Keevans, Seamus
March 12, 2008
The Late Seamus Keevans
The GAA pages of this newspaper will be m missing a key contributor following the untimely passing of our great friend Seamus Keevans.
The Ballycullane man wrote with passion about Gaelic football, the sport he loved so well, for more than 40 years, and his contributions helped immeasurable in recording its ongoing development for future generations.
Indeed, if someone decides to sit down in the future and write the history of the game in Wexford, they will be forever indebted to Seamus Keevans for his strenuous efforts in ensuring publicity.
There is a touch of poignancy about this page, because it also features the last match report ever submitted by the genial retired Garda.
Eight days before his passing he was in Tomnahely to witness a Cullen Cup victory for Castletown, and the faxed copy duly arrived in the office on the following Friday.
Even though we now insist on submissions via e-mail, we always made an exception where Seamus was concerned. He hadn't quite mastered the latest advances in modern technology, preferring to outline his thoughts with the help of a well-worn typewriter before faxing them to the office.
However, we always made time at this end to ensure his work was published, because he obliged us on so many occasions in the past when we were looking for match reports.
I cannot recall Seamus uttering one cross word in many dealings with him which extended far beyond the realms of the newspaper industry.
I served as a county Juvenile football selector with him for two years, and when I was county P.R.O. there was regular Sunday evening contact as he was responsible for submitting the Wexford results to the national newspapers.
When he came on the telephone looking to talk for 'half a second', you knew that the conversation would stretch closer to half an hour if football was invariable on his mind.
Nobody did more to promote the game in the history of the G.A.A. in this county, and his devotion to the Jim Byrne Cup and various Under-10 competitions in particular marked him out as a truly special Gael.
However, some people had a blinkered view of Seamus and didn't realise the interest and involvement he had in all facts of the organisation.
Those attending his wake in Kinnagh will have scanned the striking photographs on the wall and got a better impression of his overall contribution to the G.A.A.
From his school days in St. Peter's College right up to his involvement as a mentor with various club and county teams, they went some way towards capturing the man and his lifelong devotion.
And it wasn't a one-dimensional involvement, as he won a county hurling medal while based in Kill, Co. Waterford, and was credited with starting camogie in the parish of Oylegate and training them to championship success in the early 1960s.
Mild-mannered, inoffensive and a thorough gentleman away from the playing fields, everyone knew Seamus could exhibit Jekyll and Hyde tendencies when it came to his assessment of referees! In fairness, he was probably better qualified than most to berate or praise the men in black after taking charge of seven county Senior football finals himself in the course of a lengthy career with the whistle.
To say that he had a glittering playing career is an understatement, and the danger is that something important will be left out when one tries to sum it all up.
He was a member of the last Wexford team to reach a Leinster Senior football final in 1956, and also played inter-county for Waterford, Sligo and Cavan in the championship and Cork in the leagues.
He won seven Senior county titles in all, with St. Munn's of his native Taghmon (1955 and 1957), Cavan Gaels (1965), Kill (1966,'67 and '68), and Gusserane (1975). His last final appearance was with the later as a 49-year-old goalkeeper in 1982 when his son, Micheál, was a team-mate at corner-back, while he also lined out with Ballymote in Sligo plus the Garda and O'Donovan Rossa (Skibbereen) clubs in Cork.
He took charge of numerous teams at all levels both during and after his playing days, notably Wexford football sides in every grade up to and including Senior.
'Mr Football' was a title richly deserved by the man who wrote under the pseudonym of 'Peileadóir for many years, with his sheer love of the game reflected in his musings. Indeed, there was never a bad game of football played as far as Seamus was concerned, and he always found something positive to say about the efforts of the onfield protagonists.
At the end of each week I have a look back over al of the submitted copy, most of which ends up in the bin.
However, its a little different on this occasion as the original version of the Cullen Cup report have been put aside for safe-keeping. It will serve as a reminder that 'People Newspaper' was truly blessed to have such a loyal contributor as Seamus who also submitted the Ballycullane notes on a weekly basis.
More importantly, it will keep the memory of a man I regarded as a great friend to the fore. Sleep easy dear Seamus - we'll never forgot you.
Ar ldheis Dé go raibh a anam
Alan Aherne
Tribute from London
Michael Sills, President/Chairman of the London Wexford Association, has passed on the sincere sympathy of all member to the Keevans family on their loss.
Seamus has close links with the city as it was the destination for the winners of the Jim Byrne Cup on an annual basis.
As a result he forged many close links with personnel across the water, and they had fond memories of his numerous trips to the city.
He always took great interest in the progress of the Fr. Murphy's club, and went out of his way to help them whenever he journeyed to London.
Courtesy of the Wexford People
12th March 2008
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