Golden jubilee for Milford parish priest Fr Padraig Keogh
THE high esteem which the parishioners of Milford hold for their parish priest of ten years, Rev Father Padraig Keogh, was amply demonstrated on Friday night last when they turned out in numbers to celebrate with him the Golden Jubilee of his ordination to the priesthood for the Cloyne diocese in 1967.
The evening started with concelebrated Mass in Milford’s Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, where some 14 of his fellow priests from the Cloyne diocese were on the altar to concelebrate his Mass of Thanksgiving for the most precious gift of his priestly vocation and 50 happy, fascinating years of ministry.
Mass was followed by a reception in the village hall, which was attended by the people of the parish.
A native of Rockchapel, the young Padraig Keogh attended the local national school before going on to St Colman’s Diocesan College, Fermoy. He was ordained at St. Patrick’s College Maynooth on 18 June 1967. Following his ordination, Fr. Keogh ministered in Kitui, in Kenya for the first two years of his ministry before moving back to study Cathechetics in London in 1970 for a year. He was then appointed Chaplain to Mount Alvernia Hospital near Mallow before going to Hazelwood parish near Doneraile as curate where he remained for the next 12 years.
Fr. Keogh’s next posting was to Ballyclough parish for a further seven years, after which he was on the move again, this time to Whitechurch parish, where he served as curate for three years, and thence to the seaside town of Youghal for another three years.
Thereafter Fr Keogh remained in the east Cork region serving ten years in the parish of Lisgoold, before travelling back to the north of the county when he was appointed parish priest of the villages of Milford, Freemount and Tullilease to succeed Fr Dick Hegarty on the latter’s retirement.
Fr Keogh will himself retire this July and he will be succeeded as parish priest by Charleville native Fr Peter O’Farrell.
Fr Keogh was the recipient of many messages of congratulations and tributes from the people of Milford parish who attended a reception to mark the Golden Jubilee of his ordination in the village hall. The night was organised by the members of Milford Community Council led by chairman, Pat O’Connell and the ladies of the Social Club, who catered admirably for the occasion. The MC for the night was local community member Seamus Stritch, who thanked everybody who had contributed to the success of the evening. In reply Fr Keogh said he will cherish the evening and he appreciated the wonderful effort that went into organising the celebration. He thanked everybody involved with making the arrangements to celebrate his Golden Jubilee on a very special and memorable evening.