He was a father, a husband, a scientist and a hero

MOSS KEANE was the biggest, funniest man I have ever met. He filled whatever room he was in.

I first met him in 1999 when he brought some of his comrades to see Alone It Stands at the Belltable in Limerick. He had been listening to the radio earlier in the week and heard Mike Murphy reviewing the play. Mike informed the nation that Moss was portrayed by Niamh McGrath, all of five foot two, and Moss nearly crashed the car. He arrived with Brendan Foley and Seamus Dennison. And they all stuck around afterwards and mingled with the crowd. He had time for everyone and wore his fame lightly.

Moss was a very intelligent man, he held a masters in dairy science from UCC and attained first class honours all the way through his academic life. He brought this same work ethic and single-mindedness to his sport, it was this mental toughness allied with his spectacular size and high work rate which made him a natural selection for many years on the national and provincial sides on which he played.