Meet the new Bishop of Derry… Donal McKeown, a hurler, Gaelic footballer, fluent Italian, German and Irish speaker who has completed two marathons.
Bishop of Derry Donal McKeown.
Bishop McKeown was born on 12 April 1950 and brought up in Randalstown, Co Antrim, the first of four children of James McKeown (the local watchmaker) and Rose (neé McMeel), a primary school teacher.
He has three siblings – James, Mary and Teresa – and five nephews and nieces. His father died in 1998 at the age of 83 and his mother died in 2008, aged 92.
Both he and his father played Gaelic football and hurling with Creggan Kickhams GAA club, which recently won the All-Ireland Club Junior Hurling Final. Bishop McKeown’s nephews are on the Loughgiele Senior Hurling Panel.
After local primary education, he attended Saint Mac Nissi’s College, Garron Tower (1961-68).
From 1968 to 1973, he studied at Queen’s University, Belfast, while staying in the diocesan seminary at Saint Malachy’s College.
He graduated from QUB with an honours degree in German and Italian. He then undertook five years study of philosophy and theology in Rome at the Gregorian Pontifical University, being ordained a priest for the Diocese of Down and Connor by Bishop William Philbin in Randalstown on 3 July, 1977.
His first appointment in Down and Connor, was to the teaching staff of Saint Patrick’s College in East Belfast, as well as assisting in the parish of Derriaghy.
Newly appointed Bishop of Derry Donal McKeown is greeted by young St Eugene’s PS pupil Callum Friar. (NWNewspix)
In 1983, he was transferred to the staff of Saint MacNissi’s College, his old alma mater, and in addition was given responsibility for organising the annual diocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes.
In 1987, Bishop Cahal Daly, then Bishop of Down and Connor, moved him to Saint Malachy’s College, Belfast, where he taught and served as Dean of Saint Joseph’s Junior Seminary – traditionally known as “The Wing.”
In 1994, he was appointed President of Saint Malachy’s College and during his time there obtained his MBA in Educational Management from the University of Leicester. In 2001, Father McKeown was appointed as Auxiliary Bishop in the Diocese of Down and Connor.
Bishop McKeown’s responsibilities as a member of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference have included: the promotion of Catholic education, youth ministry, university chaplaincies and the promotion of vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
His interest includes the interface between faith and the empirical sciences and work with Catholic schools in Norway, Denmark, Lithuania, Poland and Germany.
Bishop McKeown has always had a keen interest in promoting the good news of the gospel in the media.
From 1971 – 1973, he was Belfast correspondent for the German Catholic news agency, KNA. While in Rome he did some media work with Vatican Radio and, as part of a team, developed reports in the Irish language for RTE’s An Saol Mór.
Bishop McKeown is also regular contributor, both north and south, to radio and television as well as having opinion articles published in newspapers and periodicals.
A life-long sports enthusiast, Bishop McKeown has completed two Belfast marathons and continues to take part in a relay team in the annual event.
Bishop McKeown fills the position left vacant by Bishop Seamus Hegarty who retired on health grounds in November 2011.
Following Bishop Hegarty’s retirement, Monsignor Eamon Martin was appointed Diocesan Adminstrator, a position taken over in April last year by Fr Francis Bradley when he was appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Armagh.
As Bishop of Derry, Most Rev Dr McKeown will be he leader of the Catholic congregation in over 50 parishes spread over three counties – Derry, Tyrone and Donegal.
Previous Bishops of Derry have been:
1994-2011: Seamus Hegarty
1974-1993: Edward Daly
1939-1973: Neil Farren
Retired Bishop of Derry Seamus Hegarty.
1926-1939: Bernard O’Kane
1907-1926: Charles McHugh
1889-1907: John Keys O’Doherty
1864-1889: Francis Kelly
1840-1864: John McLaughlin
1797-1824: Charles O’Donnell
1766-1797: Phillip McDevitt
1752-1765: John McColgan
1749-1750: John Brullaghhaun
1739-1749: Michael O’Reilly
1720-unknown: Terence Donnelly
1711-1720: Vacant
1694-c.1696: Fergus Laurence Lee
1684-c.1711: Bernard O’Cahan
1629-1668: Terence Kelly
1622-unknown: Luke Rochford
1601-1622: Vacant
1569-1601: Redmond O’Gallagher
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