Christened Eamon Declan O’Keeffe but always known as Eddie, he was born in Cork on November 11, 1932. The son of veterinary surgeon John O’Keeffe, Eddie was riding from the age of five.He served his apprenticeship initially with Atty Persse at Upper Lambourn. During the whole of the 1950 Flat season he had only one ride in public, but that was on a horse that he would later reflect was the best he rode during his entire career. Her name was Queen of Sheba. Eddie rode her just once, finishing unplaced in the Kingsclere Stakes for two-year-old fillies on June 22, 1950. Queen of Sheba went on to win the 1951 Cheshire Oaks and the Irish 1,000 Guineas, finished fifth in the (Epsom) Oaks and second in the Irish Oaks.

When Persse retired, Eddie returned to Ireland, his indentures having been transferred to Kevin Kerr, who trained a large (for those times) string of 50 horses at his stables in Clonee, Co. Meath. Prior to taking up training, Kerr, who was also a fully qualified vet, had played soccer for leading amateur team Bohemians during the 1930s and 1940s, captaining the club in 1942. He won three classics during his career, taking the 1953 Irish 2000 Guineas and Irish St Leger with Sea Charger and the 1965 Irish 2000 Guineas with Golden Banner.

It was for Kerr that Eddie rode his first winner, a horse called On High, at Mullingar on July 26, 1952. He rode three more winners in Ireland, including Chanterelle at Navan on August 19, 1953 for trainer Charles Prendergast.

He had a brief spell riding in Trinidad but disliked the Caribbean lifestyle and didn’t stay long.

Returning to Britain in the mid-1950s, Eddie combined riding on the Flat and over jumps. His first winner in England came on Seven Spades in a Catterick novices’ hurdle on December 8, 1956 for former dual Grand National-winning jockey Arthur Thompson, who was by then training at East Keswick, near Leeds.

Eddie rode two winners on the Flat in Britain, the first on Cunard for Wetherby trainer William Newton at Doncaster in June 1957, the second on Gallant Scholar for another Wetherby trainer, Percy Vasey, at Carlisle in July 1958. The remainder of his successes were gained over jumps.

The Dick Curran-trained Fellermelad became Eddie’s tenth winner when winning a Liverpool handicap hurdle in December 1958, resulting in his claim being reduced from 7lb to 5lb. He rode his sole winner over fences on Patrick’s Walk in a Market Rasen novices’ chase on Easter Monday 1960, the rest of his wins being in hurdle races.