| Michael Feeney MBE |
|
|---|---|
| Residence | Castlebar, County Mayo |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Spouse | Mary |
| Children | Patrick and Anna |
Michael Feeney, MBE, was the founder of the Mayo Peace Park. A dual citizen of Ireland and the UK, he was awarded the MBE due to his services in promoting UK-Ireland relations.[1][2]
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Michael Feeney was born in Castlebar, County Mayo, Michael Feeney is the Chairman and Founder of The Mayo Peace Park and Garden of Rememembrance. Educated at St Patrick's school in Castlebar up to the age of 14, Feeney originally worked for the local Bacon Company before moving to the Health Service Executive, where he worked for 26 yeears.
Feeney has supported the development of football in Mayo and was Secretary of the Mayo League until 1986, when he helped to establish the opening of the Milebush Park facility.[3]
Feeney was awarded the MBE due to his services in promoting UK-Ireland relations by Queen Elizabeth at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace in the Queen's New Year Honours List in 2010.[2]
The County Mayo Peace Park and Garden of Rememembrance is a project to document natives of 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.
Michael'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 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 Northern France.[4]
The Peace Park and Michael Feeney's acceptance of an MBE has caused controversy.[5] The Peace Park was described as "a monument to the British" by Fianna Fáil Mayo County Council group leader Al McDonnell. McDonnell specifically referred to the MBE accepted by Feeney and the laying of a plaque for a man who died in Iraq.
Michael Feeney is married to Mary Feeney and has two children, Patrick and Anna.[2]
Michael Feeney compiled a book Remembering Mayo’s Fallen Heroes. This was a collaborative work with a number of authoris and was launched on September 2008.[6]