Background
John Leahy was born in Mullinahone, County Tipperary in 1969.
John Leahy was born in Mullinahone, County Tipperary in 1969.
He was educated locally in Mullinahone North.S., Ballingarry Presentation Convent and Killenaule V.S. He later worked for United Beverages Group in Kilkenny.
He played senior hurling with the Tipperary inter-county team from 1988 until 2003. He also represented Tipperary in all grades in Gaelic football. He is regarded as a great hurler in Tipperary.
He is currently working as a Drug Education Officer with Health Service Executive (Health and Safety Executive)
On 9 February 2005 Leahy was profiled on the TG4 television programme Laochra Gael.
Club
Leahy played his club hurling and football with his local Mullinahone club He enjoyed much success winning county medals in both codes at underage levels.
By the time Leahy’s club career was coming to an end Mullinahone had been promoted to the senior grade. In 2002 he battled back from a cruciate ligament injury to be appointed player-manager of the club’s senior hurling side.
That year he guided Mullinahone to their first senior county championship.
Minor & under-21
Leahy’s hurling skills quickly came to the attention of the Tipperary inter-county selectors and he joined the minor panel in 1987. That year he was the first Mullinahone man to Captain a Tipperary Side to a Munster Hurling Title. Senior Hurling
In 1988 Leahy made his senior inter-county debut in a National Hurling League game against Antrim.
In doing so he became the first Mullinahone man ever to play for the senior side.
Later that year he came on as a substitute in the Munster final to claim his first senior provincial medal. Tipperary later lost the All-Ireland final to Galway.
This was later converted into his first senior All-Ireland medal following a final victory over Antrim. Three years later in 1997 Tipperary lost to Clare in the Munster final.
In the first year of the "back-door system", however, Tipp later qualified to play Clare again in the first-ever All-Munster All-Ireland final.
Unfortunately Leahy ended up on the losing side once again. All this changed in 2001 when Tipp began the year by winning another league title. Leahy retired from inter-county hurling in 2003, due to damaging his other cruciate ligament.
In retirement from inter-county hurling Leahy has maintained a key interest in the game.
He was a selector during 2006 and 2007 seasons on the senior team managed by Babs Keating.
In 1989 Leahy was a full member of the Tipperary team and he captured a second consecutive Munster medal.