Tributes paid following death of Monsignor Tommy Maher

The man widely credited with starting Kilkennys emergence as a hurling super-power has died at the age of 92.

Monsignor Tommy Maher guided Kilkenny to 7 All Ireland senior hurling titles between 1957 and 1975 – the last of those was Brian Codys first senior All Ireland for the county.

The Gowran native hurled for Kilkenny himself but never won an All Ireland as a player.

Kilkenny sports writer Enda McEvoys biography of Monsignor Maher ‘The Godfather of Modern Hurling’ was published in 2012.

Tributes have been paid today from former players like Eddie Keher, Fr Tommy Murphy and friends and colleagues like Monsignor Michael Ryan PP of Castlecomer.