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Diarmuid O'Keeffe (born 2 January 1992) is an Irish hurler. At club level he plays with St Anne's Rathangan and at inter-county level he is a former member of the Wexford senior hurling team. O'Keeffe usually lines out as a midfielder.

Club career

O'Keeffe began his club career as a dual player at juvenile and underage levels with the St Anne's Rathangan club. He won a Wexford U21HC title in 2011, by which time he had progressed to adult level in both codes.

O'Keeffe had his first success at adult level in 2012 when he won a Wexford SFC medal following St Anne's Rathangan 2-14 to 0-08 defeat of Castletown in the final. He claimed a second SFC winners' medal two years later when Gusserane were beaten in the final by 1-06 to 0-08. As a club hurler, O'Keeffe won a Wexford IHC title in 2017 following a 2-10 to 1-12 defeat of Crossabeg–Ballymurn in the final.

A Wexford IFC title followed for O'Keeffe in 2020, when St Anne's Rathanagan beat Ferns St Aidan's by two points. He has failed to add a Wexford SHC medal to his collection after losing three finals between 2019 and 2024.

Inter-county career

O'Keeffe began his inter-county career with Wexford as a 16-year-old member of the minor team in 2008. He spent three seasons in that grade but had little in terms of success after losing consecutive Leinster finals O'Keeffe immediately progressed to the under-21 team and made his debut in that grade in 2011. He was appointed captain of Wexford's under-21 football team in 2013, while he was also a member of the extended panel of the under-21 hurling team that year that claimed the Leinster U21HC after a 1-21 to 0-21 defeat of Kilkenny.

O'Keeffe made his senior team debut in February 2012 when he lined out at centre-forward in a 3-18 to 2-15 National League defeat by Antrim. He claimed his first senior silverware in 2018 when Wexford won the Walsh Cup after a free-taking shoot-out defeat of Kilkenny. O'Keeffe added a Leinster SHC medal to his collection when Wexford claimed the provincial title for the first time in 15 years after a 1-23 to 0-23 defeat of Kilkenny in the 2019 Leinster final. His performance for the team earned him the GAA/GPA Player of the Month award for hurling for June 2019, while he was also included on the GAA/GPA All-Star team at the end of the season.

O'Keeffe retired from inter-county hurling on 22 November 2024.

Personal life

O'Keeffe works as a secondary school teacher in St. Peter's College in Dunboyne, County Meath. His father-in-law, Jarlath Burns, is an Ulster SFC-winner with Armagh who became President of the Gaelic Athletic Association in 2024. O'Keeffe's brother-in-law, Jarly Óg Burns, won an All-Ireland SFC medal with Armagh in 2024.

Career statistics

Honours

St Anne's Rathangan

• Wexford Senior Football Championship: 2012, 2014
• Wexford Intermediate Hurling Championship: 2017
• Wexford Intermediate Football Championship: 2020
• Wexford Under-21 Hurling Championship: 2011

Wexford

• Leinster Senior Hurling Championship: 2019
• Walsh Cup: 2018
• Leinster Under-21 Hurling Championship: 2013

Awards

• GAA/GPA All-Star Award: 2019
• GAA/GPA Player of the Month: June 2019

References

1. Fogarty, John (14 April 2017). "Getting to know the 'unknown' hurlers of Wexford". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
2. "Wexford SFC final: Barry inspires St. Anne's". Hogan Stand. 8 October 2012. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
3. "Wexford SFC final: Fogarty wins it for St. Anne's". Hogan Stand. 16 November 2014. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
4. "Simpson steers Anne's back to top flight". Irish Independent. 22 October 2016. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
5. "Anne's survive penalty scare as last-gasp save denies Ferns". Wexford People. 6 October 2020. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
6. O'Callaghan, Therese (3 November 2024). "'Heart stopping' victory for St Martin's as they claim first Wexford title since 2019". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
7. "Awesome Kehoe fires young Cats to further success". Irish Independent. 6 July 2009. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
8. "Leinster U21HC: Wexford hand Laois another hammering". Hogan Stand. 23 June 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
9. "A disappointing night for Wexford U21's". Wexford GAA website. 14 July 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
10. "Wexford need extra time to overcome Cats in U-21 hurling final". Irish Examiner. 10 July 2013. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
11. "Mighty Donnelly keeps Wexford at bay". Irish Independent. 27 February 2012. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
12. Aherne, Alan (27 January 2018). "Fanning hits winner in historic shoot-out". Gorey Guardian. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
13. O'Brien, Kevin (30 June 2019). "Wexford land first Leinster title in 15 years with thrilling victory over Kilkenny". The 42. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
14. "O'Keeffe and Brennan named PwC GAA/GPA Players of the Month for June". Hogan Stand. 10 July 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
15. "2019 PwC All-Star Hurling Final 15". GAA website. 31 October 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
16. "Wexford's former All-Star Diarmuid O'Keeffe retires from inter-county hurling". Irish Independent. 22 November 2024. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
17. "Wexford's Diarmuid O'Keeffe retires from inter-county hurling". Irish Examiner. 22 November 2024. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
18. "This chance may never come again - Model man O'Keeffe". Irish Independent. 11 July 2019. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
19. "Behind new GAA president is a gale of goodwill. In front of him, some stiff headwinds". Irish Examiner. 24 February 2024. Retrieved 23 November 2024.

• All Stars Awards winners (hurling)
• 1992 births
• Living people
• Irish schoolteachers
• St Anne's (Wexford) hurlers
• Wexford inter-county hurlers
• 21st-century Irish sportsmen