Willie Maher has been confirmed as the new Laois senior hurling manager.
The Tipperary native’s appointment concludes a lengthy process to find Séamas ‘Cheddar’ Plunkett’s successor, with his fellow countyman Ryan O’Dwyer appearing to have been in pole position for the role at one stage.
“Laois GAA are delighted to announce that Willie Maher's name was submitted to the Laois GAA Executive by the hurling selection committee tonight for the position of senior hurling manager and was ratified accordingly,” read a statement from the county board.
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It’s Maher’s first assignment as a senior inter-county manager having been linked with the job in Tipperary following Liam Sheedy’s departure last year.
He previously managed Tipp at minor and under-21 level, with his most notable successes being the Munster and All-Ireland minor titles back in 2012.
He was also part of Derek McGrath’s management team in Waterford for the 2014 season and has been active on the club circuit, most notably with Cuala, who he led to Dublin titles in 2019 and ‘20 and is currently in charge of Kilkenny club Bennettsbridge.
The Ballingarry man will be tasked with restoring Laois to hurling’s top tier after they endured a difficult season this year with relegation to the Joe McDonagh Cup.
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