LAST UPDATE | 10 Jan 2023
MAYO’S GREATEST PLAYER?
The best to never win an All-Ireland senior medal at inter-county level?
Yesterday marked the end of the road for Lee Keegan.
The 2016 Footballer of the Year and five-time All-Star defender called time on his Mayo career at the age of 33.
White smoke — or black smog for the Western faithful — appeared after a few weeks of ‘Will he? Won’t he?’ and no shortage of over and back with new manager Kevin McStay.
Keegan finally opted for the latter option, with family commitments and niggling injuries likely playing their parts. All or nothing.
Damien Loftus was manager when Keegan’s club Westport won the All-Ireland intermediate title in 2017. The decision didn’t shock him.
“Terrific guy, terrific ambassador for his sport,” Loftus, a native of Marino in Dublin but long-time Westport resident, tells The42.
The standout memory of that glorious day in Croke Park in February 2017 is still fresh in his mind.
“The big thing for me was when we lifted the intermediate title back in 2017. Lee was actually our oldest player at the time. And he was 27.
“We had a very, very young team. That day, I think we had five Leaving Certs playing for us. Everybody looked up to Lee, naturally enough, and he was just the lynchpin of that team. Without him, we definitely wouldn’t have got there.”
The pair go way back, to when Keegan was a fresh-faced teenager coming into the Westport senior team, Loftus a selector back then.
“To see him mature and progress along the way, from the free-going, dashing wing back to probably one of the most respected and revered characters in the GAA now is amazing.
“He’s a neighbour of mine down here. I’m lucky enough to know the personality behind [him] not just the footballer. He would be one of the most respected guys in Westport and beyond. You won’t come across a more affable character than Lee Keegan.”
Fergal Boland can vouch for that. Years sharing Mayo dressing-rooms confirmed as much.
The ultimate footballer and person, a story from a training session a few years back is on his mind.
“He just had everything,” Boland reflected today. “I used to mark him a good bit in training because I was wing forward, him wing back, so in terms of strength, speed, power, he was unbelievable. You couldn’t beat him any way.
“Probably the one memory that stands out, I was thinking back yesterday, I remember marking him in an A v B game before the 2017 final. I was on the B team, so on that, you might have to mimic say a Dublin player or a Kerry player, so I was mimicking one of the half forwards.
“At the time, I was trying to get onto the 26 man panel, so needed to play well in the A vs B and then next thing I’m faced up against Leeroy, the best half back in the country, and I remember he scored 1-4 on me on the day from wing back, and I was like ‘Jesus, I’ve no hope of getting into the team now.’
“He just maxed out at every single session, whether it was the start of the year, end of it, a pleasure to be around, pushing everyone to their limits, and such a sound fella as well.”
Through a glittering 11-year senior career with Mayo, Keegan ensured they stayed competing at the top level.
The Celtic Cross was elusive, but his individual honours speak for themselves. And there were plenty of other good days — seven Connacht title lifts and a National League success at HQ — made great by the man himself.
“Everyone really, I don’t mean just Mayo supporters or people involved in Mayo football, people across the country have phenomenal respectful for Lee Keegan the footballer,” says Billy Joe Padden, the former Mayo player.
“The level he was able to reach in games, he very often produced his absolute best in the biggest moments in the biggest games. He has earned so much respect throughout the country in his wonderful ability as a footballer, and should be very, very proud of that.”
While Loftus recounts “immense” performances when the high-scoring defender was moved to the forward line with the club, Padden’s standout Keegan moment came in the white-heat of battle in green and red.
His goal into the Davin End in the 2016 All-Ireland final replay against Dublin.
He remembers it like it was yesterday; Aidan O’Shea winning the ball in the build-up and what unfolded thereafter.
“You can just see Keegan coming from about 60 metres like a train. I remember sitting in the Hogan Stand thinking, ‘Will Aidan see him?’ and he does. The ball goes to Lee, he was definitely outside the 13m line so maybe from 15 yards, he just hammered it low and hard into the bottom corner.
“I will always remember that goal – it was kind of opposite where I was sitting in Croke Park, and I knew that once I saw Lee charging up the field, if he gets the ball, he’s sticking it in the back of the net. It was just such confidence in his ability. I think that was probably the standout moment for me; to do it against Dublin in the biggest moment.”
There were no shortage of others. The other goals against Dublin. Inspirational majors and late points against different opponents.
“Massive gains,” as Padden puts it.
“His mentality was so strong that he was able to recognise when he needed to do something – to have that crazy footballing ability to be able to do something at that high level against top level opponents, that’s phenomenal.”
Loftus echoes those sentiments as he answers the question on everyone’s lips right now.
“I don’t think there’s much doubt that he probably is Mayo’s greatest ever player. Along with a former clubmate of my own, Brian Mullins who passed away recently, I always say that Brian was one of the most influential characters on the pitch — and Lee had that as well.
“He just influenced so many things that happened on the pitch. And particularly when the going was was tough, when a team was struggling, all of a sudden Leeroy would appear out of nowhere and get that 30-40 metre point, or he’d be on the end of the move to get a goal out of nothing. He just had that little bit of nous, bit of know-how, and he just influenced games massively.”
Often referred to as a “happy assassin” — ruthless and fearless in everything he did, but always a smile on his face while doing it — by John Casey and co. on local radio commentary, Padden wholeheartedly agrees with that tag as he weighs in on the views of Mayo’s finest.
“He had a phenomenal temperament really, to deal with different things that happen in games, setbacks and defeats. Moments never, ever got too big for him, he was always able to respond quickly.
“The way I look at it, in terms of his legacy as a Mayo footballer, he’s the best Mayo footballer since ’50 and ’51, and there’s no doubt in my mind about that. He’ll be the measuring stick for all Mayo footballers from here, and for a number of years.”
What about the big question on social media: the best to never win an All-Ireland?
“I think it’s a fair and probably accurate description,” Padden responds. “It’s a term I hate, though. I just feel that that sort of assessment is so elitist. You’re basically saying that great footballers can only come out of counties that win All-Irelands. But it’s accurate.”
“One other thing,” he adds. “The relationship between the Mayo team and Dublin supporters and vice versa has been fractious enough at times because of the battles, you have similar things happening with Dublin and Kerry, Kerry and Tyrone, that sort of rivalry.
“But I think that those rivalries can easily be put aside by opposition supporters when you’re assessing Lee Keegan’s ability. All Dublin players, Dublin supporters, the Dublin management team recognise his ability. They’ll have some game plan for him for sure in those games, such was his quality. I think that he has a level of respect for his football ability throughout the country that’s huge – and right and accurate.”
He’ll be missed on the inter-county scene, that’s for sure, a massive void left behind for McStay to fill.
But Keegan is set to soldier on with Westport, after helping his club to their first-ever senior county title in 2022.
Padden hopes he has the “health and hunger” to do so, and that his body allows him to play for may years to come amidst the ever-increasing demands of top-level club football, while Loftus is certain he will, all of that permitting.
“He’s a terrific club guy,” Loftus beams. “And I’m sure he’ll have many, many years to go on the club scene as well. They have a terrific young side. I was delighted that he got the ultimate of winning a senior title on top of it – along with all the other lads that were there as well.
“Of the Westport group, there’s probably six or seven involved in the Mayo panel now. There’s no doubt he’s had a massive influence on their careers thus far, and I’m sure he will do over the next few years as well. Westport are in a very healthy position now. The GAA, when I moved down here, would have been third place to soccer and rugby, but now it’s by far the biggest force in the town. And a lot of that is down to Lee Keegan.
“He’s the kids’ heroes. He’s the guy that went around schools throughout the years when we won cups, looking after kids and bringing them along. He’s a massive, massive influence as to where Westport GAA is.”
Where it all began, and where it ends.
Mayo’s greatest.
