Keegan, Pete
April 06, 2006
The late Pete Keegan
Almost a month on from the sudden death of Pete Keegan, Avonmore, Blackwatertown, I still find it hard to accept and fully comprehend that someone who was so full of life and vitality has passed away to his eternal rest. A truly wonderful person, Pete was a larger than life figure who touched the hearts of many people.
It was a good friend of mine, Marty Campbell, who called me on the morning of Saturday the 11th March to break the news about Pete's sudden departure from this world. We were shocked and deeply saddened that a person whom we had known for many years and held in very high esteem had some without so much as a farewell. As we spoke over the phone, our thoughts also turned to the Keegan family and the terrible pain and suffering that they must have been experiencing. Unfortunately, this was not the first time that their lives had been turned upsidedown by a tragic bereavement.
I first got to know Pete Keegan a short time after I moved to the An Port Mor area back in the late 1980s. It was through our shared interest in Gaelic games that our paths eventually crossed and, up until his recent passing, we had forged a healthy friendship.
On becoming involved with An Port Mor GFC in the early 1990s, I was aware that Pete was highly respected GAA figure in his community and had managed their local senior team for some years previous. As I got to know him better, it soon became clear to me that he was indeed a genuine Gael and a fountain of footballing knowledge. He was hugely passionate about the GAA in general and, everytime we met, football was always discussed.
Even though our county allegiances differed - Pete being a lifelong Armagh follower and myself an avid Tyrone fan - there was never any danger of a serious argument developing between us. For, Pete was first and foremost a GAA follower who appreciated all that was good about Gaelic games. He loved the bit of banter, of course, which often developed as a result of the Armagh-Tyrone rivalry and, living right on the border of these two counties, Pete was more than fit to hold his own when it came to the bragging rights. Many of his closest family members and friends were Tyrone supporters, including his own wife Eileen, and the Keegan house was often decked out in the colours of both counties when the two teams went head to head in big matches.
Whatever about the local rivalries that existed around his home village, Pete was always rational in his discussions about his football and talked more about the positive rather than the negative aspects of the sport. He was extremely knowledgeable about the game and took a tremendous interest in teams and players at club, county and schools' levels. It was a pleasure conversing with Pete about football because here was someone who travelled all over the country to attend matches, studied the games carefully and had his own opinions on what took place on the field of play. He had also played the game himself and his astute thinking and knowledge of the sport meant he was always going to be a man in big demand when it came to coaching and managing various club sides.
A native of Ballyhegan, Pete was determined to remain actively involved in the game when his playing career came to an end. He would go on to coach senior footballers from a number of different clubs, including An Port Mor, Grange, Moy and Annaghmore. Each of those teams made significant progress under his tutelage, although it was during his time in charge of Grange St Colmcille's that he enjoyed arguably his greatest achievement, leading them to Intermediate Championship glory in 1993. Up until his sudden passing, he had been at the helm in Annaghmore.
He joined the management team of Annaghmore in 2005 and had steered them to their highest league position for many years. Players and officials from all of the clubs he had managed in recent years were well represented at Pete's funeral, while representatives of Annaghmore GFC and Moy GFC both formed a guard of honour.
I can still vividly recall my first visit to the Keegan house in Avonmore. It was at Pete's request that I called to look over his amazing collection of GAA match programmes, videos, magazines, jerseys and other memorabilia. Although an Armagh fanatic, Pete was not solely interested in GAA material relating to the Orchard County. He had books and information filed away on very county in Ireland and took special pride in the fact that he had booklets to commemorate unique events in the GAA history, such as the 1947 Cavan v Kerry All-Ireland final in New York, and Down's first All-Ireland SFC triumph back in 1960. I don't know how long I spent that say sifting through his impressive compilation but it wasn't long enough!
I can remember leaving his house on that occasion mesmerised by the volume and quality of GAA material that Pete had collected over a period of many, many years. A huge amount of time, patience and expense had to be required to put such a collection together. It had been my first visit to the Keegan home but was certainly not my last.
From this day on, Pete would often ask me to pass on to him spare programmes from places like Cork and Kerry, that went towards his growing collection. In fact, just recently, I had been in the process of clearing out my own collection of GAA books and magazines to give to Pete. My very last conversation with him was just a few weeks ago when I said that my clear-out was almost complete and that I would be dropping of a large box to his house very soon. Regrettably, I never got the chance.
Although best known for his close associations with the GAA, Pete also took part in a number of other outdoor activities. He played soccer for Benburb side Riverdale FC and was also a member of a local shooting club in his time. Many hours were spent by Pete around the lough, firing at ducks and pheasants, and one of his comrades in the shooting club also recalls a time when the popular Avonmore resident once famously shot a brown cow.
Pete also took a lot of pride in his home and it was a common sight driving down An Port's Mor's Main Street to see him engaging in a number of odd jobs outside his house. However, painting the fence or cutting the grass would often take longer than expected due to the number of times Pete was forced to down his tools and discuss the latest football match with some of his neighbours!
As well as being a great football man, Pete Keegan will also be fondly remembered as a family man. He dearly loved those who were closest to him, especially his wife Eileen, son Mark, daughters Cathy, Jane and the late Orla (RIP). Pete also held great affection for his extended family, including daughter-in-law Claira and grand-daughters Lauren and Chloe. His loss has also been keenly felt by his sisters Bridget and Mary, brother Pat and wider family circle. As was evidenced by the large numbers who attended his funeral. Pete had no shortage of friends who held him in very high regard. Family members, including nephews and nieces who said prayers at his Requiem Mass, spoke of how they will miss Pete's sense of humour, good company and loving friendship.
Twelve years ago, the Keegans were dealt a massive blow with the sudden death of Orla. She was a bright and caring young daughter of Pete and Eileen and a fun-loving sister to Mark, Cathy and Jane. I found it hard then to put into words the effect Orla's loss had on the Keegan family and the community as a while. However, one thing that clearly struck me as time moved on was the remarkable dignity and courage shown by Pete and his family as they dealt with that shattering event. As hard as it must have been for them to cope with the loss of such a young and much-loved family member, their strong faith in God and the Church, not to mention the support of a caring circle of family and friends, helped the Keegans move on in life.
There can be no doubt that Pete's passing has dealt a further blow to the surviving members of his household. However, the Keegans have already shown themselves to be a strong and tightly knit family who can overcome adversity. A midst all their grieving, they can take comfort from the fact that two of their beloved family members have finally been recruited in heaven. Pete and Orla are no longer separated. The father and daughter, who shared many happy years together on this earth, are now together in a better place.
Heartfelt sympathy is extended to all of Pete's family at this time. May his kind and gentle soul rest in peace. Mary, Queen of the Gael, pray for him.
Courtesy of the Armagh Observer
06 April 2006
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