Tragic passing of Tommy Keane stuns local soccer community

Date Published: 03-Jan-2013

 THE late Tommy Keane, who died suddenly last Friday, was widely regarded as one of the most gifted schoolboy soccer players ever to come out of Galway and has been regarded as a local legend ever since his starring role in Galway United’s FAI Cup success in 1991.

Keane, a native of Corrib Park, was the youngest member of the United team who captured the FAI Cup for the first and only time that May afternoon, and walked away with the Man of the Match award following the 1-0 victory over Shamrock Rovers at Lansdowne Road.

The sides were deadlocked with 86 minutes on the clock when the speedy winger whipped in a superb ball from the right for club captain and fellow Galway native Johnny Glynn to force home the game’s only goal, to spark off wild celebrations among the 7,000 or so fans who had travelled from the West for the final.

It was a fitting end to a wonderful campaign for Keane, who had scored in each of the earlier rounds against Shelbourne, Limerick, and St James’ Gate on the way to the final. Then United manager Joey Malone went on to describe Tommy as “probably the greatest player I ever worked with” after the breakup of that team.

Keane was seen as a special talent during his formative years with Corrib Rangers and West United, before current Queens Park Rangers boss Harry Redknapp – then in charge of Bournemouth FC – came to Galway to sign him as a teenager.

Eamon Howley of West United recalled that a special U-15 friendly was organised to allow Redknapp to check out the gifted youngster in the mid-1980s. Redknapp was hugely impressed by Keane’s talent and signed him on the spot.

Keane spent a few seasons with Bournemouth, before moving to Colchester United, but returned home to enjoy three fine campaigns with Galway United before spells at Sligo Rovers, Finn Harps, and Athlone Town.

He was a shy youngster, who let his football do the talking, but revelled in the atmosphere of a Galway United dressing-room which featured such talented locals as Eamon ‘Chick’ Deacy, one of his boyhood heroes, Noel Mernagh, Peter Carpenter, and Stephen Lally.

Derek ‘Buck’ Rodgers, who later won an FAI Cup medal with Keane in 1991, recalled this week that he was shocked to discover this relatively unknown youngster from Galway when they were both selected to play for the Republic of Ireland U-18 team against England in 1986.

“None of us knew anything about Tommy, but I will never forget when he turned up for the international in this bright Hawaiian-style t-shirt, while the rest of us were in tracksuits,” said Rodgers.

“There was pressure on the management to play him because he was with an English club and he hardly spoke a word for the two days.

“Tommy was a free spirit both on and off the pitch. He had the kind of talent which just could not be coached. He needed very little coaching and he could get goals out of nothing. He didn’t like training at the best of times, all he wanted was the big match days and the ‘craic’ with the lads.

“What an addition he was to that United side. He scored in every round of the 1991 FAI Cup up to the final. For two weeks up to the final, we kept practicing the same move in training with Assistant Manager Adrian Walsh. Tommy would cross the ball in from the right and it was the move which led to the winning goal. He was a thorn in the side of so many teams we came up against and he had unbelievable pace over 15 yards.”

Rodgers said United’s tactic at one stage was simply to “give the ball to Tommy”, because his form was so good, just as Manchester United play so much through the in-form Robin Van Persie this season. Tommy scored 26 goals during his three seasons with United, but rarely if ever spoke out in the dressing-room.

Before the Removal on New Year’s Day, one fan who is now in his 30s recalled that “in our house, Keane was like Diego Maradonna” while he was growing up. He was seen as the most gifted of a golden generation of Galway soccer players, many of whom enjoyed later successes with bigger clubs.

President Michael D. Higgins, the former President of Galway United FC, was among the large congregation at the Funeral Mass at the Sacred Heart Church, Seamus Quirke Road, on Wednesday; after the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) led tributes to Keane over the weekend.

Tommy had taken part in an indoor football tournament in memory of former player Noel Crowley at the OLBC Centre on Sea Road before he collapsed while making his way home to Ard an Choiste on the Headford Road.

He is survived by his partner, Paula O’Flaherty, son Tommy, parents Tommy Snr and Patricia, brothers Padraig, Mark, Derek, and Gerard, sister Philomena, aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews and nieces, and a wide circle of friends.

For more about Tommy Keane see this week’s Tribune