Fr Gary Donegan pictured at the launch of the walk Silver Jubilee Climb of the Reek recently Picture: Hugh Russell
From his school days in Roslea to being invited to the White House it has been quite a journey for Newtownbutler’s own Fr Gary Donegan, who will celebrate 25 years in the priesthood by climbing Croagh Patrick in Co Mayo.
Fr Donegan is the rector and parish priest at Holy Cross Church, Ardoyne, north Belfast and will undertake the trek up Ireland’s holiest mountain for charities MS Society NI and Marie Curie.
The journey is in honour of Fr Donegan’s ‘hero’ brother Mark, who lives with MS.
“He’s the unsung hero of my life and the way he just gets on with this debilitating disease and is always constantly happy and always very outgoing and has just a great mentality. I thought it was important to raise awareness of this condition and then obviously 25 years in the priesthood, a big part of that has been actually journeying with terminally ill people and Marie Curie again are unsung heroes and heroines, they’re just unbelievable.”
From being ordained in 1991 Fr Gary spent nine years at the Graan monastery before being sent to Ardoyne in 2001 where he faced “a real baptism of fire”.
“I went there in January 2001 and on my birthday June 19 the Holy Cross blockade broke out so I was there for that and subsequently my predecessor Fr Aidan Troy joined me in August and we became synonymous with that. From there on I became involved with the peace process and in 2008 I became rector and parish priest in Ardoyne and then in 2012 I took a sabbatical.”
He continued: “Since I came back my main remit now is the peace process, I’ve done a lot of work in decommissioning, drugs and with the three governments: The British; Irish and American. I’ve had some incredible times, I’ve spoke at the UN, been invited to the White House, all those things are massive for a young lad from Newtownbutler who went to school in Roslea.
“The great thing about Fermanagh whether it’s family or it’s friends you’ll never lose the run of yourself, you’re still Gary, you’re still the guy that played for Newtown and the guy who is fanatical about Fermanagh.”
While these are all special moments for Fr Gary the highlight he insists as a passionist is the journey you take with families.
“The highlight has actually been being allowed in to the vulnerability of people’s lives and that is a privileged position to be in.”
Fr Gary’s trek up Croagh Patrick takes place on May 14 and he will be joined by people from both sides of the community in Ardoyne and the neighbouring Shankill as well as sporting people from across the North and supporters in Fermanagh.
Already he has secured local married couple James and Seaneen Carson, whom he married on New Years Eve and would love a representative from every GAA club in the county to take part in what he hopes will be a “bit of craic”.
To make a donation in support Fr Donegan’s trek on May 14, please visit www.mssociety.org.uk/ms-events/fr-garys-croagh-patrick-challenge-1 or call the monastery on 02890748231. Donations can also be sent to Holy Cross, 432 Crumlin Road Belfast BT14 7GE, marked Fr Gary’s Croagh Patrick Trek.
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