Tommy Keenan

Tommy Keenan was born in Glasgow and grew up in Athy, County Kildare, active in Gaelic football in his younger years. A member of the Irish Army School of Music at Portobello Barracks, Keenan was recognized for an act of heroism in 1940 when he was a part of a rescue effort of the occupants of a vehicle that had plunged into the Grand Canal in Dublin. He was an active participant in Army sports, representing Eastern Command in boxing (winning a light-heavyweight boxing title in 1947), Gaelic football, billiards, athletics, football and handball.

Keenan was a longtime member of the Eastern Command basketball team when he was selected for the Irish Olympic basketball team in 1948, composed mainly of servicemen. He remained active in Army basketball following the Olympics and played again on Irish national team in the 1950s and won multiple All-Army basketball medals.