Dan O'Keeffe

Daniel Joseph O'Keeffe (2 June 1907 – 2 June 1967), known as "Danno", was an Irish Gaelic footballer, regarded by some as the greatest goalkeeper in the history of the sport.^{[citation needed]}

Dan O'Keeffe

Personal information
Irish name	Dónall Ó Caoimh
Sport	Gaelic football
Position	Goalkeeper
Born	(1907-06-02)2 June 1907 Fermoy, County Cork, Ireland
Died	2 June 1967(1967-06-02) (aged 60) Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Nickname	Danno
Occupation	Clerical officer
Club(s)
Years	Club
	Kerins O'Rahilly's
Club titles
Kerry titles	2
Inter-county(ies)
Years	County	Apps (scores)
1931–1948	Kerry	66 (0–00)
Inter-county titles
Munster titles	14
All-Irelands	7
NFL	2

Career

O'Keeffe was born in Fermoy, County Cork, but the family moved to Tralee, County Kerry when he was nine-years-old.^[1] His first competitive football was played with a junior team, the Rangers, but when he advanced to senior grade he joined Kerins O'Rahilly's and with them won two County Championship titles.^[2] O'Keeffe made his first inter-county appearance on the Kerry junior team that won the All-Ireland Junior Championship in 1930. A year later he was the substitute goalkeeper on the Kerry senior team to meet Kildare in the All-Ireland final, however, a few hours before the game he was informed that he would be playing and collected his first winners' medal.^[3] O'Keeffe was first-choice goalkeeper for seventeen years in total and claimed a then record of seven All-Ireland Championship titles. His other honours include a record 14 Munster Championship medals and two National League titles. O'Keeffe was also a regular on the Munster team and won three Railway Cup medals, including one as captain of the team. Playing until he was 41 years old, he was posthumously named on the Football Team of the Century and the Football Team of the Millennium.^[3]

Personal life and death

O'Keeffe worked for Kerry County Council in Tralee and was eventually promoted to the post of Clerical Officer in charge of the staff on the roads division. He married Mary Moriarty in 1939 and had two children. O'Keeffe died suddenly on 2 June 1967.

Honours

Kerins O'Rahilly's

• Kerry Senior Football Championship: 1933, 1939

Kerry

• All-Ireland Senior Football Championship: 1931, 1932, 1937, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1946
• Munster Senior Football Championship: 1932, 1933, 1934, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1944, 1946, 1947, 1948
• National Football League: 1930–31, 1931–32
• All-Ireland Junior Football Championship: 1930
• Munster Junior Football Championship: 1930

Munster

• Railway Cup: 1931, 1941 (c), 1948

References

1. "Tralee estate green area to be dedicated to Kerry GAA legend". Kerins O'Rahilly's GAA site. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
2. "Dan O'Keeffe". Kerins O'Rahilly's GAA site. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
3. Clerkin, Malachy (6 August 2017). "Stephen Cluxton a constant in the Dublin revolution". Irish Times. Retrieved 29 May 2021.