Tony Keady (5 December 1963 – 9 August 2017) was an Irish hurler. His league and championship career at senior level with the Galway county team lasted nine seasons from 1985 until 1993.
Born in Attymon, County Galway, Keady first played competitive hurling during his schooling at Athenry Vocational School. In 1980 he was selected for the Galway vocational schools team and went on to win-back-to-back All-Ireland medals over the next two years.
By this stage Keady was a regular player at underage levels with the Killimordaly club. After winning several minor and under-21 championship medals, he won a county junior championship medal in 1983 before winning a county senior championship medal in 1986. He later won a Connacht medal.
Keady made his debut on the inter-county scene at the age of sixteen when he was selected for the Galway minor team. He enjoyed two championship seasons with the minors, however, Keady was an All-Ireland runner-up in 1981. He subsequently spent three seasons with the Galway under-21 team, winning an All-Ireland medal in 1983.
Keady made his senior debut during the 1984-85 league and won back-to-back All-Ireland medals in 1987 and 1988. He also won two National Hurling League medals and was named Hurler of the Year in 1988. Keady played his last game for Galway in April 1993 before being dropped from the team during the subsequent championship.
After being chosen on the Connacht inter-provincial team for the first time in 1985, Keady was a regular choice on the starting fifteen for the following few years. During that time he won two Railway Cup medals. He is considered the best centre-backs of all time.
Playing career
School
As a student at Athenry Vocational School, Keady excelled at hurling and was selected for the Galway vocational schools team. He won his first All-Ireland medal in 1980 as Galway defeated Down before collecting a second successive winners' medal in 1981 when Galway accounted for Offaly.
Club
Keady played his club hurling with Killimordaly and enjoyed much success at juvenile and underage levels. He won numerous championship medals at under-14, under-16, minor and under-21, before eventually progressing onto the club's adult team where he won a county junior championship medal in 1983.
After losing back-to-back county senior championship finals in 1984 and 1985, Killimordaly overcame Turloughmore by 0-17 to 2-7 in the 1986 decider, with Keady as a key member of the team. He later won a Connacht medal following 6-16 to 1-4 defeat of Tooreen.
Inter-county
Minor and under-21
Keady first played for Galway as a member of the minor hurling team on 3 August 1980. He scored 0–3 on his debut in a 1-15 to 0-18 All-Ireland semi-final draw with Wexford. He was still eligible for the minor grade in 1981 as Galway qualified for an All-Ireland final meeting with Kilkenny on 6 September 1981. Galway had a goal after 20 seconds and had a 3-5 to 1-8 lead at half time, however, they only scored four points in the second half and were defeated by 1-20 to 3-9.
In 1982 Keady progressed onto the Galway under-21 team, with the team later qualifying for the All-Ireland final against Cork on 12 September 1982. Both defences were in complete control in the first ever goalless final, with the game hanging in the balance throughout. Cork came from behind in the closing stages to win by a single point after a long-range effort from Kevin Hennessy.
Galway reached a second successive All-Ireland final on 11 September 1983 with Tipperary providing the opposition on this occasion. Playing with the aid of a strong first-half breeze, Galway dominated over the course of the match. A 0-12 to 1-6 victory gave Keady his sole All-Ireland medal in the grade.
Senior
Keady made his senior debut on 10 February 1985 in a 1-14 to 0-10 National Hurling League defeat by Offaly. Later that summer he made his championship debut in a 4-12 to 5-5 All-Ireland semi-final defeat of Cork. Offaly provided the opposition in the subsequent All-Ireland final on 1 September 1985 and it was their goal-scoring ability that proved crucial. Pat Cleary scored the first of the day after twenty-five minutes of play and got his second less than half a minute after the restart. Joe Dooley had a goal disallowed halfway through the second-half while a long Joe Cooney effort, which seemed to cross the goal line, was not given. P. J. Molloy was Galway's goal scorer, however, the day belonged to Offaly. A 2–11 to 1–12 score line resulted in defeat for Galway.