John_O'Keeffe_(Tipperary_hurler)

John O'Keeffe (Tipperary hurler)

John O'Keeffe (Tipperary hurler)

Irish hurler

John O'Keeffe (born 17 November 1988) is an Irish hurler who currently plays as a right wing-back for the Tipperary senior team.[1]

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O'Keeffe made his first appearance for the team during the 2011 National League and has become a regular player over the last few seasons. Since then he has won one Munster winners' medal. He has ended up as an All-Ireland runner-up on one occasion.

At club level O'Keeffe plays with the Clonoulty–Rossmore club.

Playing career

Club

O'Keeffe made his senior championship debut for Clonoulty–Rossmore in 2004.[citation needed]

He has enjoyed little success with the senior team, losing back-to-back championship deciders in 2010 and 2011.[2][3]

Inter-county

O'Keeffe first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as a member of the Tipperary minor hurling team. He enjoyed much success in this grade as Tipperary reached the All-Ireland decider via the "back-door" in 2006. Three-in-a-row hopefuls Galway provided the opposition, however, Tipp powered to 2–18 to 2–7 victory.[4] It was O'Keeffe's sole All-Ireland medal in that grade.

O'Keeffe subsequently joined the Tipperary under-21 team. He won a Munster medal in this grade in his debut season following a controversial one-point defeat of Clare. Tipp later reached the All-Ireland, however, O'Keeffe's side were defeated by Kilkenny.[5]

In 2011 O'Keeffe made his senior debut for Tipp in a National Hurling League game against Waterford. His first championship start came later that year against Cork.[6] A 7-19 to 0-19 trouncing of Waterford in the subsequent provincial decider gave O'Keeffe his first Munster medal.[7] For the third successive year, Tipperary faced off against Kilkenny in the All-Ireland final, however, on this occasion Kilkenny were slight underdogs going up against the new champions. Kilkenny started quickly and never surrendered the lead in the 2-17 to 1-16 victory.[8]

O'Keeffe was dropped from Tipperary's starting fifteen in 2012 but remained on the extended panel of players. He announced his retirement from inter-county hurling in October 2017.[9]

References

  1. [1]
    "Senior Hurling Panel". Tipperary GAA website. Archived from the original on 17 August 2012. Retrieved 31 October 2012.
  2. [2]
    "Imperious Maher hits top gear in Sars romp". Irish Independent. 31 October 2010. Archived from the original on 2 August 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2010.
  3. [3]
    "Drom beat finds right rhythm". Irish Independent. 17 October 2011. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
  4. [4]
    "Tipp break Galway hearts in MHC final". RTÉ Sport. 3 September 2006. Retrieved 3 November 2008.
  5. [5]
    "RTÉ Sport: Kilkenny 2-13 Tipperary 0-15". RTÉ Sport. 15 September 2008. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  6. [6]
    "O'Keeffe debuts for Tipp". Hogan Sand website. 27 May 2011. Retrieved 31 October 2012.
  7. [7]
    "Tipp show appetite for destruction". Irish Times. 10 July 2011. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  8. [8]
    "RTÉ Sport: Kilkenny 2-17 Tipperary 1-16". RTÉ Sport. 4 September 2011. Archived from the original on 24 September 2011. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
  9. [9]
    "John O Keeffe Retirement announcement". Tipperary GAA. 19 February 2018. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
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