18 Facts About Donal McKeown

Donal McKeown was brought up in Randalstown, County Antrim, where he played Gaelic football and hurling with Kickhams GAC Creggan.

Donal McKeown attended primary school at Mount St Michael's Primary School, Randalstown, and secondary school as a boarder at St MacNissi's College, Camlough, between 1961 and 1968, completing his O-Levels and A-Levels with special distinctions in Modern Languages.

Donal McKeown began studying for the priesthood at St Malachy's College, Belfast, in 1968, and obtained a bachelor's degree with honours in German and Italian from Queen's University Belfast.

Donal McKeown taught English at a school in Dieburg, Germany, between 1970 and 1971, and subsequently worked as Northern Ireland correspondent for the Katholische Nachrichten-Agentur between 1971 and 1973.

Donal McKeown completed a licentiate in sacred theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, between 1973 and 1978, during which he worked for Vatican Radio and as a correspondent for An Saol Mor, an Irish-language programme on RTE.

Donal McKeown was ordained to the priesthood on 3 July 1977.

Donal McKeown returned to the Diocese of Down and Connor in 1978, where he was appointed as a teacher at Our Lady and St Patrick's College, Knock, while serving as assistant priest in Derriaghy.

Donal McKeown returned to St MacNissi's College in 1983, where he continued his involvement with youth ministry and was given responsibility for organising the annual diocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes.

Donal McKeown subsequently returned to St Malachy's College in 1987, where he taught and served as dean of the adjoining seminary, before succeeding Canon Noel Conway as president in 1995.

Donal McKeown has completed the Belfast Marathon on two occasions: as a priest with a team of 48 from Derriaghy in 1982, and as a bishop fundraising for a minibus for St Malachy's College in 2001.

Donal McKeown was appointed auxiliary bishop-elect for the Diocese of Down and Connor and titular bishop of Cell Ausaille by Pope John Paul II on 21 February 2001, the first Irish bishop to be appointed in the third millennium.

Donal McKeown served as a member of the Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference, with responsibility for the promotion of Catholic education, youth ministry, university chaplaincies and the promotion of vocations.

Donal McKeown's interests include the interface between faith and the empirical sciences, and working with Catholic schools in Norway, Denmark, Lithuania, Poland and Germany.

Donal McKeown served as a member of the Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference and its committee on education, and chaired its committees on vocations and youth.

Donal McKeown led the youth of the diocese to World Youth Day in 2002 and 2005, and travelled to Rome alongise his brother bishops for their quinquennial visit ad limina in 2006.

Donal McKeown is a regular contributor on Thought for the Day on BBC Radio Ulster.

Donal McKeown was appointed Bishop-elect of Derry by Pope Francis on 25 February 2014.

Donal McKeown will serve in this role until the installation of Alan McGuckian, following his appointment as Bishop of Down and Connor on 2 February 2024.