Tributes to priest who supported victims of Omagh bomb

A FORMER  parish priest of Drumragh who ministered to the people of Omagh in the aftermath of the 1998 Market Street bombing has been laid to rest in his native parish of Moville, Co Donegal.

Fr Michael Keaveney, who died at the weekend in his early nineties, had been a priest since 1951 and was among the oldest in Ireland.

Born in Moville, he served in the parish of Drumragh from 1992 until 2002, a decade that included the atrocity which claimed the lives of 31 people.

At Fr Keaveney’s Requiem Mass in Moville, Monsignor Andy Dolan reflected on the devastating impact of that day.

“A more sad event needs to be mentioned which he encountered in his pastoral life and that was August 15, 1998, when the bomb in Omagh could be heard in his own parochial house,” Monsignor Dolan told the congregation.

“That was an event which made such demands that were maybe beyond human endurance for himself and the other priests at the time. They were required to minister to the injured and the dying in such awful circumstances. There are many people, both living and dead, who will have been forever grateful to him for his work at that time.”

Alongside his pastoral care, Fr Keaveney also oversaw the extensive refurbishment of Omagh’s Sacred Heart Church in time for its centenary celebrations in 1999.

Monsignor Dolan said the upkeep and future-proofing of churches in every parish he served was always a priority.

“He ensured that parish churches were in good condition, and that they were future-proofed.

“Many will have their own appreciation of how he touched them personally and their communities. In all his pursuits, the one word that can be associated with him is determined. If he wanted to promote some idea, there was no turning back.

“More importantly, Fr Keaveney made very sure that he stayed in touch with the Lord. Through his prayer life and study of the scriptures, he ensured that he got to know the Lord better. His aim in priesthood was to leave a place and its people in better shape than he found them. “

The Mass was concelebrated by the Bishop of Derry, Dr Donal McKeown, who noted that Fr Keaveney had studied at St Columb’s College, Derry, before continuing his education at the Irish College in Rome. He had secured a place originally destined for the late actor Ray McAnally.

Bishop McKeown added that meeting Pope Francis three years ago had represented ‘mission accomplished’ for Fr Keaveney, and that his passing too marked ‘mission accomplished’.