The day Keady got the boot of his labours

FORGET about boots and ambush advertising. You want controversy? Let’s go back a few years, to 1989.

This Sunday in Croke Park, Galway and Tipperary meet in the All-Ireland quarter-final. They met in the semi-final in 1989.

There was no love lost between these two counties anyway, but that day, it turned poisonous.

It was a time of contrasting fortunes for the counties. Galway were going for an historic three-in-a-row of All-Ireland titles, while Tipperary were desperately trying to make an All-Ireland breakthrough after 18 years in the wilderness.

Then it happened. A controversy that had raged for months reached a climax. Centre-back Tony Keady was the linchpin of that Galway team, hurler of the year in ’88, the no-nonsense anchor of the half-back line.

Just before that Tipperary game, however, Keady (along with Galway panellists Aidan Staunton and Michael Helebert) was suspended for playing illegally against the Tipperary club team in New York. There was talk of conspiracies, dirty tricks by Tipperary at home and in New York, talk even of Galway not turning up.

Relations between the counties were at their worst and didn’t recover for years. Fatally weakened by the loss of Keady, Galway lost the game, Tipp went on to claim a facile All-Ireland win over Antrim.

I know a lot more about what happened that season than most. At the time I was working part-time for the Irish Voice in New York. Gaelic Park on a Sunday was my beat and I covered the weekly New York GAA Board meetings.

At the start of the 1989 season, a new team, Laois, were entered in the New York hurling championship.

Laois were revived by Galway man Monty Moloney, who was involved with Tipp, but became disaffected.

Monty went on a recruiting mission for Laois, and high on his list were Tony Keady, Michael Helebert and Aidan Staunton, who were in New York, on tour with Galway, who had recently won the National League.

Understand this. All kinds of shenanigans went on then in New York to win the championship, every rule in the book bent, bruised or broken. There was one sacrosanct rule, however.

If a player came out with a touring team, until after he had returned to Ireland, he was ineligible to play in New York.

There was a very simple logic behind this rule. Touring teams passed through New York all the time. If they were allowed play in New York, it would cause chaos, especially as they would be costing their ‘host’ teams nothing but the few bob given under the table.

The league done and dusted, Keady and the two lads were free for the summer (as Galway automatically went through to the All-Ireland semi-finals as Connacht champions) and agreed to stay in New York and play for Laois. Critically, however, they did not first return to Ireland.

In the first round of the New York championship, fate decreed that Laois and Tipperary would meet.

At the New York GAA meeting before the game, Laois and Monty were warned not to play the trio or there would be repercussions.

They played, but under different names. It was Bernard Keady, Enda Staunton, and I forget what Helebert was down as. I reported on the game (which Laois won) noted the resemblance of the three to their better- known namesakes. Before the final whistle, the controversy began.

Tipperary objected, but in true New York GAA fashion, the rule book was ignored, Laois and the three players given a slap on the wrist.

Gradually, the controversy made its way across the Atlantic.

At the time, New York was not officially affiliated to the GAA, so any ban there wasn’t relevant here, but the GAA at home, tired of the transatlantic traffic, introduced its own rules.

Croke Park suspended Keady and the other two, and uproar ensued.

To the best of my knowledge, there was no conspiracy between Tipperary/New York and Tipperary/Ireland to ensure Keady wouldn’t be able to line out in the All-Ireland semi-final.

At the last meeting of the New York GAA Board before the Laois/Tipperary game, Laois did not have a delegate present but New York is a small town when it comes to the GAA. Everyone knew these three were about to play, and play illegally.

Is that water under the bridge now? Doubtful. They have long memories Corribside, especially when it comes to slights, perceived or real. Given that manager Conor Hayes captained that Galway team to two All-Irelands, it might just get a mention this week.

All just part of the fun.