Club Keating enjoyed a lengthy club hurling career with Ballybacon–Grange, winning a number of divisional championship medals, however, it was with the
Ardfinnan footballers that he enjoyed his greatest successes. In 1962 Ardfinnan made a long-awaited breakthrough in the senior championship. A 4–11 to 1–6 defeat of
Thurles Crokes gave Keating, who lined out at centre-forward, his first
championship medal. The following year Keating was at full-forward as Ardfinnan qualified for a second successive county decider. A relatively comfortable 1–9 to 1–2 defeat of
Templemore gave him a second championship medal. Ardfinnan made it three-in-a-row in 1964. Keating bagged 2–2 in a 5–10 to 3–3 defeat of a disjointed and disappointing North selection. It was Keating's third championship medal. After securing the three-in-a-row, Ardfinnan went on to lose three deciders in-a-row at the end of the decade. This losing streak was halted in 1970, with Keating collecting a fourth championship medal following an ugly 1–11 to 2–2 defeat of
Clonmel Commercials Keating won a fifth and final championship medal in 1974, following a narrow 1–6 to 1–4 defeat of
Fethard.
Minor and under-21 Keating first played for Tipperary as a
dual player in the minor grades in 1960. He won his first
Munster medal with the hurlers that year, following a 6–7 to 4–3 defeat of
Galway. The subsequent All-Ireland decider saw Tipperary face
Kilkenny in a repeat of the previous years final. A huge 7–12 to 1–11 defeat was Keating's lot on that occasion. In 1961 Keating added a second Munster medal to his collection following a 7–11 to 1–6 defeat of
Cork. The subsequent All-Ireland decider saw Tipperary face Kilkenny for the third successive year. The game was much closer than the previous year, however, Keating still ended up on the losing side by 3–13 to 0–15. Keating was captain of the minor team in 1962. He won a third successive Munster medal that year as Tipperary outclassed Cork by 4–11 to 4–1. Kilkenny were the opponents in the subsequent All-Ireland decider once again, however, "the Cats" maintained the upper hand over their near neighbours. Goals were key as a 3–6 to 0–9 defeat meant Ketaing ended up on the losing side for a third successive year. It was his last game in the minor grade. In 1964 Keating was an automatic choice on Tipperary's inaugural under-21 hurling team. An 8–9 to 3–1 defeat of
Waterford gave him a
Munster medal in that grade.
Wexford provided the opposition in the subsequent All-Ireland decider, however, the game turned into a rout. A huge 8–9 to 3–1 victory gave Keating an
All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship medal. Keating missed Tipperary's second consecutive Munster under-21 triumph in 1965, however, he was restored to the starting fifteen for the subsequent All-Ireland final against Wexford. The Leinster champions avenged the previous years defeat as Tipperary fell to a 3–7 to 1–4 defeat.
Senior Early success Having been a regular member of the Tipperary senior football team since 1960, Keating joined the Tipperary senior hurlers in 1964. He won his first
National Hurling League medal that year following a 4–16 to 6–6 defeat of
New York. Keating made his senior championship debut on 5 July 1964 in a 6–13 to 2–5 Munster semi-final defeat of
Clare. Tipperary later cantered casually past Cork by fourteen points in the provincial decider, giving Keating his first
Munster medal. The All-Ireland final on 6 September 1964 saw reigning champions Kilkenny enter the game as firm favourites against Tipperary.
John "Mackey" McKenna scored Tipp's first goal after ten minutes as the Munster champions took a 1–8 to 0–6 interval lead. The second half saw Tipperary score goals for fun, with
Donie Nealon getting a hat-trick and
Seán McLoughlin another. Kilkenny were humiliated at the full-time whistle as Tipperary triumphed by 5–13 to 2–8. It was Keating's first
All-Ireland medal. Keating found it difficult to nail down a permanent place on the team over the next few years, and he missed Tipperary's All-Ireland triumph in 1965.
Tipperary decline After surrendering their provincial crown in 1966, Tipperary bounced back the following year, with Keating, who was restored to the team, winning a second Munster medal following a 4–12 to 2–6 defeat of Clare. 3 September 1967 saw Kilkenny face Tipperary in the All-Ireland decider. Tipp looked like continuing their hoodoo over their near rivals as they took a 2–6 to 1–3 lead at half-time. Goalkeeper
Ollie Walsh was the hero for Kilkenny as he made a series of spectacular saves, however, the team lost
Eddie Keher and
Tom Walsh to injury in the second half. In spite of this, Kilkenny laid to rest a bogey that Tipperary had over the team since 1922, and a 3–8 to 2–7 victory resulted in defeat for Keating's team. Keating added a second league medal to his collection in 1968 following a 6–27 to 4–22 aggregate defeat of New York. Tipperary later retained their status as provincial kingpins and a 2–13 to 1–7 trouncing of Cork gave Keating a third Munster medal. For the fourth time of the decade, Wexford were Tipp's opponents in the subsequent All-Ireland final on 1 September 1968. At half-time it looked as if Tipperary were cruising to another victory as they took an eight-point lead. Just after the restart Wexford had a
Christy Jacob goal disallowed before
Tony Doran scored a goal after just six minutes. Tipp fought back; however, it was too late as Wexford won a remarkable game by 5–8 to 3–12.
Twilight success By 1971 Keating had come to be regarded as one of the great full-forwards of the era, as Tipperary regrouped for one final push at glory. A 4–16 to 3–18 victory over
Limerick gave him a fourth Munster medal. On 5 September 1971 Kilkenny faced Tipperary in the All-Ireland final, the first to be
broadcast in colour by
Telefís Éireann and the only eighty-minute meeting between the two sides. Kilkenny's ever-dependable goalkeeper,
Ollie Walsh, had a nightmare of a game in which he conceded five goals, one of which passed through his legs, while Keating played out the closing stages of the game in his bare feet. Tipperary emerged the victors on a score line of 5–17 to 5–14. It was his second All-Ireland medal. Keating finished off the year by winning an
All-Star before being named
Texaco Hurler of the Year.
Final years Tipperary went into decline following this victory as Limerick and Cork dominated the provincial series. On 20 July 1975 he played his last game for the Tipperary hurlers in a 0–17 to 1–10 Munster semi-final replay defeat by Limerick. He lined out with the Tipperary footballers for one further season in 1976, however, he was recalled to the team at the age of thirty-six in 1980.
Inter-provincial In 1965 Keating was at left wing-forward as the Munster inter-provincial hurling team faced their age-old rivals
Leinster in the championship decider. The southern province was completely outclassed on that occasion as Leinster powered to a 3–11 to 0–9 victory. After failing to be picked for the team over the next two years, Keating was back with Munster in 1968 as the team faced Leinster once again in the inter-provincial decider. A 0–14 to 0–10 victory gave him his first
Railway Cup medal. In 1970 Keating lined out with Munster once again as the team faced Leinster in the decider. A huge 2–15 to 0–9 victory gave him his second Railway Cup medal. Keating was a regular on the Munster inter-provincial football team during this period as well. In 1972 he was a member of the starting team that faced Leinster in the decider. A 1–15 apiece draw was the result on that occasion, however, the southern province made no mistake in the replay. A double scores 2–14 to 0–10 victory gave Keating a Railway Cup medal with the footballers, his third overall. ==Managerial career==