Tributes to Moss Keane

THE worlds of sport and politics paid glowing tributes yesterday to the late Moss Keane, with many pointing to his mastery of skills across the codes of rugby and Gaelic football.

Among those paying tribute was his friend Jimmy Deenihan, the Fine Gael spokesman on sport and an All-Ireland winning Kerry footballer, who said Keane was “one of the best known Kerrymen of his generation”.

“Moss and I retained a long friendship since our youth and I had the pleasure of playing on the Kerry junior team with him as well as against him on the rugby pitch,” Mr Deenihan said, adding that Keane “retained a deep affection for Currow where he was born”.

“I remember well the Munster final of 1977 when the Kerry team beat Cork. He demonstrated his deep affection for his home county when he said, while on tour with the Lions, that the highlight of the tour was ‘when I heard that Kerry beat Cork’.

“Many will remember the central role Moss played in Munster’s historic victory over New Zealand. I met him after the game and saw first-hand just how proud he was of Munster and all the supporters.”

Party colleague John O’Mahony said Keane was “a true sporting great”.

“He was one of the few sportsmen who could cross the boundary to play at the highest level in two sports and he was a Gaelic footballer of the highest calibre. I played against him at Sigerson Cup level and found him to be nothing but committed on the pitch.”

GOAL chief executive John O’Shea recalled how Keane was a patron of the charity for 30 years.

“He visited our street children’s programme in Calcutta. He was a magnificent humanitarian. GOAL has lost a great champion, and the poor have lost a wonderful friend.”

Taoiseach Brian Cowen said: “Moss Keane was one of the finest rugby players Ireland has produced. He was among rugby’s best-known characters and a legend of the game.”

Mayor of Tralee, Labour Cllr Arthur Spring, nephew of Dick and Donal who both played rugby alongside Keane, said: “The word ‘legend’ is often bandied about, but in the case of Moss it was truly deserved.”

Former England captain Will Carling was one of the figures from world rugby who paid tribute, posting on Twitter: “Sad news about an Irish legend – I bet he was one hell of a character”.

The Irish Rugby Football Union said: “The Munster, Ireland and Lions legend Moss Keane was a great character and influence, both on and off the pitch. The much-loved Kerryman was a stalwart of the second row who put his heart and soul into whatever jersey he wore.”