Kieran McKeever

Kieran McKeever (born 12 March 1968) is a former dual player of Gaelic games who played Gaelic football and hurling for Derry during the late 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s. He is chiefly known as a footballer and was part of Derry's 1993 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship winning side, also won Ulster Senior Football Championships in 1993 and 1998. With Derry footballers he usually played at corner-back and is regarded as one of the best defenders[1] and tightest markers to have played the game.[2]

Kieran McKeever
Personal information
Irish name Ciarán Mac Íomhair
Sport Dual player
Football Position: Right Corner Back
Hurling Position: Half forward
Born (1968-03-12) 12 March 1968
County Londonderry, Northern Ireland
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Occupation Joiner
Club(s)
Years Club
 Dungiven
Kevin Lynch's
Club titles
  Football Hurling
Derry titles 3 5/6/7/8?
Ulster titles 1 -
Inter-county(ies)
Years County
1988–2001
 Derry
Inter-county titles
  Football Hurling
Ulster Titles 2 2
All-Ireland Titles 1 -
League titles 4 -
All-Stars 1 -

In 2000 McKeever became the first Ulster player to be nominated for All Stars in both football and hurling in the same season.[3] He won the football All Star,[4] but narrowly missed out on the hurling accolade.[5] Had he have won the double All Star, he would have become only the second player ever after Cork legend Ray Cummins to win both awards in the same year.[3]

He has won Irish News Ulster All-Star awards and was named right-corner back on the Irish News Team of the Decade in 2004.[6] The public voted him onto the All-Time Derry Football Team via an online poll in 2007.[7] McKeever played club football with St. Canice's GAC Dungiven and club hurling with Kevin Lynchs.

Early life

Kieran McKeever was born into a footballing household. His father Thomas was a Derry minor panelist in the mid 1960s[8] and his brothers Emmet and Cathal have both represented Derry and New York at hurling and football. In 2008 Cathal transferred to Tyrone side Carrickmore.[9]

His abilities as a dual player were nurtured at St Patrick’s Secondary School by former Derry footballers Seán O'Connell, Fintan McCloskey and Francie Brolly and Kilkenny born hurling coach Liam Hinphey.[8] He also excelled at athletics at school, particularly the high jump.

Football career

Inter-county

He captained quite a few successful underage teams including the Derry minor side that were runners up to Down in the Ulster Championship team in 1986. He played the game at Right half back, despite having a fractured arm.[8]

McKeever made his Derry senior debut in February 1988 against Monaghan in the Dr McKenna Cup at Greenlough.[8] McKeever was Right Corner Back on Derry's 1993 All-Ireland winning team, which beat Cork in the final. McKeever also won an Ulster Championship medal that year and won a second in 1998, where he captained the team.

He won four National Football League medals with Derry in 1992, 1995, 1996, 2000. He was corner back on three of those sides and Centre half back on the 2000 team.[10] McKeever and Derry finished runners-up to Offaly in the 1998 National League decider, with McKeever as captain.[11] Having been previously nominated three times for an All Star (1991, 1992 and 1996),[12] McKeever finally received one in 2000. McKeever also won numerous Interprovincial Championship/Railway Cup medals with Ulster.

Club

McKeever won his first senior county football medal as Dungiven won the 1987 Derry Championship. and added a second in 1991. In 1997 McKeever was part of the Dungiven side that won another Derry Championship and Ulster Club Championship.

Among his underage achievements, McKeever has won an Under-14, Under-16, and two Derry Minor Football Championships.[8] He has also won two All-Ireland special medals.

Hurling career

Inter-county

Among McKeever's hurling honours was winning the Ulster Under 21 Hurling Championship with Derry in 1986, defeating Antrim and Down along the way. They beat Down in the final after a reply; 3-09 to 1-02. In the drawn final McKeever suffered a serious injury.[13]

McKeever started his senior inter-county hurling career in 1987 and played until 1992, when he decided to concentrate on football.[14] He returned to the Derry hurling team in 1999 and for his performances in helping Derry win the 2000 Ulster Hurling Championship, he was nominated as an All Star. McKeever won a second Ulster Hurling Championship in 2001[15] also represented and captained Ulster in hurling in the Railway Cup.[16]

Club

McKeever was part of the Kevin Lynchs U-14 side that captured the B section of 1982 Féile na nGael in Dublin and won county medals at all possible grades.[8]

Honours

Note: The above lists may be incomplete. Please add any other honours you know of.

References
  1. "Tiny tornado to rub out Cavan". Sunday Mirror. 20 July 1997. Retrieved 22 August 2007.
  2. Corry, Eoghan (1993). Oakboys - Derry's Football Dream Come True. Dublin, Ireland: Torc Books Ltd. pp. 18–19. ISBN 1-898142-10-6.
  3. "Derry sore after lone nomination". BBC News. 25 October 2000. Retrieved 20 August 2007.
  4. "Ulster gets four All Stars". BBC News. 30 November 2000. Retrieved 20 August 2007.
  5. "Kilkenny win nine hurling All Stars". BBC News. 1 December 2000. Retrieved 20 August 2007.
  6. "Team of the Decade". Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 31 December 2007.
  7. "All-Time Derry Senior Football Team". Retrieved 21 January 2008.
  8. "Dungiven's Pocket Battleship". Retrieved 20 August 2007.
  9. Woods, Ciaran (1 August 2008). "Derry man making a name in Tyrone". Gaelic Life. Retrieved 2 August 2008.
  10. "Football Roll Of Honour". Retrieved 20 August 2007.
  11. "Lyons' pride pass tough test of character to land League". Irish Examiner. 27 April 1998. Archived from the original on 3 September 2009. Retrieved 6 April 2008.
  12. "Giles and Storey take the Oscars". Sunday Mirror. 24 November 1996. Retrieved 22 August 2007.
  13. "Will Derry be singing the Blues at Newry?". The Mid-Ulster Observer. 16 August 2007.
  14. "Multi talented McKeever aims to enjoy Derry's day out after successful but gruelling season". Archived from the original on 22 June 2011. Retrieved 22 August 2007.
  15. Gill, Barry (29 July 2001). "GAA: A defiant message from Kev". Sunday Mirror. Retrieved 22 August 2007.
  16. "Ulster hurling panel is named". BBC News. 7 November 2000. Retrieved 20 August 2007.
  17. Campbell, John (26 October 1996). "Ulster's 15 'stars'". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 3 October 2008.
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