by Appearances 1964-2025". Laois GAA website. Retrieved 9 June 2026.
- ↑ "Laois u20/21 Hurlers by Appearances 1964-2025". Laois GAA website. Retrieved 9 June 2026.
- ↑ "Mulcahy the menace as Allen's Limerick finally lift off". Irish Examiner. 12 March 2012. Retrieved 9 June 2026.
- ↑ "Classy Laois back in the big time". Irish Examiner. 15 April 2013. Retrieved 9 June 2026.
- ↑ "Laois claim Joe McDonagh Cup". GAA website. 30 June 2019. Retrieved 9 June 2026.
- ↑ "Allianz HL D2A Final: Laois dominate Carlow". GAA website. 31 March 2024. Retrieved 9 June 2026.
- ↑ "Laois power past Kerry to claim Allianz Hurling League Division 2 title". Laois Live. 28 March 2026. Retrieved 9 June 2026.
- ↑ "Joe McDonagh Cup Final: Laois get over the line". GAA website. 6 June 2026. Retrieved 9 June 2026.
External links
- Stephen Maher profile at the Laois GAA website