Special moment for Billy & Johnny
‘A SPECIAL moment’ is how Billy Keane described his now famous embrace of godson Johnny Sexton in the seconds after Ireland secured the historic Grand Slam.
Irish out-half Johnny Sexton has Kerry links to beat the band as his dad Jerry hails from Listowel, where his grandmother Brenda and uncle John run clothes shops on William Street. He also has Ballylongford connections which, in Billy’s words, makes him ‘steeped in Kerry’.
Billy is Johnny’s godfather and together they shared the kind of rare moment that only sport seems capable of producing: as Billy shouted ‘Johnno’ as loud as he could while the triumphant Irish players performed a lap of honour around the old stadium.
“I call him Johnno after Kerry legend John O’Keeffe. He knew straight away it was me and he jumped over the wall. It was one of those special moments that you couldn’t plan for,” Billy said.
But the Listowel publican and scribe had a very simple reminder for Johnny after his flinty encounter with the English.
“He was disappointed when Scotland beat them last year and he said to me ‘that’s the Grand Slam gone now’. I remember saying at the time you’ll win it next year, so ‘I told you so’ was the first thing I said to him as we hugged.”
The celebrations lasted late into the London night for Billy, Johnny’s dad and uncle alongside hordes of delirious Irish fans.