ABOUT BRENDAN KEOGH

On the formation of the Fermanagh & Western Youth League on Tuesday 10th February 1998 Brendan Keogh accepted the position of Chairman and until his premature death some fourteen months later was its “hands-on” unobtrusive guardian.

The Youth League was indeed most fortunate to have such an experienced person as Brendan as its first Chairman for he was one of the outstanding figures in the history of local Football. He was a remarkable man of great character and incredible output who left behind him a rich legacy of achievement in the Game at administrative level - his qualities can best be exemplified by the aplomb, distinction and success which attended his efforts as Secretary of the Fermanagh & Western Football Association for almost a quarter of a century.

Brendan was a most genial companion and a tremendous loyal friend. He had the capacity to mix with young and old with equal facility and this attribute was widely recognised among the many friends he made. He was a man with diverse sporting interests and it would be hard to encounter a more avid sports enthusiast and several sporting disciplines gained appreciable benefits from his enthusiasm and commitment.

However Brendan’s name will always be synonymous with Fermanagh & Western Football which was singularly fortunate to have been served by such a dedicated and distinguished administrator. He was a leader and a person whose advice and guidance was much sought and relied upon.

His commitment to the Youth League was total and he was particularly pleased to see the vast increase in the number of Youth Teams playing Football. Brendan would tell you that he liked to win. But his philosophy was that, in winning, we must play the game fairly and within the Rules. The coveted Brendan Keogh Fair Play Cup, presented in 1999 by The Impartial Reporter to commemorate his memory, is testament to his philosophy and is awarded annually to the Club which most encapsulates that philosophy.

The significance of Brendan’s contribution will withstand the test of time and his name will always be indelibly linked with the Youth League which was renamed in his honour in 2000. His death at 59 came at a time when it was a reasonable expectation that he still had an immense amount to give to the Youth League in which he had made so profound an impression in such a short space of time. It didn’t seem right that a man with so much more to achieve would not be with us anymore. The feeling of loss was immense and in his case it can truly be said that “we will never see his likes again”.