A tribute to Michelle Keating who lived a very active and eventful life right up to her sad passing last week. (taken from Breffni Blue 1999) Reaching for the Stars! Michelle Keating was a member of the backroom team which assisted Cavan's Fr. Manning Cup winning football team last year. A member of the Ramor Utd club, she plays a number of sports also at a high level. But what does the coming year hold for her? 1999 promises much for Michelle Keating as a player and as a First Aid Commissioner but it can't possibly be as hectic as the year she's just had! Or can it? Simply said, the Man above is arguably the only one who knows how the vivacious Virginia lady fitted in so much into what was one hell of a year. A lady footballer of consummate talent; a more than useful camogie player and the first one the Ramor United and county under 16 hurlers and footballers have consistently run to when in distress; Michelle Keating was one busy lady in '98. However, the signs are that there'll not be a lot of change in the status quo for her personally in the coming year. Michelle is open and honest; a journalist's delight in actual fact. But when she maintains that she'll have to cut down on her workload this season, one wonders, not at the level of her resolve, but at her genuine willingness to release some of her irons from the fire. The core thing about Michelle's input into gaelic games is that she loves the involvement; pure and simple. "I love the craic that goes with playing the games and being with various teams; going on trips and meeting and getting to know people involved with the different sports," she explains. With two years sports therapy study under her belt from college in Crumlin and six months of a two year course in rehabilitation and sports injuries already completed, another 18 months of book work will see Michelle qualifying as a Sports Therapist. Then, one suspects, she'll surely be in her element. A natural born athlete who quite obviously thrives on outdoor activity, Michelle caught the eye of the GAA fraternity, countywide, last year while attending to the medical needs of the county under 16 footballers and hurlers. Although very well known among gaels in the Virginia area, the very approachable 20 year-old student saw her personal profile increase dramatically among the greater GAA family in Cavan through her involvement with the aforementioned county teams. Working initially on an ad-hoc basis with the Ramor footballers in '97, Michelle became a permanent fixture along the sideline for her home club last year but the county liaison was a new departure. So just how did that arrangement come about? "I play with the Cavan Ladies football team and I know Tom Dowd because of that involvement. As Chairman of Cavan county minor board, he asked me to help out with the under 16s and I was only too glad to do so." A First Aid Commissioner of the highest order, Michelle comes to sport in Cavan with a fair curriculum vitae. After all, there's not many people in the Breffni County who can boast of having TEN All-Ireland medals! You see; before the Virginia lass became a hit with her magic sponge and assorted skills, Michelle starred as a soccer player in nearby Kells. One of the most influential players on the all-conquering Eureka College, Kells, soccer team of recent vintage, Michelle linked up with her schoolmates at under 14, under 16, minor and senior levels to beat the best of the rest in Ireland between 1994 and '96. Although acknowledged as a classy midfielder with Eureka, Michelle firmly puts to bed any notion that association football is her favourite sport. "I prefer gaelic football. I got great satisfaction and enjoyment from playing soccer at school. Having said that, playing with Lurgan and Cavan for the last three years or so has been brilliant," admits Michelle who was a key figure on the Lurgan team which won the county senior league and championship titles in 1996 and 1997. Reflecting on the past year with Lurgan Ladies, the strong-running midfielder says that everyone involved with the club was more than a little bit disappointed not to have successfully defended their title. "I thought we'd have won the cup again last year but it wasn't to be. In fairness to Mullahoran, they were the best team on the day; were fitter and were the stronger team, especially towards the end of the match. "At half-time though when we were winning by one point, I thought that we had a very good chance of retaining the title." And what are the team's prospects for the coming year? "I think they're very good. The hunger is definitely still there among the players and with training already underway, no stone will be left unturned in our efforts to win the title again this year," adds Michelle who is joined on the Lurgan team by, among others, fellow county players Laura Hanratty, Ann Hanratty, Tara Clarke and Clare Carpenter. Somewhat of a sporting maverick in the Keating household, Michelle says that irrespective of the time-consuming nature of her involvement as a player, she plans to enjoy a playing career for as long as she possibly can. "I get tremendous enjoyment from playing for my club and county and when you are winning or very close to winning various titles, it is a big incentive to keep the training going and to maintain your commitment. "We're aiming to regain the county senior title and as far as the county team is concerned, the likes of James Lovett, Gerry Sheridan and John Mulvanney will not be leaving any stone unturned in their bid to get us fit enough to win the Ulster Junior title." And can Cavan's premier ladies football team make that precious breakthrough? "I think we can. We have our work cut out because the likes of Tyrone, Derry and Fermanagh will out be doing their very best to win the title too but with a good training regime and all the talent available, I don't see why we can't win the title this year," Michelle enthuses. As for the domestic, county scene, Michelle would like to see more clubs being set-up across the length and breadth of Cavan because they represent, in her opinion, the lifeblood of the county scene. "Ladies football is a great game and one which is very underestimated by the majority of people within the GAA. "I know more and more people are becoming interested in the ladies game but it would help a lot if there were more teams involved in the various county competitions. "You can't beat good competition to improve the standard of football played in the county and that's an area I'd like to see progress being made this year." Tweet

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