Born in Cahir, County Tipperary, Hickey first arrived on the inter-county scene at the age of twenty when he first linked up with the Tipperary under-21 team before later joining the junior side.
Born in Cahir, County Tipperary, Hickey first played competitive Gaelic football in his youth. He arrived on the inter-county scene at the age of twenty when he first linked up with the Tipperary under-21 team before later joining the junior side.