Batt O'Keeffe

Batt O'Keeffe, formally Bartholomew O'Keeffe (born 2 April 1945 in Cullen, County Cork), is an Irish former Fianna Fail politician who also had a sporting career in Gaelic football. He was educated at St. Brendan's College, Killarney and University College Cork, and worked as a lecturer at the Cork Institute of Technology before entering politics. In sport he holds three Munster football Gaelic Athletic Association medals won with Cork GAA at Under 21, Junior and Senior level, and he was also a Cork Intermediate Handball Champion. His political career brought him to Cork County Council in 1985, to the Dail as a Teachta Dala from 1987 to 1989 and from 1992 to 2011, and to the Seanad on the Labour Panel from 1989 to 1992. He served as Minister of State from 2004 to 2008, Minister for Education and Science from 2008 to 2010 and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation from 2010 to 2011. This entry covers his Gaelic football and handball achievements.