John Keane (hurler)

Infobox GAA player
code= Hurling
sport = Hurling

|thumb
name = John Keane
irish = Seán Ó Catháin
fullname = John Keane
placeofbirth = Waterford
country of birth = Ireland
bday=18
bmonth=2
byear= 1917
dyear=1975
dday=1
dmonth=10
height =
nickname =
county = Waterford
province = Munster
club = Mount Sion
clposition = Half-back
clubs =
clyears =
clapps(points) =
clcounty =
clprovince=
clallireland =
counties = Waterford
icposition = Centre-back
icyears = 1934-1951
icapps(points) =
icprovince = 2
icallireland = 1
allstars =
clupdate =
icupdate =

John Keane (18 February 1917 - 1 October 1975) 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.fact|date=April 2008

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.

Early life

John Keane was born in Waterford 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. A report in the "Waterford News" of 2/3/1935 on the Harty Cup game that Mount Sion won on a score of 11-6 to Newcastlewest's 0-2 said that "Outstanding for Sion were Phelan, Keane, Baston and Fleming."

Playing career

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 and, incidentally, it was the first senior title won by Mount Sion. Keane captained the club to further county titles in 1939, 1940, 1943, 1945, 1948 and 1949. He won his final county medals in the early 1950s as Mount Sion completed an unprecedented run of success culminating in nine successive county victories.

Inter-county

Keane first wore the Waterford 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 scored 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.

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 League 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.

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 1930’s 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.

Teams

ee also

* List of people on stamps of Ireland

External links

* [http://members.tripod.com/waterfordhistory/john_keane_-_millenium_hurler.htm John Keane tribute site]