Browne lined out for Limerick in three different grades of hurling over a 12-year period. After making his first appearance for the minor team in June 2007, he later had an unsuccessful three-year stint with the under-21 team. Browne made his competitive debut for the senior team aged 19 in 2009. From his debut, he was ever-present as a midfielder and made a combined total of 91 National League and Championship appearances in a career that ended with his last game in 2018. During that time, Browne was vice-captain of the All-Ireland Championship-winning team in 2018. He also secured two Munster Championship medals and a National League Division 2 medal. Browne announced his retirement from inter-county hurling on 21 November 2019.[1]
Browne joined the Bruff club at a young age and played in all grades at juvenile and underage levels before joining the club's top adult team. On 25 October 2014, he won a Premier Intermediate Championship medal following a 2-14 to 0-16 defeat of Croom in the final.[citation needed]
Limerick
Minor and under-21
Browne first played for the Limerick minor hurling team at the age of seventeen. He made his only appearance in that grade on 23 June 2007 in a 3-21 to 0-12 Munster Championship defeat by Tipperary.[2]
On 5 June 2008, Browne made his first appearance for the Limerick under-21 hurling team, lining out at left corner-back in Limerick's 2-17 to 1-07 defeat of Waterford.[3] His three seasons in the under-21 grade ended with early championship defeats.[4][5]
Senior
On 8 February 2009, Browne made his senior debut at midfield in a 3-13 to 1-18 defeat of Clare in the National Hurling League.[6] Later that season he made his first championship appearance in a 1-08 to 0-11 draw with Waterford.[7]
On 30 April 2011, Browne won a National League Division 2 medal after a 4-12 to 2-13 defeat of Clare in the final.[8]
On 14 July 2013, Browne scored a point from midfield in Limerick's 0-24 to 0-15 defeat of Cork in the Munster final.[9]
Browne was named vice-captain of the Limerick senior team for the 2018 season. In June 2018, he sustained a cruciate knee injury which ruled him out for the rest of the season.[10] On 19 August 2018, Browne was a member of the extended panel when Limerick won their first All-Ireland title in 45 years after a 3-16 to 2-18 defeat of Galway in the final.[11] Prior to the game he was invited to line-up alongside the team for the pre-match photograph.[12]
In December 2018, Browne was included on the Limerick panel for the upcoming season.[13] His ongoing cruciate injury ruled him out of the National League.[14] On 30 June 2019, he won a second Munster Championship medal as a member of the extended panel after Limerick's 2-26 to 2-14 defeat of Tipperary in the final.[15] Browne announced his retirement from inter-county hurling on 21 November 2019.[16][17]
Munster
On 9 February 2014, Browne was a substitute on the Munster inter-provincial team that was defeated by Connacht in the semi-final of the Railway Cup.[18]