Keith Lewis

If you have been in Castle Avenue in the past 60 ODD years, chances are that you will have been greeted by Keith Lewis with a hearty hello and firm shake of the hand. That was Lewi, immensely proud of his club and its home and always happy to invite others into a place so close to his heart. The news of his death brought responses from throughout, club, province and indeed the island. 

Brought up within a cover drive of the ground, Keith learnt his game in the club and his school, Mount Joy, where his love of hockey was also fostered.

He was a fine bat, primarily operating most successfully on the 2nd team but he also had a spell as an opening bowler. He captained the 2nd team for many years, in the process giving many young players their chance to shine, always providing the positive support such players require in their early development.

He never considered playing 2nd team cricket as a step down, he actively fostered rivalries with clubs, Leinster and his great friend Jim Kenny in particular but the games in the Fingal area and their added competitiveness was always special too.  

The strongest sides were always put on the park.  As his playing days came towards an end, he became involved in a management role with the Leinster youth team which took part in the Oxford tournament. Clubwise he always seemed to have an administrative role but his greatest role was as the club's number one supporter, a role which gave him the greatest pleasure. 

Keith's health deteriorated over recent years and his inability to get around was a source of enormous frustration to him and indeed we missed seeing him around the place.

We, in Clontarf and beyond have been fortunate to consider Keith as a friend, we will miss him.