By Laura Glenn

Copyright derryjournal

The Moville native, who was the longest-serving cleric in the Derry Diocese, and one of the longest-serving in the entire country, passed away on Friday, at the age of 98. He was formerly of Moville, St Columb’s College, and the parishes of Galliagh, Omagh and Killygordon and latterly of Faughanvale Parish. His funeral was celebrated by Bishop of Derry, Dónal McKeown and his Homily was delivered by Monsignor Andy Dolan, who described Fr Keaveny as ‘one-of-a kind’ and a ‘bright and intelligent man, who could have succeeded in any path of life he’d cared to choose’. He had, said Msgr. Dolan, been born into a ‘very strong foundation – a home of faith and prayer, where Christian values were upheld and where there was encouragement and support, all driven by parents who worked hard to provide the best they could, in any way,’ for their family. Fr Keaveny’s family, he added, have made a ‘great contribution to the life of this parish and to our diocese’ and continue to do so. Mourners heard how Fr. Keaveny lived in a strong and ‘faithful’ parish that had a ‘long tradition’ of priesthood vocations. He attended Maynooth and then went on to Rome, which ‘fostered a man of culture and also a man who had an appreciation for the finer things in life’. His first appointment was in Derry’s St Columb’s College, in 1951, where he taught Maths and Religion, up until he was appointed as the first Administrator to the, then, new parish of St. Joseph’s in Galliagh. Msgr. Dolan, a former St Columb’s College student, said he ‘never had the privilege’ of Fr Keaveny as a teacher, but he was known as someone ‘very fair’ and ‘always encouraging’. He noted how many past students were in attendance at the funeral. One of Fr. Keaveny’s fondest memories, as someone who taught the students to swim at the Swimming Baths on William Street, was accompanying his past pupil, the late Liam Ball, to the Olympics in 1968, when he represented Ireland. He had a ‘great interest’ in education and represented the school sector on the Western Education and Library Board. He was also an original member of the successful diving team, which discovered the wreck of La Trinidad Valencera off Kinnego Bay in 1971. This was one of his great memories, as was his meeting with the late Pope Francis three years ago. Msgr. Dolan quipped how Fr. Keaveny travelled to the meeting by private jet. “Not many in this congregation, not even the Bishop, could boast that one.” The photograph of that meeting was displayed at Mass and mourners heard how ‘not Covid or any physical limitations were going to get in the way of that trip’. One very sad memory for Fr. Keaveny was the Omagh Bombing on August 15, 1998, when the bomb ‘could be heard in his own parochial house’. “An event that made such demands, beyond human endurance, to himself and brother priests at the time, who administered to the wounded and dying, in such awful circumstances.” “I’m sure there are many people, living and dead, who are ever grateful to him.” Fr. Keaveny, mourners were told, was ‘a man who dedicated his life to serving the Lord and made very sure he stayed in touch with the Lord.” “To sum up his ministry as a priest, I think his aim was to leave a place and people in better shape than he found it.” He told how someone remarked that you could ‘sum up Fr. Michael Keaveny’s life and interests as a priest and pastor as ‘from the bottom of the sea to the top of the spire’. Tributes were paid to family members of Fr. Keaveny who have passed away and also to his late housekeeper, Nancy, who died just a few weeks ago. He was also very well looked after by the people of Faughanvale and Longfield Nursing Home. “As we commend his soul, our brother priest, our most senior priest, to the Lord, we could sum him up by saying he was one-of-a-kind.” Fr Keaveny was laid to rest in Ballybrack cemetery.