Michael Feeney

For the lover of Nora Barnacle, see Michael Feeney (schoolteacher).
Michael Feeney
MBE
Residence Castlebar, County Mayo
Nationality Irish-British
Spouse(s) Mary Feeney
Children 2

Michael Feeney, MBE, is the founder of the County Mayo Peace Park and Garden of Remembrance. A dual citizen of Ireland and the United Kingdom, he was awarded the MBE due to his services in promoting British-Irish relations.[1][2]

Early life

He was born in Castlebar, County Mayo. Feeney is the founder of the County Mayo Peace Park and Garden of Remembrance. He was educated at St Patrick's school in Castlebar up to the age of 14. He worked for the local Bacon Company before moving to the Health Service Executive, where he worked for 26 years.

Private life

Feeney is married to Mary Feeney and has two children, and lives in Castlebar. He spent several years in the FCA based at Castlebar.

Mayo League

He has supported the development of soccer in Mayo and was Secretary of the Mayo League until 1986, when he helped to establish the opening of the Milebush Park facility.[3]

County Mayo Peace Park and Garden of Remembrance

The County Mayo Peace Park and Garden of Remembrance is a project to document people from County Mayo who lost their lives in both World Wars.[1] It was officially opened by Mary McAleese, the President of Ireland in October 2008.[1] The annual Remembrance Day Services to commemorate Mayo's World War dead began in 1999, when Feeney organised an official Remembrance mass in the Church of the Holy Rosary in Castlebar following research which showed that a significant number of County Mayo soldiers were killed in action in World War I and World War II in the uniforms of many nations.

Pte Patrick Feeney

Feeney's grandfather, Patrick Feeney, of the 1st Battalion Connaught Rangers was killed in action on Thursday 22 July 1915 near Rue-Tilleroy France the day the Connaught Rangers were finally relieved after spending 16 days in the front line. Patrick Feeney was a professional soldier and served in the South Africa Campaign, he had left the British Army in 1911. At the outbreak of World War I in 1914 he was mobilised and returned to the Colours to serve with the Connaught Rangers once more. He was buried in the Royal Irish Graveyard in Laventie, France.[4]

Feeney was awarded the MBE due to his services in promoting British-Irish relations by Queen Elizabeth II at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace in the Queen's New Year Honours List in 2010.[2]

Published work

Feeney compiled a book Remembering Mayo's Fallen Heroes.[5] This was a collaborative work with a number of authoris and was launched on September 2008.[6]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Irish named in Queen's Birthday Honours List". Irish Post. Retrieved 24 October 2010. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)
  2. 1 2 Ryan, Áine. "Mayo Peace Park founder honoured by Queen". Mayo News. Retrieved 29 October 2010.
  3. ↑ "History of Mayo Football". Retrieved 12 December 2010.
  4. ↑ "Private Patrick Feeney 5547" (PDF). County Mayo Peace Park and Garden of Remembrance. Retrieved 29 October 2010.
  5. ↑ http://www.mayopeacepark.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=96&Itemid=75
  6. ↑ "Remembering Mayo's Fallen Heroes". County Mayo Peace Park and Garden of Remembrance. Retrieved 29 October 2010.
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