Michael Roche (8 October 1943 – 7 December 2016) was an Irish hurler whose league and championship career with the Tipperary senior team spanned twelve seasons from 1963 to 1974. He is regarded as one of the greatest centre-backs of all time, in spite of spending much of playing career in his favoured position of midfield. After being chosen at midfield on the Munster inter-provincial team in 1965, Roche was an automatic choice on the starting fifteen for much of his playing career. He won a total of three Railway Cup medals.