John McIntyre: Bonner injury a devastating blow

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Lorrha manager John McIntyre has described Patrick ‘Bonner’ Maher’s injury as a ‘devastating blow’.

The two-time All-Star and three-time All-Ireland winner suffered an achilles tendon injury in training on Thursday evening.

He now requires surgery next week, followed by a long rehabilitation process.

Maher was a key part of Lorrha’s team that reached last year’s Seamus O’Riain final and manager John McIntyre says Bonner will be an ‘incalculable loss’:

“First of all it’s a devastating blow for the player himself, especially given he was out two years ago with a cruciate and he had worked so hard to get back and he played a big role obviously in us getting to the Seamus O’Riain Cup final and I was really looking forward to him even making a bigger contribution this year.

“As bad of a blow as it is for Tipperary hurling and for the senior hurlers, he’s going to be an incalculable loss for us in 2021 but to be honest, my focus is just really on the player himself because I can’t imagine how distraught he is.

“I can’t imagine what he’s going through and all of Lorrha, he’s in our thoughts, I think everyone in Tipperary wishes him as quick a recovery as possible.”