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. 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. 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. In 1971 he was named on the inaugural All-Star team, while he also collected the Texaco Hurler of the Year award. 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.
Biography
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.
Playing career
Club
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.
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.
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
Keating won a fifth and final championship medal in 1974, following a narrow 1–6 to 1–4 defeat of Fethard.
Minor and under-21
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.
Keating was captain of the minor team in 1962. He won a third successive Munster medal that year as Tipperary outclassed Cork by 4–11 to 4–1. Kilkenny were the opponents in the subsequent All-Ireland decider once again, however, "the Cats" maintained the upper hand over their near neighbours. Goals were key as a 3–6 to 0–9 defeat meant Ketaing ended up on the losing side for a third successive year. It was his last game in the minor grade.
In 1964 Keating was an automatic choice on Tipperary's inaugural under-21 hurling team. An 8–9 to 3–1 defeat of Waterford gave him a Munster medal in that grade. Wexford provided the opposition in the subsequent All-Ireland decider, however, the game turned into a rout. A huge 8–9 to 3–1 victory gave Keating an All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship medal.
Keating missed Tipperary's second consecutive Munster under-21 triumph in 1965, however, he was restored to the starting fifteen for the subsequent All-Ireland final against Wexford. The Leinster champions avenged the previous years defeat as Tipperary fell to a 3–7 to 1–4 defeat.
Senior
Early success
Having been a regular member of the Tipperary senior football team since 1960, Keating joined the Tipperary senior hurlers in 1964. He won his first National Hurling League medal that year following a 4–16 to 6–6 defeat of New York. Keating made his senior championship debut on 5 July 1964 in a 6–13 to 2–5 Munster semi-final defeat of Clare. Tipperary later cantered casually past Cork by fourteen points in the provincial decider, giving Keating his first Munster medal. The All-Ireland final on 6 September 1964 saw reigning champions Kilkenny enter the game as firm favourites against Tipperary. John "Mackey" McKenna scored Tipp's first goal after ten minutes as the Munster champions took a 1–8 to 0–6 interval lead. The second half saw Tipperary score goals for fun, with Donie Nealon getting a hat-trick and Seán McLoughlin another. Kilkenny were humiliated at the full-time whistle as Tipperary triumphed by 5–13 to 2–8. It was Keating's first All-Ireland medal.
Keating found it difficult to nail down a permanent place on the team over the next few years, and he missed Tipperary's All-Ireland triumph in 1965.
Tipperary decline
After surrendering their provincial crown in 1966, Tipperary bounced back the following year, with Keating, who was restored to the team, winning a second Munster medal following a 4–12 to 2–6 defeat of Clare. 3 September 1967 saw Kilkenny face Tipperary in the All-Ireland decider. Tipp looked like continuing their hoodoo over their near rivals as they took a 2–6 to 1–3 lead at half-time. Goalkeeper Ollie Walsh was the hero for Kilkenny as he made a series of spectacular saves, however, the team lost Eddie Keher and Tom Walsh to injury in the second half. In spite of this, Kilkenny laid to rest a bogey that Tipperary had over the team since 1922, and a 3–8 to 2–7 victory resulted in defeat for Keating's team.
Keating added a second league medal to his collection in 1968 following a 6–27 to 4–22 aggregate defeat of New York. Tipperary later retained their status as provincial kingpins and a 2–13 to 1–7 trouncing of Cork gave Keating a third Munster medal. For the fourth time of the decade, Wexford were Tipp's opponents in the subsequent All-Ireland final on 1 September 1968. At half-time it looked as if Tipperary were cruising to another victory as they took an eight-point lead. Just after the restart Wexford had a Christy Jacob goal disallowed before Tony Doran scored a goal after just six minutes. Tipp fought back; however, it was too late as Wexford won a remarkable game by 5–8 to 3–12.
Twilight success
By 1971 Keating had come to be regarded as one of the great full-forwards of the era, as Tipperary regrouped for one final push at glory. A 4–16 to 3–18 victory over Limerick gave him a fourth Munster medal. On 5 September 1971 Kilkenny faced Tipperary in the All-Ireland final, the first to be broadcast in colour by Telefís Éireann and the only eighty-minute meeting between the two sides. Kilkenny's ever-dependable goalkeeper, Ollie Walsh, had a nightmare of a game in which he conceded five goals, one of which passed through his legs, while Keating played out the closing stages of the game in his bare feet. Tipperary emerged the victors on a score line of 5–17 to 5–14. It was his second All-Ireland medal. Keating finished off the year by winning an All-Star before being named Texaco Hurler of the Year.
Final years
Tipperary went into decline following this victory as Limerick and Cork dominated the provincial series. On 20 July 1975 he played his last game for the Tipperary hurlers in a 0–17 to 1–10 Munster semi-final replay defeat by Limerick. He lined out with the Tipperary footballers for one further season in 1976, however, he was recalled to the team at the age of thirty-six in 1980.
Inter-provincial
In 1965 Keating was at left wing-forward as the Munster inter-provincial hurling team faced their age-old rivals Leinster in the championship decider. The southern province was completely outclassed on that occasion as Leinster powered to a 3–11 to 0–9 victory.
After failing to be picked for the team over the next two years, Keating was back with Munster in 1968 as the team faced Leinster once again in the inter-provincial decider. A 0–14 to 0–10 victory gave him his first Railway Cup medal.
In 1970 Keating lined out with Munster once again as the team faced Leinster in the decider. A huge 2–15 to 0–9 victory gave him his second Railway Cup medal.
Keating was a regular on the Munster inter-provincial football team during this period as well. In 1972 he was a member of the starting team that faced Leinster in the decider. A 1–15 apiece draw was the result on that occasion, however, the southern province made no mistake in the replay. A double scores 2–14 to 0–10 victory gave Keating a Railway Cup medal with the footballers, his third overall.
Managerial career
Galway
Keating had just retired from inter-county hurling when he became involved in inter-county coaching. After an unsuccessful one-year stint as trainer of the Galway senior hurlers during the 1976–77 season, he was back as coach a year later. A good run of results during the group stage of the league allowed the team qualify for the final where Ketaing's native county of Tipperary provided the opposition. A 3–15 to 0–8 trouncing was the result on that occasion. Keating's side later shocked four-in-a-row hopefuls Cork in the All-Ireland semi-final and qualified for an All-Ireland final showdown with Kilkenny on 2 September 1979. In one of the worst All-Ireland finals of the decade, Tipperary-born Galway goalkeeper Séamus Shinnors had an absolute nightmare of a game. A 70-yards free by Liam "Chunky" O'Brien after just four minutes dipped, hit off Shinnors and ended up in the Galway net. Galway fought back and went two points up twelve minutes into the second half, however, they failed to score for the rest of the game. Four minutes before the end of the game another long-range free for Kilkenny ended up in the net behind Shinnors. It was a score which summed up the day for Keating's side as Kilkenny went on to win by 2–12 to 1–8.
First spell with Tipperary