Keevans played in all four provinces

SEAMUS KEEVANS, whose death occurred yesterday, had the distinction of having played inter-county football in all four provinces.

A native of Taghmon in New Ross, and a former Garda, he was widely known throughout Wexford as ‘Mr Football’.

During the course of an illustrious career — through being stationed in different parts of the country — he played senior football with Sligo, Cavan, Waterford and, of course, Wexford.

County Secretary Margaret Doyle paid tribute to him for a lifetime of commitment to the development of the game, which saw him involved in the eighties as chairman of the Football Board and in more recent times as coach to the county junior football team. One of his many claims to fame is that he personally established what came to be known as the Jim Byrne Cup, which was a county minor league organised between October and March.

And, it was pointed out that he had been active in running this year’s competition, even though it to be changed to a knock-out system because of the requirement to start the championship earlier.

“He really got football going in the county by starting under-age competitions,” commented District Board Secretary Michael Bowe, a current Wexford senior selector.

“He did fantastic work for the game. He would tell you that he had an equal interest in hurling but he hadn’t. It’s sad news.

“He attended Wexford’s game on Sunday. We have District Board awards every year and we had planned to honour him later in the year.”

Local journalist Jimmy McDonnell knew him well.

“Seamus was obsessed with football. He started the minor league back in 1967,” he recalled. “He also involved in the running of vocational schools competitions. He was always involved, he’d go anywhere to watch football.”

In Wexford, he won two county senior football championship medals with Taghmon, in 1956 and 1958.

The club had also been successful in 1955, but he only joined them the following year.”