James Maher hoping for summer return
James Maher pictured at the launch of the 2016 Bord Gáis Energy GAA Hurling U-21 All-Ireland Championship
By Cian O’Connell
It has been an eventful 2016 for rising Kilkenny star James Maher, who is hoping to return to play in the All Ireland Hurling Championship.
Having made an impact in the Allianz Hurling League, including a standout performance when registering four points in the February 21 win over Tipperary, Maher suffered a serious knee injury last month.
“It's kind of hard to explain now, but basically my Dad was driving a JCB and he hit one of the gates by accident and sent me flying up into the air and I came down and landed on the concrete and broke my kneecap.
“He was fairly cut up about it anyway. It was just a bit of a freak accident. It was unlucky but I'll keep going anyway. It could have been a lot worse. If I'd landed on my head I obviously could have done more damage.”
The incident occurred following a spring in which Maher had flared to prominence in the black and amber stripes. “Yeah, I was happy enough with how it was going,” Maher admits.
“I was enjoying the experience. It's a bit of a setback with how it's after going. It'll be tough to get back. I'm looking forward to getting back over the summer and hopefully getting back in there and making a place.
“I was delighted after the Tipp match alright. It couldn't have went much better I suppose.
“I'm hoping to get back running in the next two weeks and to get back hurling in the next five or six. Hopefully, all going well. But it depends how the recovery goes in the next couple of weeks.”
At the 2006 Camogie All-Star Awards were, from left, Caitriona Ryan, Jillian Dillon Maher, Pa Dillon, Marie O'Connor, Imelda Kennedy and Marie Dergan, all from Kilkenny.
Maher enjoyed the challenge of joining the Kilkenny panel in 2015. “I was in for the first time last year and I found it fierce tough, the physicality, the fitness,” Maher said. “I would consider myself a fit enough person, but going in there with those lads, it was completely different.
“They all seem to be fitter and way stronger and have better touch and everything so it was a big step up and I had to get my act together pretty quickly.
“It does kind of hit you all of a sudden. You're suddenly into a real professional setup, you're losing a lot of your social life and you're into fierce high training.
“You're spending most of your time recovering for the next session and getting yourself ready because you know if you're not eating healthy or doing what you're not supposed to be doing then you're going to fall way behind.”
The much talked about intense training games are still happening too. “They're very tough alright,” Maher acknowledges. “There's no such thing as blowing the whistle or sidelines or frees. If it goes up into the stand, you might have to go up and play away after it. Yeah, it is like that alright.”
Jillian Dillon Maher in action for Kilkenny.
Maher’s mother Jillian Dillon-Maher and grandfather, Pa Dillon, are often the topic of conversation. “Yeah, they do,” Maher responds when asked whether people talk about Dillon. “You hear a lot of stories about his day and when he was playing and that he'd be proud now at the moment with me playing for the seniors and stuff.
“My father was a very good hurler as well. He won three All-Ireland colleges in a row and captained the last year like I did as well. No, he was mad into hurling as well so it was from both sides really.”
James Maher was speaking at the launch of the 2016 Bord Gáis Energy GAA Hurling U-21 All-Ireland Championship at Kilmacud Crokes GAA Club.
