By John Harrington

Tipperary manager, Colm Bonnar, has described veteran defender Pádraic Maher’s enforced retirement from club and county hurler as "heart-breaking".

As recently as a couple of weeks ago, Maher outlined why he felt he still had a lot to offer the Tipperary cause.

But now he’s been forced to cease playing hurling altogether on medical advice due to a neck injury.

“It was a complete shock to him and to us,” said Bonnar today. “We only found out lately over the weekend that this could be something happening and he had to retire on health issues.

“It's heart-breaking for him, he had more to offer. We had seen him in the club championships and he was still a towering strength in terms of the backline for Thurles Sarsfields.

“A lot of players he put in his pocket throughout that campaign and he still had so much to offer and knew that himself and that's why it's so heartbreaking to him he has to step away at this stage.

“If you look back over 13 years, it's just been so unbelievable for him. He's had a great hurling life that he'll be so proud of. I just wish him all the best in his retirement.

“I think the sort of man that Pádraic is, he didn't want this to be hanging over himself or the team, he just felt he needed to make an announcement and move forward. He would have put a message into our WhatsApp this morning to the players.

“It was always a dream of his to play for Tipperary and players knew that and he cherished every moment of it. He loved every moment of it, that's the impression he gave and that's what's going to be missing in that dressing-room, that experience. We were all hoping he'd get back in but it's not to be.”

Pádraic Maher’s enforced retirement follows hot on the heels of Brendan Maher’s decision to also call time on his inter-county career with Tipperary.

Both were totemic defensive figures for the Premier County for 13 seasons and one of Bonnar’s biggest challenges will be to rebuild the Tipperary back-line without them.

“Yeah, you talk about those two players especially, you talk about leaders and warriors, you talk about inspirational play.

“Both of those players were hugely consistent in their performances and in the heat of battle were never found wanting. Yeah, they're big, big shoes to fill for any player coming through.

“That's where the challenge is for the younger players coming in, we have a young, dynamic group of players that would have won All-Irelands in '18 and '19 and they're biting at the bit to get a chance to get in there.

“It would have been great to have the likes of Brendan and Pádraic in there and educating these players and bringing them on, but they'll have to find their feet quickly because this League is starting next Saturday and obviously it's an opportunity for the players to step up and get the experience that's needed to play at this level.”

Bonnar will still be able to call on three veterans of the 2010 All-Ireland SHC Final win – Seamus Callanan, Noel McGrath, and Patrick ‘Bonner’ Maher for the year ahead.

There had been much speculation about whether or not Callanan would recommit for 2022, and Bonnar is delighted the Drom-Inch man has decided to go again.

“Yeah, Seamus was one of the first players we met and obviously we wanted to see where his head is and what were his plans because obviously it's always a player's choice to play for Tipperary and we might want people but they have to step forward and make that decision themselves.

“We had a very good chat with Seamus back in early November and worked from there.

“He's been working with our strength and conditioning coach, he's been working with John Casey our physio, and they put a programme in place and he's been doing modified training for the last two months just building up, building up, building up. He's been at all of our training sessions and he's as mad for road as any of the younger lads.

“We think finally we're seeing a bit of light, he would have played his first competitive game with us last Friday so we're starting to see the fruition of the work that's been done with him. He has huge belief in his ability and he still feels he has an awful lot to offer Tipperary and we do as well as a management team.

“Yeah, it's great to have him on board. He was part of that 2009/2010 team with Pádraic and Brendan, so, yeah, we're delighted he's put his hand up and is willing to stay on with us.”

Bonnar doesn’t quite agree with the suggestion that Tipperary are now a team in transition in his first year in charge, but admits the younger players in his pane must now seize the opportunity they’ll be presented with in the coming weeks and months.

“There was always going to be a small rebuilding phase and that's the same with any inter-county team,” he says. “Nobody can last forever. So, yeah, we are in a situation where opportunities will arrive for some of the younger players and we would have had a lot of the middle based players who are looking to get a challenge and looking to get in that team.

“When you look at that team that won an All-Ireland in 2016 and 2019, to try to knock the likes of Pádraic Maher, Brendan Maher, Cathal Barrett, Ronan Maher and Barry Heffernan, these players, it's very hard to knock them off their perch and say, "I'm here now". They were hugely quality players and it takes a lot to break in to the them.

“When players step away it is an opportunity and it will be a case that we will be rebuilding with some newer players and they'll be getting opportunities next Saturday. It's a journey for them and it's not going to start and end with Laois (in the Allianz League this weekend).

“If you love hurling you have to live that life and you have to get involved in it and you have take it over for six, seven, eight, nine years, whatever chance you get to play it and use it as best you can.

“Look, I won't say we're in transition but there is a case for, yeah, there are opportunities for those younger players to possibly step in."