Career
O'Brien made his first appearance for the team during the 2007 National League and has become a regular player over the last few seasons. At club level O'Brien is a one-time county intermdiate championship medalist with Éire Óg Anacarty. Club
O’Brien plays his club hurling with his local Éire Óg Anacarty club and in 2006 captured an county intermediate championship with the club.
Minor, under-21 and intermediate
By 2006 O'Brien had joined the Tipperary under-21 team. A 3-11 to 0-13 defeat of Cork gave him a Munster medal in that grade. He later played in the All-Ireland showdown with Kilkenny.
An exciting game resulted in a 2-14 apiece draw. O'Brien also enjoyed an unsuccessful four seasons with the Tipperary intermediate hurling team. Senior
O'Brien made his senior competitive debut for Tipperary in a National Hurling League game against Dublin in 2007, however, he remained on the periphery of the team for the remainder of the campaign.
In an exciting game Tipp emerged victorious by 3-18 to 3-16 and O'Brien collected his first National League winners' medal. Tipperary later reached the Munster final where they defeated a resurgent Clare team by 2-21 to 0-19. It was O'Brien's first Munster winners' medal.
Tipperary were subsequently defeated in a tense All-Ireland semi-final by Waterford on a scoreline of 1-20 to 1-18. He played no further part in Tipperary's championship campaign. After surrendering their Munster title to Cork at the first hurdle in 2010, Tipperray regrouped in the qualifiers and reached a second successive All-Ireland decider.
Kilkenny, a team chasing a fifth successive championship, provided the opposition and a great game was expected. Tipperary got off to a great start which was bolstered by an early Lar Corbett goal. He subsequently completed a hat-trick of goals and Tipperary had a fourth by Noel McGrath to deny Kilkenny's drive-for-five and secure a remarkable and convincing 4-17 to 1-18 victory.
It was O'Brien's first All-Ireland medal. After missing the 2011 championship, O'Brien returned to the starting fifteen again in 2012. In spite of an indifferent National League campaign, Tipperary were regarded as potential All-Ireland champions once again.
A 2-17 to 0-16 defeat of Waterford in the provincial decider gave O'Brien a third Munster medal. Tipperary later faced a humiliating 4-24 to 1-15 defeat by eventual champions Kilkenny in the All-Ireland semi-final. Inter-provincial
O'Brien has also been a regular on the Munster team during various inter-provincial campaigns.
