Padraic Maher
By John Harrington
An ugly side of Irish society was exposed in the past couple of weeks.
In the wake of Tipperary’s defeat to Cork in the Munster Senior Hurling Quarter-Final, false and malicious stories about the private lives of some of the Premier County’s players were spread.
It’s impossible to understand the mindset of those who would decide to make up such vicious lies, and depressing to see just how many others were happy to propagate them on social media.
Rumour-mongers are nothing new, but the internet seems to have emboldened those who like to sling mud, quite often behind the anonymity of a pseudonym.
Increasingly, inter-county players seem to be targeted for this sort of treatment by keyboard warriors, as if their profile somehow makes them fair game.
The lies about the Tipperary players were so ridiculous that anyone with a modicum of cop-on would have immediately dismissed them for the rubbish they were, and they certainly don’t bear repeating here.
But when lies are repeated as fact by so many, they become difficult to ignore.
That’s why it was sad but unsurprising to hear Tipperary captain Paudie Maher admit today he’s been shocked by the stories that have been peddled.
“Don't ask me where it comes out of or who starts it. We were as much shocked as anyone else to see all of this,” said Maher.
“We're just going out there to try to represent Tipperary as best as we can and people writing this stuff about you...at the end of the day lads have personal lives, families, jobs to go to every day.
“What way is that affecting their lives? Look, it's not nice. People shouldn't have to deal with that in inter-county hurling or anywhere.
“It does affect some players. The stuff that was being said was ridiculous. It's players' personal lives and families that are being hurt here, not their hurling.
“When it comes to that, it's just ridiculous carry-on. Us as players, we're just moving forward, but the more you hear the more you wonder why are people even doing this.
Donegal footballer Michael Murphy, former Dublin footballer Alan Brogan and Tipperary hurler Padraic Maher in Croke Park at the launch of a new partnership with Pat the Baker to promote their new Protein Bread in Association with the GAA/GPA
“We just want to move forward as a squad now. We're just concentrating on the next game because it's a massive few weeks for us.
“We'll put everything else on the back-burner, because if we're going to let stuff that's not real affect us, then we're not going to be going anywhere.
“It's become laughable inside with us players, if anything it's given us a bit of a giggle, that kind of stuff brings you together and you just move on.
“At the end of the day our job is to represent the Tipperary jersey every day we go out and try to do it to the best of our ability. We're looking forward now to the challenge of the All-Ireland series, that's what we have to concentrate on.”
For now, at least, that journey continues without Tipperary defender Cathal Barrett who has been dropped from the panel for disciplinary reasons.
His departure was more grist for the rumour-mill, but Maher insists it’s no reflection of any disharmony in the Tipp camp.
“Look, Cathal is still a good friend of ours,” said Maher. “He could still be back, we don't know what the story is to be honest because it's a decision between player and manager.
“We respect the decision, he's not part of the panel at the moment, and we move on.
“Up to a couple of weeks ago people were lauding the back-up we have coming off the bench and the competitive nature within the squad.
“Now is the perfect opportunity for someone to step in and show they can take up his mantle.”
Michael Ryan
Places are surely up for grabs after two high-profile defeats in a row against Galway in the League Final and Cork in the Munster Quarter-Final.
Maher was “embarrassed” by the scale of that loss to Galway, and admits they were beaten by the better team again against Cork.
“We felt we had every box ticked going into the Cork game, just whatever happened when we went over those white lines we didn't produce it,” he said.
“In fairness we battled hard, we weren't playing well, we were just hanging in there and hanging in there. I felt myself when we got ahead that time we would pull away, but in fairness to Cork they came back and responded straight away.
“Look, on the day they were thoroughly deserving winners. They were moving all over the place and were very fresh, fit, eager. Even the bit of youth they bought in, you could see they were enjoying it.
“We've no complaints. If we had won that game it would have been just pure doggedness that got us over the line. We have a lot of improving to do, especially after the last two days.”
Maher doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with this Tipperary team that can’t be fixed.
He accepts criticism is going to come after two such high-profile defeats, but doesn’t think it’s something he and his team-mates can afford to get too hung up on.
“When we lose a match, especially in Munster, people always seem to think there must be some excuse as to why they lost,” he said.
“Something is going on here or something is going on there. They never just refer to the fact that Cork were just better than us on the day.
“It's amazing how up to the League semi-final that people were saying we could go unbeaten for God knows how long. In the space of a month the whole thing changes.
“I think you can read too much into that and as players you just have to brush it aside. You take the criticism on the chin and just move on.
“As players when you pull on a jersey as high profile as Tipperary's in hurling you have to be willing to take the knocks. Last September we were getting all the praise.
“You have to be able to take it, that's all part and parcel of being an inter-county player.”
Padraic Maher
Tipperary looked like a jaded team in the Munster Quarter-Final against a vibrant, young Cork side.
The defeat stung, but perhaps a five week break to recharge the batteries before rebuilding momentum through the Qualifiers might ultimately be just what they need to get back to their best.
“That's the way we look at it,” said Maher. “We've no qualms about admitting we wanted to win the Munster Championship and go that way. But, look, at the end of the day we've a break of five weeks between our games and we're using it to build up everything.
“You can work on fitness again, you can work on your hurling, lads can get refreshed. The club is more or less sorted now so we can concentrate on ourselves.
“It's a bit of a nuisance that you don't know who you're playing, but we should know in a couple of weeks and will have a target then we can concentrate on.
“All I can say is that within the camp we're really excited about the next few weeks.
“It was a big downer after the League Final and then the Championship match against Cork so now we’re just really looking forward to getting back up on the horse.”
