By Jackie Cahill
TIPPERARY'S 2012 All-Ireland minor hurling winning captain Bill Maher has accepted an invitation to join the county's senior football panel ahead of the summer's championship campaign.
Maher, 21, was one six players trimmed from Michael Ryan's senior hurling squad at the end of March but the Kilsheelan-Kilcash player has now linked up with senior football manager Liam Kearns.
Maher, who made his one and only senior hurling championship appearance as a substitute against Limerick in last year's Munster semi-final victory at the Gaelic Grounds, will now come into contention for a starting spot when the footballers face Waterford in the provincial quarter-final at the end of May.
Maher played for the Tipperary minor hurlers in 2011 and 2012, captaining the team to Munster and All-Ireland honours in the latter year.
He was also a member of Tipp's U21 panel for three seasons from 2013 until last year, when he was captain.
Maher also won an All-Ireland minor football medal in 2011, before adding another Munster championship at that grade in 2012, and he also lined out for the Tipp U21 footballers for three seasons.
Operating from wing-back, Maher was one of the key performers as Tipp stormed to EirGrid Munster U21 glory in 2015, before the team managed by Tommy Toomey lost out to Tyrone in the All-Ireland final.
Another player contacted by Kearns about linking up with the senior football squad has indicated that he may be interested in getting involved next year, according to sources.
Borrisoleigh's Conor Kenny was also trimmed from the Tipperary senior hurling squad recently and is now planning to spend the summer months in America.
The addition of Maher is a boost to Kearns, however, at the former Laois and Limerick boss prepares for Tipp's assault on the Munster championship.
After battling through an unprecedented injury crisis throughout the League campaign, Kearns is now without another 2011 All-Ireland minor medallist, Ian Fahey.
The Clonmel Commercials player, who won county and Munster senior club medals last year, underwent surgery recently and won't return to training for another four or five weeks, leaving the 2015 Munster U21 medallist with a race against time to be fit for the Waterford opener.
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