December 9, 2024

Roy Keane’s Dog – Triggs

keane-triggs

In the immediate aftermath of the Saipan affair Roy Keane was photographed and filmed walking his golden labrador, Triggs, near Keane’s home in Cheshire. Indeed it is such an abiding image that Triggs gained her own degree of notoriety.

During the media blizzard that descended upon the Keane family home poor Triggs had missed out on her exercise walks. An hour after arriving home from Saipan, and at the suggestion of his wife, Keane decided to take Triggs out for a walk, “Come on girl, we’re going for a walk” and so Keane and Triggs emerged into the media scrum outside his home in the leafy Cheshire suburb.

The image of Triggs bouncing playfully alongside Keane as he strode out stoney-faced, as though in defiance of the opprobrium being heaped on him by the pro-McCarthy camp, is one that anyone old enough to remember the Saipan episode will recall forever.

Rumours of Triggs’ Demise in 2010 Greatly Exaggerated

In 2010 rumours emerged that the golden Labrador Triggs had passed away. These may have had their origin in the fact that Keane’s pet had been diagnosed with a cancerous tumour during that year.

With appropriate canine treatment Triggs managed to live on for a further two years.

Keane Confirms the Death of Triggs in 2012

During his annual trip to Ireland to support the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind charity it emerged that one of the most famous dogs in the World of sport had indeed succumbed to the tumour that she had contracted in 2010. At a press conference in early May 2012 Keane revealed that 13 year old Triggs had passed way. These were his comments at the press conference as reported by Mary Hannigan of the Irish Times:

Hard to take? “You can say that again. Unless you’ve had a dog you’d never understand. She was a great dog and went through a lot with me. You’ll have me crying in a minute, so be careful. Na, na, listen, she had a good life.”

Later, in private, he seems to find it harder to talk about Triggs than Saipan. “She was there throughout my career, the ups and downs, the good times and the bad. The beauty was that no matter what was going on she needed walking. And she’d look at me and . . . ah, that’s life, isn’t it? She was really ill the last few months. The man upstairs looked after her.”

Triggs – The Autobiography of Roy Keane’s Dog

paw-print

Triggs may be gone but she won’t be forgotten – and not just because of those media images from the Summer of 2002. “Triggs – The Autobiography of Roy Keane’s Dog” was released in June 2012. Paul Howard, the man behind Ross O’Carroll-Kelly, is penning the warts-and-all autobiography that will reveal the innermost thoughts of Keane’s canine companion as they shared the roller-coaster ride that has been the Corkman’s life over the past ten years.

NOTE: Unless stated otherwise all quotations are from:
Keane: The Autobiography; Roy Keane with Eamon Dunphy (2002); Michael Joseph Ltd

Thanks to the Irish Times for the kind permission to reproduce the above from reporter Mary Hannigan’s piece in the newspaper on Friday 4th May 2012.

Roy Keane – Flawed Character

Back to Saipan Affair Table of Contents – Irish Football

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Saipan Table of Contents Roy Keane & Eamon Dunphy
Saipan Introduction Roy Keane & Cork
Methodology Keane’s Aversion to Being Away From Home
Saipan Conclusions Roy Keane’s Relationship with Ireland
Roy Keane – Mick McCarthy Relationship Roy Keane – Zenith Data Systems Cup
Roy Keane Version of Saipan Incident Roy Keane – Jack Charlton Relationship
Mick McCarthy Version of Saipan Incident 1 Roy Keane’s Flawed Character
Mick McCarthy Account of Saipan Incident 2 Roy Keane’s Good Character
Niall Quinn Version of Saipan Incident Roy Keane – Footballer
Jason McAteer Version of Saipan Incident Roy Keane – Team Captain
Matt Holland Version of Saipan Incident Roy Keane – Family Man
Roy Keane & Saipan – The Backdrop Roy Keane & Faking Injury
Roy Keane & Saipan – The Issues Roy Keane – Bad Boy
Keane / McCarthy Boston Row 1992 Roy Keane – Career Lows
Keane Misses Iran Playoff Game Roy Keane – Red Cards
Keane Misses Niall Quinn Testimonial Roy Keane – Cruciate Injury
Countdown to Saipan Incident Roy Keane & Alf-Inge Haaland
Roy Keane Saipan Tirade at Mick McCarthy Roy Keane & Gareth Southgate Red Card
Roy Keane / Tom Humphries Saipan Interview 1 Roy Keane & Alan Shearer Red Card
Keane / Humphries Saipan Interview 2 Roy Keane / Alex Ferguson Relationship 1
Roy Keane / Irish Times Saipan Interview 3 Roy Keane & Sir Alex Ferguson 2
Roy Keane / Paul Kimmage Saipan Interview 1 Roy Keane & Charity
Keane / Kimmage Saipan Interview 2 Roy Keane & Autobiography Contradictions
Roy Keane / Sunday Independent Saipan Interview 3 Roy Keane & Contradictions
Roy Keane / Tommie Gorman Interview 1 Roy Keane – Integrity
Roy Keane / Tommy Gorman Interview 2 Roy Keane – International Matches
Roy Keane / RTE Interview 3 Roy Keane – Football Record
FAI Involvement in Saipan Affair Roy Keane & Sandwiches
Saipan Reaction of Irish Players Roy Keane – Walker
Mick McCarthy – ‘crap player, crap manager’ Saipan – Pacific Island
Roy Keane / Mick McCarthy Playing Record I Keano – The Musical
Colin Healy – Forgotten Man of Saipan Roy Keane – Football Manager
Saipan Ten Years Later Roy Keane’s Dog Triggs
Roy Keane’s Autobiography Saipan Bibiliography

 

Roy Keane – View Seven Years After Saipan
Football Quotes on Saipan

 

Triggs – The Autobiography of Roy Keane’s Dog
Ireland at 2002 World Cup Finals – Irish 2002 World Cup Squad – Irish Group Matches
Ireland V Cameroon – Ireland V Germany – Ireland V Saudi Arabia – Ireland V Spain