Babs Keating

Michael "Babs" Keating (born 17 April 1944) is an Irish former hurler and Gaelic footballer who played as a forward for the Tipperary senior teams.

Born in Ardfinnan, County Tipperary, Keating first played competitive Gaelic games during his schooling at CBS High School Clonmel.

He arrived on the inter-county scene at the age of sixteen when he first linked up with the Tipperary minor teams in both codes, before later joining the under-21 sides.

Michael Keating was born in Ardfinnan, County Tipperary in 1944.

The youngest member of a large family, he received the nickname 'Babs' when he went to national school where he was the youngest of three Michael Keatings in the school.

The nickname has remained with him into adult life and he is almost always exclusively referred to as Babs.

As well as his sporting career, Keating has worked for many years for the petroleum oil company Esso.

He is married to Nancy Maher, sister of Gerry Maher and his son-in-law is Irish jockey Johnny Murtagh, who is married to his daughter Orla.

Keating enjoyed a lengthy club hurling career with Ballybacon–Grange, winning a number of divisional championship medals, however, it was with the Ardfinnan footballers that he enjoyed his greatest successes.

He joined the senior football panel during the 1960 championship before being added to the senior hurling panel four years later.

Keating was a regular member of the starting fifteen on both teams, and won two All-Ireland medals, four Munster medals and two National Hurling League medals.

He was an All-Ireland runner-up on two occasions.

As a member of both Munster inter-provincial teams on a number of occasions, Keating won a combined total of three Railway Cup medals.

At club level he was a five-time football championship medallist with Ardfinnan.

Keating played his club hurling with Ballybacon–Grange.

Throughout his career Keating made 27 championship appearances with the senior hurlers.

Keating first played for Tipperary as a dual player in the minor grades in 1960.

He won his first Munster medal with the hurlers that year, following a 6–7 to 4–3 defeat of Galway.

The subsequent All-Ireland decider saw Tipperary face Kilkenny in a repeat of the previous years final.

A huge 7–12 to 1–11 defeat was Keating's lot on that occasion.

In 1961 Keating added a second Munster medal to his collection following a 7–11 to 1–6 defeat of Cork.

The subsequent All-Ireland decider saw Tipperary face Kilkenny for the third successive year.

The game was much closer than the previous year, however, Keating still ended up on the losing side by 3–13 to 0–15.

In 1962 Ardfinnan made a long-awaited breakthrough in the senior championship.

A 4–11 to 1–6 defeat of Thurles Crokes gave Keating, who lined out at centre-forward, his first championship medal.

The following year Keating was at full-forward as Ardfinnan qualified for a second successive county decider.

A relatively comfortable 1–9 to 1–2 defeat of Templemore gave him a second championship medal.

Keating was captain of the minor team in 1962.

Ardfinnan made it three-in-a-row in 1964.

Keating bagged 2–2 in a 5–10 to 3–3 defeat of a disjointed and disappointing North selection.

It was Keating's third championship medal.

After securing the three-in-a-row, Ardfinnan went on to lose three deciders in-a-row at the end of the decade.

This losing streak was halted in 1970, with Keating collecting a fourth championship medal following an ugly 1–11 to 2–2 defeat of Clonmel Commercials

In 1971 he was named on the inaugural All-Star team, while he also collected the Texaco Hurler of the Year award.

Keating won a fifth and final championship medal in 1974, following a narrow 1–6 to 1–4 defeat of Fethard.

He retired from inter-county hurling following the conclusion of the 1975 championship, however, his inter-county football career lasted until the end of the 1980 championship.

Keating is widely regarded one of the greatest players of his generation.

Delaney was also chosen as one of the 125 greatest hurlers of all-time in a 2009 poll.

In retirement from playing Keating became involved in team management and coaching.

At various times he has served as manager of the Galway, Offaly and Laois senior teams, however, it has been with his own native Tipperary that he enjoyed his greatest success, guiding the team to two All-Ireland victories.