John Keane (hurler)
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John Keane 18 February 1917 - 1 October 1975 was a hurling player born in Waterford.
In his career with Mount Sion, Waterford and Munster John Keane electrified all of Ireland with his magnificent hurling skills, his courage and manly behaviour. Because he played with an unfashionable county his 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 (inter-provincial championship) 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 Team of the Century and the Team of the Millennium. He died on 1 October 1975.
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[edit] 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, me 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 was waiting in the wings, as it were, and very shortly afterwards he burst on the scene as one of the stars of the Waterford Minor hurling team – he was still only fifteen. It would appear that his future career in hurling was already mapped out, but hurling has seen many false dawns. Not so with Keane. From the very beginning many knowledgeable hurling people suspected that here was one of the greatest in the making. Those people were not mistaken for John Keane showed, in a glorious career that lasted sixteen years that he stood at the very top of the hurling legends.
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.
[edit] Early days
Growing up in Ireland in the 1930s one had few opportunities to break out of life on the streets. We could not aspire to be great politicians, doctors, lawyers etc. but we could all dream of being great hurlers and thereby gain the adulation of people like ourselves. John Keane was THE HERO and he remained so all through his illustrious career and on through his retirement.
In the 1930s and on through the 1940s, John Keane of Mount Sion and Waterford was a hero to every boy who held a hurley and who dreamed of hurling glory for his team and county. He was our Hercules and Cuchulainn rolled into one. With his magnificent physique, his electrifying presence on the field of play, his graciousness towards opponents and his manly behaviour, he was the Corinthian ideal made flesh. As he walked the streets of Waterford he usually had a posse of young boys following him at a respectful distance, too much in awe of the great man to approach him. If only they had known!
Donal Foley wrote of him, in the Irish Times – whenever hurling connoisseurs meet, his name is mentioned in the same breath as men such as Mick Mackey, Lory Meagher or Christy Ring, for John Keane was of that great mould of powerful athlete. Indeed, for nearly twenty years the most reassuring sight in the Waterford team for supporters was that of John Keane’s towering figure at centre half back and later at centre forward. He was a big handsome man, enormously skillful, fearless, fast and scrupulously fair. John always played the ball and what a joy it was to see him jump into the air and bring the ball down to his hand. His clearances of the ball were always lengthy and well placed, never haphazard.
John came from a family steeped in the tradition of Gaelic Ireland. His childhood years were spent among like-minded neighbours in the city’s Barrack Street and when it became time to attend school he was enrolled in Mount Sion, that cradle of all things Gaelic and Nationalist. He played hurling, of course and he took to the game as a duck takes to water.
John first wore the Waterford colours when, on Sunday May 15, 1932 he played at centre field as Waterford defeated Cork in the Munster minor championship. He was only 15 years old.
[edit] National prominence
The year 1934, marked our hero’s first emergence on to the national stage when, although still a minor, he starred at full-back as Waterford won the All-Ireland junior hurling title for only the second time. He made such an impression that the selectors called him up as a corner back to the senior team later in the same year and so, at seventeen years of age, John was started on his memorable career.
He was still a schoolboy at this time, and 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 Newcastle West's 0-2 said that Outstanding for Sion were Phelan, Keane, Baston and Fleming. Keane and Fleming (still happily with us) – became legends of the game in Waterford and nationwide and both were to go on to become All Ireland senior medal winners with Waterford in 1948.
John'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.
Again, Green Flag, writing in the Irish Press of the following day, July 5, 1937 - The hero of the day was John Keane, the Waterford centre half-back who was the inspiration of his side and the master of the redoubtable Mick Mackey right through the hour. On the following day Green Flag again referred to the game and wrote of John - The fair-haired Mount Sion youth, John Keane, whom I admired a couple of years ago as a minor, was the spanner in the Shannonside scoring machine - he was like a man on springs - nimble and fast.
All those who saw his display that day will, surely, never forget the titanic struggle between the master and the young, 20 year old giant. That day we saw the full blossoming of a great centre half back, whose skill and daring and incomparable sportsmanship were to fire the blood and grip the imagination of all Ireland. To quote the old cliché, Waterford brought a boy to Clonmel - they brought back a star.
His 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 Waterford in the All-Ireland final with John, at 21 years of age and playing in his stockinged feet, starring at centre-half back as Waterford were beaten by Dublin, 2-5 to 1-6. John scored four points of Waterford’s total.
After Limerick won the All-Ireland title in 1940, their first game in the National League was against Waterford in the Sportsfield, Waterford. The Waterford News columnist, wrote in his preview of the game - It should be a great game and well worth going to see, if only for the clashes between the Limerick half-forwards and the Waterford half-back line. Mick Mackey will be 'all-out' to best the unconquerable Keane, but on current form John is more than able to hold his own with all-comers.
In the 1940s a brilliant Cork team won an historic four titles in a row, Tipperary won in 1945, Cork again were the winners in 1946 and Kilkenny won in 1947.
[edit] Master hurler
The year 1948 was, for Waterford, the greatest up until then and the frustrating years when Waterford might have won it all, but didn’t, were all forgotten as they powered their way through Munster, hammered Galway and, finally, overwhelmed Dublin’s “greyhounds” on a score of 6-7 to 4-2. John was the engineer and master architect of that victory.
Playing at centre forward he scored two 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 on centre forward play. John retired from playing inter-county hurling in 1951 but he remained on to play for and train and coach his club, Mount Sion, to further glory.
In the next few years the Mount Sion forward line was referred to as John Keane's scoring machine. John was the trainer when Waterford won the All-Ireland title in 1959 and so he joined that very select band of men who have won All-Ireland titles as a player and as a trainer.
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GAA Hurling Team of the Millennium (2000) | |
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1 Tony Reddin | 2 John Doyle | 3 Nick O'Donnell | 4 Bobby Rackard | 5 Paddy Phelan | 6 John Keane | 7 Brian Whelahan | 8 Lory Meagher | 9 Jack Lynch | 10 Christy Ring | 11 Mick Mackey | 12 Jim Langton | 13 Eddie Keher | 14 Ray Cummins | 15 Jimmy Doyle | |
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[edit] See also
Webpage http://members.tripod.com/waterfordhistory/john_keane_-_millenium_hurler.htm
