HE STARTED OUT the year preparing for a 14th season with Tipperary but come the championship opener, Pádraic Maher was in the stand after a neck injury ended his career.
That transition was never likely to be easy. Especially when he was watching his native county lose back-to-back Munster round-robin fixtures against Waterford and Clare.
“It is very strange. Especially when championship got going there, it really hit home. It is about supporting the lads as much as I can below in Waterford or in Thurles last week. It is strange and it is not what I am used to at this time of the year,” he says.
“I shouldered with a lot of them for years and my brother is involved in the team, it is disappointing all right. You’d just love to be able to help in some way. It is tough for them at the moment. It is hard when they are not winning.
“The performance was poor and everyone is on your back, I’ve been in that position before. A bad performance and a bad defeat. Obviously, the supporters aren’t happy. The public and what is written about you, it is tough going. It is the difficult part of being an intercounty player.”
Tipperary were on the end of a convincing defeat in Semple Stadium last weekend. Clare’s first-half scoring spree yielded three goals and raised serious questions about the Premier county’s defensive structure.
Maher stresses Colm Bonnar will attempt to alter their approach but it takes time.
“Whatever about gameplans, players can still go out and give their all. Try their best and work as hard as they can. I’d say a few of the lads leaving Sunday would not be happy with their performance in that regard.
“There probably was a bit of a malfunction there in regards to a gameplan or a style of play. I said at the start, Tipp have to be patient. The public has to be patient.
“They are trying something different. Limerick and Waterford did not just click their fingers and decide they would play this way. They were doing it for a couple of years. Tipp are starting to change.”
It doesn’t get any easier. Next up is a trip to the Gaelic Grounds on May 8 for a clash with the kingpins Limerick. If there is one thing Pádraic Maher made obvious during his extraordinary career it is that he embraces the challenge. For him, this is a chance to channel all the recent criticism.
“You can use it for a siege mentality feeling. Look, there is a lot of experience in that team. They all will be hurting I presume. I hope they will be hurting anyway from the past few weeks and what people are saying.
“You can use that to give more energy. You always talk over the years about not letting things seep in but I think players do use things to their advantage. I’ve no doubt the lads what to go prove to everyone they are still a good side and are worth something more.
“It just hasn’t worked the last few weeks. what better way to prove people wrong than to go to the Gaelic Grounds and give a good performance. That is a very exciting prospect.”
Pádraic Maher is reminding people to sign up to Darkness into Light, the annual fundraising event organised by Pieta and supported by Electric Ireland. The event will take place as the sun rises on Saturday May 7th, 2022 to raise funds for Pieta’s vital support services for those in suicidal distress and who have been bereaved through suicide.
