Former Offaly footballer enjoying second sporting lease of life in South Africa

A FORMER Offaly footballer has been enjoying a second sporting lease of life in South Africa.

Gracefield club man Michael O'Keeffe recently competed for South Africa in the Grand Masters Hockey World Cup U-75 competition in Cape Town as they lost out to Australia in a play off.

83 years of age, Michael O'Keeffe was born at Bishopswood, Portarrlington, Offaly in January 1941. His father came to Portarlington from Dunloe in Kerry and his mother was an O'Rourke from Ballycommon in Offaly.

O'Keeffe went to school in Portarlington CBS. He was a fast sprinter, winning U-12 and 14 races in Laois schools competitions and earning the nickname “lightning”.

He was a very good footballer in his youth. He won a Senior Football Championship medal with the Gracefield-St Mary's combination of St Patrick's in 1959 and won junior, intermediate and senior football medals with Gracefield in 1958, 1960 and 1961. O'Keeffe played minor football with Offaly in 1958 and 1960 and featured on the senior panel for a few years in the early 1960s. He also played rugby with Portlaoise and Wanderers, in those days when the GAA ban on playing rugby and soccer was very much in force and enforced.

Employment with Shell Oil took him to South Africa in 1969 and he has remained there since. He played rugby in Pretoria and Johannesburg, retiring from it in 1981 – his son Conor was a top class rugby player, playing with Stellenbosch.

After retiring from rugby, O'Keeffe took up hockey and has got great enjoyment out of this game, competing very successfully in masters events. He played grand masters hockey for South Africa throughout the 2010s into the 2020s, travelling throughout Europe and to Australia.

He plays hockey once a week and as the oldest player, he was selected to carry the South African flag at the most recent event. They beat Germany and lost out to Wales, England and Australia,. His wife, Melissa is from Sandymount in Dublin and a nephew is Keith Gleeson,a former Irish rugby international.

South Africa's 2025 tour includes a visit to Ireland next Spring and no doubt, Michael O'Keeffe will avail of the opportunity to meet old friends and family members.