Michael Lyster joins hurling-legend Eddie Keher at his Kilkenny home to chat about his career and life
Edward Peter “Eddie” Keher is a retired Irish hurler who played as a centre-forward for the Kilkenny senior team. Born in Inistioge, County Kilkenny, Keher first played competitive hurling whilst at school in St. Kieran’s College.
Born in Inistioge, County Kilkenny, Keher was the second child born to Stephen and Noreen Keher (née Browne). His father, a member of the Garda Síochána, was a native of Donamon and had played Gaelic football for Roscommon, before later lining out with Kilkenny.
Eddie learned the art of hurling at the local national school in Inistioge. Regular evening matches were played between Inistioge’s “up streets” and “down streets”, or between children from the village and the surrounding countryside. In 1952 the eleven-year-old played for the school when they won the under-14 Roinn B championship. He added a second medal to his collection in 1955, when he was also named player of the match.
After completing his Leaving Certificate at St. Kieran’s College, Keher later went to Ross’s College in Dublin where he studied to be a bank official.
He subsequently worked in the Allied Irish Bank branches in St. Stephen’s Green and Capel Street in Dublin. Eddie later transferred to the bank’s branch in Kilkenny before becoming manager of the AIB branch in Callan, County Kilkenny.
Eddie was a founder-member of the No Name Club along with Fr. Tom Murphy, Bobby Kerr and Éamonn Doyle. The organisation was established in 1978 and is devoted to providing alternative venues to public houses for young people and which now has about 30 branches across the country. Keher remains an active member of the No Name Club.
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