| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Irish name | Mícheál Ó Braoin | ||
| Sport | Hurling | ||
| Position | Left corner-back | ||
| Born | 16 July 1994 Ballina, County Tipperary, Ireland | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||
| Occupation | Secondary school teacher [1] | ||
| Club(s) | |||
| Years | Club | ||
2011– | Ballina | ||
| Club titles | |||
| Tipperary titles | 0 | ||
| Colleges(s) | |||
| Years | College | ||
2013–2018 | University College Cork | ||
| College titles | |||
| Fitzgibbon titles | 0 | ||
| Inter-county(ies)* | |||
| Years | County | Apps (scores) | |
2014– | Tipperary | 42 (6-41) | |
| Inter-county titles | |||
| Munster titles | 2 | ||
| All-Irelands | 3 | ||
| NHL | 0 | ||
| All Stars | 0 | ||
| *Inter County team apps and scores correct as of match played 20 April 2025. | |||
Michael Breen (born 16 July 1994) is an Irish hurler who plays for Tipperary Senior Championship club Ballina and at inter-county level with the Tipperary senior hurling team. While he usually lines out at midfield, Breen also plays in defence or attack.[ citation needed ]
Breen first came to prominence as a hurler with Castletroy College in Limerick. He played in every grade of hurling before joining the college's senior hurling team and lined out in several Harty Cup campaigns. [2]
As a student at University College Cork, Breen immediately became involved in hurling as a member of the university's freshers' team. He joined UCC's senior team in his second year and lined out in several Fitzgibbon Cup campaigns over a four-year period. [3]
Breen joined Ballina GAA club at a young age and played in all grades at juvenile and underage levels before eventually joining the club's top adult team in the Tipperary Intermediate Championship. [4]
On 14 October 2012, Breen lined out at full-forward when Ballina faced Silvermines in the Tipperary Intermediate Championship final. He top-scored for the team with five points but ended on the losing side following a 2-21 to 0-10 victory. [5]
Ballina qualified for a second successive final on 13 October 2013. Breen top scored with six points from centre-forward in the 3-12 to 0-20 defeat of Moyne-Templetuohy. [6] He was again at centre-forward when Ballina faced Youghal in the Munster final on 17 November 2013. Breen scored four points all from placed balls in the 2-13 to 2-10 defeat. [7]
Breen first played for Tipperary as a member of the minor team during the 2011 Munster Championship. He was an unused substitute throughout the year.
On 2 May 2012, Breen made his first appearance for the team when he lined out at full-back in a 6-21 to 0-11 defeat of Kerry. [8] He was again selected at full-back when Tipperary faced Clare in the Munster final on 15 July 2012. Breen ended the game with a winners' medal after a 1-16 to 1-12 victory. [9] He again lined out at full-back when Tipperary drew 2-13 to 1-16 with Dublin in the All-Ireland final on 9 September 2012. [10] Breen retained his position for the replay on 30 September 2012 and ended the game with an All-Ireland medal following the 2-18 to 1-11 victory. [11]
Breen was drafted onto the Tipperary under-21 team in advance of the 2013 Munster Championship. He made his debut in that grade on 17 July 2013 when he lined out at left corner-back in a 5-19 to 2-13 defeat of Cork. [12] On 7 August 2013, Breen lined out at right corner-back when Tipperary suffered a 1-17 to 2-10 defeat by Clare in the Munster final. [13]
After three seasons with the under-21 team, Breen played his last game in the grade on 16 July 2015 in a 3-16 to 3-14 defeat by Limerick. [14] On 3 October 2015, he was named in the left corner-back position on the Under-21 Team of the Year. [15]
Breen was added to the Tipperary senior team in advance of the 2014 National League. He made his first appearance on 20 April 2014 when he came on as a 68th-minute substitute for James Woodlock in a 2-24 to 2-17 defeat of Clare. [16] On 4 May 2014, Breen was an unused substitute when Tipperary suffered a 2-25 to 1-27 defeat by Kilkenny in the National League final. [17]
On 12 July 2015, Breen was selected at left corner-back when Tipperary qualified to play Waterford in the Munster final. He scored a point from play and claimed his first Munster Championship medal following the 0-21 to 0-16 victory. [18]
Maher became a midfielder during the 2016 season and lined out in that position in a second successive Munster final on 10 July 2016. He scored 1-01 from play and collected a second winners' medal after a 5-19 to 0-13 defeat of Waterford. [19] On 5 September 2016, Breen was again selected at midfield when Tipperary faced Kilkenny in the All-Ireland final. He ended the game with an All-Ireland medal following a 2-29 to 2-20 victory. [20]
On 23 April 2017, Breen lined out at centre-forward when Tipperary faced Galway in the National League final. He scored two points from play but ended the game on the losing side following a 3-21 to 0-14 defeat. [21]
Breen played in a second successive National League final on 8 April 2018. Lining out at left corner-forward, he was held scoreless and ended the game on the losing side following a 2-23 to 2-17 defeat by Kilkenny. [22]
On 30 June 2019, Breen lined out at midfield when Tipperary suffered a 2-26 to 2-14 defeat by Limerick in the Munster final. [23] On 18 August 2019, he was selected at midfield when Tipperary faced Kilkenny in the All-Ireland final. Breen scored a point from play and ended the game with a second All-Ireland winners' medal following the 3-25 to 0-20 victory. [24]
On 20 July in the 2025 All-Ireland final, Breen started at corner-back as Tipperary defeated Cork by 3-27 to 1-19 and claim a 29th All-Ireland title. [25] [26]
Breen works as a secondary school teacher at the CBS High School in Clonmel. [27] Since 2025, Breen has been in a relationship with athlete Sharlene Mawdsley. [28] [29]
| Team | Year | National League | Munster | All-Ireland | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Score | Apps | Score | Apps | Score | Apps | Score | ||
| Tipperary | 2014 | Division 1A | 1 | 0-00 | 0 | 0-00 | 0 | 0-00 | 1 | 0-00 |
| 2015 | 7 | 0-04 | 2 | 1-01 | 1 | 0-00 | 10 | 1-05 | ||
| 2016 | 6 | 1-11 | 3 | 3-02 | 2 | 0-03 | 11 | 4-16 | ||
| 2017 | 6 | 0-09 | 1 | 0-06 | 4 | 1-01 | 11 | 1-16 | ||
| 2018 | 8 | 3-16 | 1 | 0-00 | — | 9 | 3-16 | |||
| 2019 | 6 | 0-09 | 5 | 0-08 | 3 | 0-02 | 14 | 0-19 | ||
| 2020 | 5 | 0-03 | 1 | 0-01 | 2 | 0-07 | 8 | 0-11 | ||
| 2021 | 5 | 0-06 | 2 | 1-02 | 1 | 0-03 | 8 | 1-11 | ||
| 2022 | 4 | 0-03 | — | 4 | 0-03 | |||||
| 2023 | 4 | 0-00 | 2 | 0-01 | 6 | 0-01 | ||||
| 2024 | 3 | 0-01 | — | 3 | 0-01 | |||||
| 2025 | 1 | 0-00 | ||||||||
| Career total | 44 | 4-58 | 27 | 5-24 | 15 | 1-17 | 85 | 10-99 | ||