Willie Keane was born to Patrick and Ellen Keane on May 16th, 1927 in Doonbeg, a small coastal town in the South West of County Clare. One of four children, Willie spent his childhood living on the family farm where he fostered a deep love of the outdoors that continued throughout his life as a fisherman and farmer. During the time of his childhood and even early adulthood, country-house dance practices would have been common in the area, so despite never attending formal dance classes, Willie’s dance education was one of experiential immersion from a young age.