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Published 10:36 23 Apr 2019 BST
Updated 12:31 23 Apr 2019 BST
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Come the summer of 2018 he was one of the most prolific, industrious midfielders in Ireland and one of the most trusted members of Brian Cody's squad.
April 4, 2019, his first session back with St Llachtain's and the reaper came calling again. A broken leg or ankle, we already know how Maher's going to respond but this season is beyond even his reach.
That was only the start of it for Kilkenny though.
Cillian Buckley - their captain and plucky centre half back didn't improve for a winter off and he had to go under the knife for a nagging knee problem just over two months ago. That is expected to sideline him for many summer Sundays but he's not the only defender out.
Up and coming full back Conor Delaney showed well in the League but Brian Cody and indeed Padraig Walsh must have been cursing their luck when the next number three suffered a similar injury to Maher. Summer over before it even started.
When it rains it pours.
Then there's the constant Richie Hogan worries - the little dynamo hasn't lined out for Danesfort this April with his troublesome back still at him but if Kilkenny thought they were in the clear then, the county's final round of club games had other ideas.
Eoin Murphy has been Kilkenny's most consistent performer over the last few years and the news of the All-Star goalkeeper having to be taken off injured in the closing minutes of Glenmore's draw with Freshford was needed like a hole in Brian Cody's head.
https://twitter.com/GlenmoreGAA/status/1119604334910681089
Murphy - an outfielder for his club - had three points from play hit when he went down and though and the full prognosis is not yet known, it doesn't bode well with the Leinster championship only two and a half week away.
Hopefully it's not as bad as feared.
It's been a rough old club month for Brian Cody but at least he can trade bad luck stories with Micheal Donoghue.
The Galway manager is without Joe Canning for the whole of Leinster while Conor Cooney is also in bother. Not ideal for the Cats or the Tribesmen but contenders Wexford and Dublin must be licking their lips.
In recent years, they've had Kilkenny's numbers but Galway have always had the upper hand. Diarmuid O'Keeffe is an injury doubt but if Lee Chin and Conor McDonald can hurl like we know they're able to, this is as good a chance as Wexford are going to get.
God knows Davy Fitzgerald will have them wired to the moon.
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