Keddy Takes The Plunge For His 80th

Charlie Keddy THURS27JUNE24 John McGowan

e’s been dubbed by The Irish Times as the most determined would-be councillor in Ireland, having stood in every local election since 1985 without ever winning a seat.

And with campaign slogans like You Can Have The Shit Or You Can Have Charlie, the man certainly knows how to turn on the charm.

He came close in 1991, losing with Labour on the sixth count, and just missed the deadline to sign up for the 2007 election by a few hours.

But if proof were needed that he’s a man who never gives up, the bould Keddy was down at Shoreline early this morning to mark his 80th birthday by swimming a few lengths of the pool.

Cheered on by son Con and daughter Nicky, the man is aiming to do 80 lengths this morning. Bejiggers.

While he was there, he may have also checked up on how the recount was coming along.

We’ve little doubt the man will, eh, walk his 80 lengths today, Keddy having done 20 marathons since the 1980s (best time was 3 hours 57 minutes), and he swims 4 or 5 times a week, does regular park runs, and was, we assured, one of the best hurlers in Wicklow in his day.

Dubbed Marmite Man by his friends – his staunch stances on a range of political issues being not to everyone’s tastes – Keddy is quite the character, and his swimming buddies like nothing more than following his latest limb reconstructions, court appearances and sporting achievements whilst also brushing up on their cupla focail.

If you’re pardon the language.

As these John McGowan pictures from this morning prove, the man is still going very strong after 80 years.

So, here’s to the next local election. And the one after that. And, hey, who knows…