Paudie Fitzmaurice is a successful hurler

Hurling

Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...

 from Killeedy in County Limerick

County Limerick

It is thought that humans had established themselves in the Lough Gur area of the county as early as 3000 BC, while megalithic remains found at Duntryleague date back further to 3500 BC...

, Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

 who featured prominently in Limerick

Limerick

Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...

 hurling during the 1970s. Fitzmaurice was part of the renowned team of 1973 (when Limerick won the All-Ireland

All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship

The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....

), 1974, 1980 and 1981, including a stint as captain when he led Limerick to success in the Munster

Munster

Munster is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the south of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial purposes...

 Senior Hurling Final in 1981. He is a two-time National League winner, and finished as top scorer when captaining Limerick to victory in the Fitzgibbon Cup in 1974. His achievements as a player were recognised in 1984 when Fitzmaurice received an All-Star

GAA All Stars Awards

The All Stars Awards, currently sponsored by Vodafone, are given annually since 1971 by the Gaelic Athletic Association to the best player in each of the fifteen positions in Gaelic football and Hurling in Ireland. Additionally, one player in each code is selected as the player of the year...

 award. Fitzmaurice continued to play competitive hurling for his native Killeedy

Killeedy

Killeedy is a parish located south of Newcastle West in Co. Limerick in Ireland. This parish consists of two villages, Ashford and Raheenagh. The elevation of the parish varies from 1,184 ft. OS at Mauricetown and 1,082 ft. at Dromdeeveen to 200 ft. OS at Ballintubber. The parish...

 until 1996.

Fitzmaurice was named manager of the Sligo

Sligo

Sligo is the county town of County Sligo in Ireland. The town is a borough and has a charter and a town mayor. It is sometimes referred to as a city, and sometimes as a town, and is the second largest urban area in Connacht...

 hurling team in January 2003, but resigned after harsh criticism in May of that year.

Teaching

Fitzmaurice has a degree in Quantum Mechanics

Quantum mechanics

Quantum mechanics, also known as quantum physics or quantum theory, is a branch of physics providing a mathematical description of much of the dual particle-like and wave-like behavior and interactions of energy and matter. It departs from classical mechanics primarily at the atomic and subatomic...

 from Trinity College Dublin , and currently teaches Honours Maths, Pass Maths, Junior Cert

Junior Certificate

The Junior Certificate is an educational qualification awarded in Ireland by the Department of Education to students who have successfully completed the junior cycle of secondary education, and achieved a minimum standard in their Junior Cert. examinations...

 Maths, Leaving Cert

Leaving Certificate

The Leaving Certificate Examinations , commonly referred to as the Leaving Cert is the final examination in the Irish secondary school system. It takes a minimum of two years preparation, but an optional Transition Year means that for those students it takes place three years after the Junior...

 Maths, Applied Maths and hurling at Castletroy College

Castletroy College

Castletroy College is a mixed community secondary school in Newtown, Castletroy, County Limerick, Ireland. It was founded in December 2000 and has over 100 rooms. It has over 1000 students.-Sport:...

 in Limerick. Before that, he served as Institute Chaplain at Limerick Institute of Technology

Limerick Institute of Technology

Limerick Institute of Technology is an institution of higher education in Limerick, Ireland and is one of 13 institutes that are members of the Institutes of Technology Ireland . The Institute has four campuses in Limerick City, one in both Thurles and Clonmel in County Tipperary and a regional...

. He also teaches maths.

Hurling Style

Paudie and his brother Willie

Willie Fitzmaurice

Willie Fitzmaurice was a Limerick hurler from Kileedy who featured in the Limerick teams in the 1970s and 1980sIn 1998, he became a county team selector along with former teammates Éamonn Cregan and David Punch and advocated the retention of the back-door system.He is currently the parish priest in...

 were noted for their unusual hurling technique. When striking the sliotar

Sliotar

A sliotar or sliothar is a hard solid sphere slightly larger than a tennis ball, consisting of a cork core covered by two pieces of leather stitched together. Sometimes called a "puck" or "hurling ball", it resembles an American baseball with more pronounced stitching...

, the Fitzmaurice brothers did not bend their elbows. This made it difficult for the players of opposing teams to hook them.