Eileen O'Keeffe

Eileen O’Keeffe attended primary school at Scoil Mhuire, Callan, secondary school at St. Brigid’s College, Callan and trained as a nurse first at Athlone Institute of Technology and later at the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin. She competed in many sports for the Kilkenny City Harriers Club before taking up athletics and weight throwing. She won numerous titles in Ireland in the weight throws, winning nine hammer titles (2001-09) and six discus titles (2002, 2004-05, 2007-09), and winning the British AAA hammer title in 2006. In addition to her 2008 Olympic appearance, she represented Ireland at the World Athletics Championships in 2005, 2007 and 2009, the European Championships in 2002 and 2006, the Universiade in 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2009, and the World Junior Athletics Championships in 2000. Her best international finish in senior competition was sixth in the hammer at the 2007 Worlds. At the Irish Universities Athletics Championships she won 23 titles in throwing events – eight with the hammer, eight with the discus, and seven with the 8 kg. weight throw. She won the Athlete of the Year award at the AAI National Athletics Awards in 2007 and was the Field Athlete of the Year in both 2007 and 2008.

Personal Bests: DT – 46.44 (2008); HT – 73.21 (2007).