Father McKeown was born April, 12, 1950, in Randallstown, County Antrim. The bishop-elect entered the diocesan seminary, St. Malachy’s College, in 1968, and studied at Queen’s University, Belfast, where he obtained a bachelor´s degree in modern languages. From 1973 to 1978 he studied at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, obtaining the degree of licentiate in theology.
After ordination to the priesthood in 1977, he was chaplain at Mater Infirmorum Hospital in Belfast (1977-78), and taught successively at St. Patrick’s College, Belfast (1978-83), St. Mac Nissi’s College, Garron Tower (1983-87) and St. Malachy’s College, Belfast (1987 to the present). Since
1995 he has been president of St. Malachy’s College.
The diocese has 300,000 Catholics out of a total population of more than 1 million. There are 88 parishes in the diocese served by 203 priests.
