John Keane (hurler)
Encyclopedia
John Keane was an Irish
sportsperson. He played hurling
with his local club Mount Sion and with the Waterford
senior inter-county team in the 1930s and 1940s. He is regarded as one of the greatest players of all-time being voted on to the GAA Centenary and Millennium teams in the pivotal position of centre half-back.
Because he played with an unfashionable hurling county Keane’s great ability did not bring him all the medals he richly deserved but he remains a man apart in the affections of all who saw him play. His haul of seven Railway Cup medals (from nine appearances) places him on the same mark as his great rivals and friends Mick Mackey
and Jack Lynch
. His place as the greatest centre half-back in the history of the game was copper-fastened when he was chosen in that position on the GAA Hurling Team of the Century
and the GAA Hurling Team of the Millennium
.
in 1917. He was born into a family that was steeped in the traditions of Gaelic
Ireland and his childhood years were spent among like-minded neighbours in the city’s Barrack Street. Keane was educated at Mount Sion School, a great hurling
nursery and a cradle of all things Gaelic and nationalist
. It was here that he first played hurling and he quickly joined the club associated with the school.
colours when, on Sunday May 15, 1932, he played at centre field as the Waterford minor hurlers defeated Cork in the Munster championship. He was only fifteen years-old. The year 1934 marked Keane’s first emergence on to the national stage when, although still a minor, he starred at full-back as the Waterford junior hurling team won the All-Ireland
title for only the second time ever. He made such an impression that the selectors called him up as a corner-back to the senior team on 10 February 1935 in a National League game versus Cork and so, at seventeen years of age, Keane was started on his memorable career. Keane’s name became a household word throughout the nation when, in 1937, against the mighty Limerick
team that beat Waterford in the Munster championship by two points, 3-4 to 3-2, he gave an outstanding individual performance in holding scoreless the great Mick Mackey
. The Waterford News of July 9, 1937 reported - A feature of the game was the manner in which John Keane suppressed Mick Mackey.
Keane’s first Railway Cup honour came his way that same year and, in all, he lined out nine times for Munster, winning eight medals. The following year, 1938, saw him collect his first Munster
title as Waterford defeated Clare
in the provincial final. Waterford later lined out in the All-Ireland final with Keane, at 21 years of age and playing in his stockinged feet, starring at centre-half back as his side were beaten by Dublin
. In spite of playing in defence Keane was the side's top scorer with four points of Waterford’s total. The 1940s saw Waterford play second fiddle in Munster as Limerick, Cork and Tipperary
all won All-Ireland titles. All this changed in 1948 as Keane’s side powered their way through Munster, hammered Galway
and, finally, overwhelmed Dublin’s “greyhounds” on a score of 6-7 to 4-2. Keane was the engineer and master architect of that victory. Playing at centre forward he scored three goals and two points and made most of the other scores. His performance was that of a master craftsman who had learned all that there was to know about hurling and who, now, was giving a master-class in centre-forward play.
Keane retired from inter-county hurling in 1951.
and Munster honours but Waterford fell to Kilkenny in an exciting All-Ireland final.
In his final years Keane, who smoked cigarettes through most of his life, suffered from ill health. A heart condition and circulation problems reduced the mobility of one of Ireland’s greatest-ever hurlers. Shortly before his death Keane embarked on a tour of the country to visit many of his former hurling opponents. He travelled to Kilkenny
to visit Jim Langton
, before later travelling to Kinsale
where he called on Jack Barrett. After visiting Jackie Power
in Tralee Keane was travelling to Limerick
when he died on the side of the road on 1 October 1975.
Keane was posthumously honoured by being named on the GAA Hurling Team of the Century
in 1984 and the GAA Hurling Team of the Millennium
in 2000. He was picked for the centre-back position on both teams, marking him out as the greatest number six in the history of the game.
The above anthem has been sung by Mount Sion hurlers, in victory or defeat, since it was first composed in the 1930s by Bro. A. S. Malone, one of the founders of the club. Composed originally as a rallying song for a team of young schoolboys it has now become the club anthem - the Mount Sion song.
Although John Keane was not a member of the young team commemorated in the song, he ranks with the all-time greats of hurling. He is to Mount Sion and Waterford what Mick Mackey
is to Ahane
and Limerick
, Christy Ring
to Glen Rovers
and Cork, Lory Meagher
to Tullaroan
and Kilkenny
. He is of that company, his place in hurling lore assured for all time. He remains, for us all, a man apart; a man who was, in his character, his personality, his sportsmanship, his physique, his sheer artistry as a hurler and his enduring loyalty to the game he graced for so long, the very epitome of Mount Sion’s hurling spirit.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
sportsperson. He played hurling
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...
with his local club Mount Sion and with the Waterford
Waterford GAA
The Waterford County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Waterford GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for all levels of Gaelic games in County Waterford. The County Board is also responsible for the Waterford inter-county teams. The county...
senior inter-county team in the 1930s and 1940s. He is regarded as one of the greatest players of all-time being voted on to the GAA Centenary and Millennium teams in the pivotal position of centre half-back.
Because he played with an unfashionable hurling county Keane’s great ability did not bring him all the medals he richly deserved but he remains a man apart in the affections of all who saw him play. His haul of seven Railway Cup medals (from nine appearances) places him on the same mark as his great rivals and friends Mick Mackey
Mick Mackey
Michael ‘Mick’ Mackey was a famous Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with the famous Ahane club from 1930 until 1948 and was a member of the Limerick senior inter-county team from 1930 until 1947. Mackey is widely regarded as one of the greatest hurlers in the history of the game...
and Jack Lynch
Jack Lynch
John Mary "Jack" Lynch was the Taoiseach of Ireland, serving two terms in office; from 1966 to 1973 and 1977 to 1979....
. His place as the greatest centre half-back in the history of the game was copper-fastened when he was chosen in that position on the GAA Hurling Team of the Century
GAA Hurling Team of the Century
The Hurling Team of the Century was chosen as part of the Gaelic Athletic Association's centenary year celebrations in 1984 to comprise, as a fifteen-member side divided as one goalkeeper, three half-backs, two midfielders, three half-forwardss and three full-forwards, the best hurling players of...
and the GAA Hurling Team of the Millennium
GAA Hurling Team of the Millennium
The GAA Hurling Team of the Millennium was announced by GAA President Seán McCague at a special dinner at Croke Park on 24 July 2000. The initiative was sponsored by An Post who issued special commemorative stamps of the Millennium team members. The team was chosen to comprise, as a...
.
Early life
John Keane was born in WaterfordWaterford
Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...
in 1917. He was born into a family that was steeped in the traditions of Gaelic
Gaels
The Gaels or Goidels are speakers of one of the Goidelic Celtic languages: Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and Manx. Goidelic speech originated in Ireland and subsequently spread to western and northern Scotland and the Isle of Man....
Ireland and his childhood years were spent among like-minded neighbours in the city’s Barrack Street. Keane was educated at Mount Sion School, a great hurling
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...
nursery and a cradle of all things Gaelic and nationalist
Irish nationalism
Irish nationalism manifests itself in political and social movements and in sentiment inspired by a love for Irish culture, language and history, and as a sense of pride in Ireland and in the Irish people...
. It was here that he first played hurling and he quickly joined the club associated with the school.
Club
Keane played his club hurling with the famous Mount Sion club in Waterford city and enjoyed much success. He won his first senior county title in 1938, the first senior title won by Mount Sion. Keane captained the club to further county titles in 1939, 1940, 1943, 1945, 1948, 1949 and 1950.Inter-county
Keane first wore the WaterfordWaterford GAA
The Waterford County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Waterford GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for all levels of Gaelic games in County Waterford. The County Board is also responsible for the Waterford inter-county teams. The county...
colours when, on Sunday May 15, 1932, he played at centre field as the Waterford minor hurlers defeated Cork in the Munster championship. He was only fifteen years-old. The year 1934 marked Keane’s first emergence on to the national stage when, although still a minor, he starred at full-back as the Waterford junior hurling team won the All-Ireland
All-Ireland Junior Hurling Championship
The All-Ireland Junior Hurling Championship was a hurling competition organized by the Gaelic Athletic Association in Ireland. The competition was originally contested by the second teams of the strong counties, and the first teams of the weaker counties...
title for only the second time ever. He made such an impression that the selectors called him up as a corner-back to the senior team on 10 February 1935 in a National League game versus Cork and so, at seventeen years of age, Keane was started on his memorable career. Keane’s name became a household word throughout the nation when, in 1937, against the mighty Limerick
Limerick GAA
The Limerick County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Limerick GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Limerick...
team that beat Waterford in the Munster championship by two points, 3-4 to 3-2, he gave an outstanding individual performance in holding scoreless the great Mick Mackey
Mick Mackey
Michael ‘Mick’ Mackey was a famous Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with the famous Ahane club from 1930 until 1948 and was a member of the Limerick senior inter-county team from 1930 until 1947. Mackey is widely regarded as one of the greatest hurlers in the history of the game...
. The Waterford News of July 9, 1937 reported - A feature of the game was the manner in which John Keane suppressed Mick Mackey.
Keane’s first Railway Cup honour came his way that same year and, in all, he lined out nine times for Munster, winning eight medals. The following year, 1938, saw him collect his first Munster
Munster Senior Hurling Championship
The Munster GAA Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1888 for the top hurling teams in the province of Munster in Ireland....
title as Waterford defeated Clare
Clare GAA
The Clare County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Clare GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Clare. The county board is also responsible for the Clare inter-county teams....
in the provincial final. Waterford later lined out in the All-Ireland final with Keane, at 21 years of age and playing in his stockinged feet, starring at centre-half back as his side were beaten by Dublin
Dublin GAA
Dublin County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or Dublin GAA, is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Dublin. The county board is also responsible for the Dublin inter-county teams...
. In spite of playing in defence Keane was the side's top scorer with four points of Waterford’s total. The 1940s saw Waterford play second fiddle in Munster as Limerick, Cork and Tipperary
Tipperary GAA
The Tipperary County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or C is one of over 30 regional executive boards throughout the world. These executive boards are known as County Boards even though some no longer correspond to the area under the jurisdiction of the counties from which their names...
all won All-Ireland titles. All this changed in 1948 as Keane’s side powered their way through Munster, hammered Galway
Galway GAA
The Galway County Boards of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Galway GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Galway. The county boards are also responsible for the Galway inter-county teams.Unlike all other counties in Ireland,...
and, finally, overwhelmed Dublin’s “greyhounds” on a score of 6-7 to 4-2. Keane was the engineer and master architect of that victory. Playing at centre forward he scored three goals and two points and made most of the other scores. His performance was that of a master craftsman who had learned all that there was to know about hurling and who, now, was giving a master-class in centre-forward play.
Keane retired from inter-county hurling in 1951.
Post-playing career
In retirement from playing Keane became heavily involved in training teams. He trained his own Mount Sion club to many county victories in the 1950s and 1960s. However, it was as the trainer of the Waterford senior hurling team that he enjoyed an unprecedented run of success. Keane’s side won the Munster title in 1957 but Waterford later lost the All-Ireland final to Kilkenny. After losing the Munster final in 1958 Keane’s side bounced back in 1959 to win another Munster medal. That year the Decies faced Kilkenny in the All-Ireland final once again and, after a drawn game, Waterford overwhelmed Kilkenny in the replay to claim a second-ever All-Ireland title. Four years later Keane guided Waterford to National Hurling LeagueNational Hurling League
The National Hurling League is an annual hurling competition between the county teams of Ireland. Contested by 35 teams , it operates on a system of promotion and relegation between four different divisions, with Division One...
and Munster honours but Waterford fell to Kilkenny in an exciting All-Ireland final.
In his final years Keane, who smoked cigarettes through most of his life, suffered from ill health. A heart condition and circulation problems reduced the mobility of one of Ireland’s greatest-ever hurlers. Shortly before his death Keane embarked on a tour of the country to visit many of his former hurling opponents. He travelled to Kilkenny
Kilkenny
Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...
to visit Jim Langton
Jim Langton
Jim Langton was an Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Éire Óg and with the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 1939 until 1954. Langton's inclusion on the GAA Hurling Team of the Millennium mark him out as one of the greatest players of all-time.-Club:Langton played his...
, before later travelling to Kinsale
Kinsale
Kinsale is a town in County Cork, Ireland. Located some 25 km south of Cork City on the coast near the Old Head of Kinsale, it sits at the mouth of the River Bandon and has a population of 2,257 which increases substantially during the summer months when the tourist season is at its peak and...
where he called on Jack Barrett. After visiting Jackie Power
Jackie Power
Jackie Power was an Irish sportsperson. A renowned dual player, he played both hurling and Gaelic football with his local club Ahane and with the Limerick senior inter-county teams in both codes from 1935 until 1949. He later played with the Kerry senior hurling team.-Early life:Jackie Power was...
in Tralee Keane was travelling to 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...
when he died on the side of the road on 1 October 1975.
Keane was posthumously honoured by being named on the GAA Hurling Team of the Century
GAA Hurling Team of the Century
The Hurling Team of the Century was chosen as part of the Gaelic Athletic Association's centenary year celebrations in 1984 to comprise, as a fifteen-member side divided as one goalkeeper, three half-backs, two midfielders, three half-forwardss and three full-forwards, the best hurling players of...
in 1984 and the GAA Hurling Team of the Millennium
GAA Hurling Team of the Millennium
The GAA Hurling Team of the Millennium was announced by GAA President Seán McCague at a special dinner at Croke Park on 24 July 2000. The initiative was sponsored by An Post who issued special commemorative stamps of the Millennium team members. The team was chosen to comprise, as a...
in 2000. He was picked for the centre-back position on both teams, marking him out as the greatest number six in the history of the game.
Mount Sion anthem
The following is an appreciation of John Keane:- You’ve heard of Seán Óg’s Rockies
- Kilkenny’s Tullaroan,
- You’ve heard of Limerick’s Éire Óg
- And of Waterford’s Erins Own
- They all can wield the ash, boys,
- But come on, come with us join,
- For the best of all, both big and small
- Are the hurlers of Mount Sion
The above anthem has been sung by Mount Sion hurlers, in victory or defeat, since it was first composed in the 1930s by Bro. A. S. Malone, one of the founders of the club. Composed originally as a rallying song for a team of young schoolboys it has now become the club anthem - the Mount Sion song.
Although John Keane was not a member of the young team commemorated in the song, he ranks with the all-time greats of hurling. He is to Mount Sion and Waterford what Mick Mackey
Mick Mackey
Michael ‘Mick’ Mackey was a famous Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with the famous Ahane club from 1930 until 1948 and was a member of the Limerick senior inter-county team from 1930 until 1947. Mackey is widely regarded as one of the greatest hurlers in the history of the game...
is to Ahane
Ahane GAA
Ahane GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the Ahane, Castleconnell and Montpelier areas of east County Limerick, Republic of Ireland. The club fields teams in both hurling and football and historically is regarded as one of the great clubs of Limerick. Ahane's greatest players...
and Limerick
Limerick GAA
The Limerick County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Limerick GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Limerick...
, Christy Ring
Christy Ring
Nicholas Christopher Michael Ring , better known as Christy Ring, was a famous Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with the Glen Rovers club from 1941 until 1967 and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1939 until 1963. Ring is widely regarded as one of the greatest hurlers in...
to Glen Rovers
Glen Rovers GAA
Glen Rovers is a Cork-based Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the Ballyvolane and Blackpool areas of Cork city, Ireland. The club was founded in 1916 and is primarily concerned with the game of hurling.-Colours:...
and Cork, Lory Meagher
Lory Meagher
Lorenzo Ignatius Meagher , better known as Lory Meagher, was a famous Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Tullaroan and was a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 1924 until 1937...
to Tullaroan
Tullaroan GAA
Tullaroan is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the village of Tullaroan in County Kilkenny, Ireland. The club was founded in 1884 and is primarily concerned with the game of hurling. Tullaroan is the most successful club in the history of the Kilkenny Senior Hurling...
and Kilkenny
Kilkenny GAA
The Kilkenny County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland and is responsible for Gaelic Games in County Kilkenny. The county board has its head office and main grounds at Nowlan Park and is also responsible for Kilkenny inter-county teams...
. He is of that company, his place in hurling lore assured for all time. He remains, for us all, a man apart; a man who was, in his character, his personality, his sportsmanship, his physique, his sheer artistry as a hurler and his enduring loyalty to the game he graced for so long, the very epitome of Mount Sion’s hurling spirit.