Ciaran McKeown facts for kids

Ciaran McKeown (born in 1943 – died September 1, 2019) was an important peace activist from Northern Ireland. He worked hard to bring people together and end conflict during a difficult time known as The Troubles.

Early Life and Education

Ciaran McKeown was born in Derry, a city in Northern Ireland. His family was Roman Catholic. When he was young, he spent eight months studying to become a priest with the Dominican Order.

He later went to Queen's University Belfast to study philosophy. While there, he became the first Catholic student to be elected president of the university's student council. He also led a student political group called the National Democrats. In 1969, he became the president of the Union of Students in Ireland, which was based in Dublin.

Becoming a Journalist

In 1970, Ciaran McKeown started working as a reporter for The Irish Times. Later, he became the Belfast correspondent for The Irish Press. As a journalist, he reported on the start of The Troubles, a period of conflict in Northern Ireland.

His experiences reporting on the conflict made him want to help. In 1976, he supported the creation of "Women for Peace." This movement was started by Betty Williams and Mairead Corrigan in Northern Ireland. When Ciaran's involvement became known, the group changed its name to "Community of Peace People," or simply "Peace People." After 1977, it became harder for him to work as a full-time journalist.

Working for Peace

Ciaran McKeown was known as a calm and thoughtful leader within the Peace People movement. He believed that church leaders should speak out more against the conflict between different religious groups.

In 1976, Mairead Corrigan and Betty Williams won the Nobel Peace Prize for their work with the Peace People. Ciaran was not included in the prize. However, the Ford Foundation gave money to the group. This money included a salary for Ciaran. It allowed him to become the full-time editor of Peace by Peace, the group's newspaper. He also spent a year as editor of Fortnight Magazine in 1977.

Challenges and Later Life

In 1978, Ciaran McKeown, Mairead Corrigan, and Betty Williams all stepped down from their leadership roles. Ciaran continued to edit Peace by Peace. His articles sometimes caused disagreements with the group's new leaders. Financial problems also caused many members to leave the group.

Ciaran believed the group should ask for special treatment for prisoners involved in the conflict. This led to a disagreement within the group. In February 1980, Betty Williams and her main supporter, Peter McLachlan, resigned. Ciaran could no longer earn a salary from the group. He also found it hard to get work as a journalist. So, he learned a new skill and became a typesetter.

In 1984, Ciaran McKeown published his autobiography, a book about his own life, called The Passion of Peace. The book was briefly taken off sale because of a claim that it unfairly criticized a journalist. It was later reissued with an added note.