A Lifetime of Learning: Declan O’Keeffe Completes PhD Exploring Jesuit Influence in Irish Society
After a distinguished 37-year career teaching History and Business at Clongowes Wood College, Declan O’Keeffe celebrates an incredible milestone today when he will graduate with a PhD from TU Dublin. His doctoral research, completed under the supervision of Dr Eamon Maher, explored Jesuit publications in Ireland in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, examining how these periodicals reflected and influenced societal and cultural change at home and abroad.
Declan’s connection to history runs deep. During his long tenure at Clongowes, he also served as Head of Communications and Editor of The Clongownian from 2000 to 2020. Upon his retirement from teaching, he transitioned seamlessly into the role of College Historian, a position he continues to hold today.
Declan first embarked on doctoral research in 2009 but had to pause his studies in 2012. Yet his passion for his chosen topic - Jesuit publications and their place in Irish public life - never faded. In 2021, a conversation with his former colleague and friend, Dr Eamon Maher, rekindled that ambition. With a wealth of published work already to his name, Declan chose to pursue a PhD by prior publication at TU Dublin, where he found a welcoming and supportive academic home.
“The highly supportive supervision of Dr. Maher and internal reviewer Dr. Brian A. Murphy, together with the collegial atmosphere among fellow PhD students and members of the Association of Franco-Irish Studies (AFIS), greatly contributed to my development as a researcher,” Declan said. “I’m also deeply grateful to Dr. Conor McGarrigle, Head of Research & Innovation at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, and to Raffaella Salvante of the Graduate Research School for their continued support. I also benefited from the mentorship and professional guidance of other faculty members, including Dr. Elaine Mahon and Dr. Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire.”
Declan’s academic journey was far from straightforward. Shortly after applying to TU Dublin in 2021, he suffered a life-threatening illness while walking part of the Camino in Spain. Following two strokes and heart failure, he spent several weeks in hospital in Bilbao and St James’s Hospital, Dublin. Recovery was long and difficult, but his determination never wavered.
By 2023, Declan was well enough to begin his doctoral studies at TU Dublin. With the support of the Disability Support Services team and his supervisor, he adapted to ongoing health challenges, including fatigue and mobility issues, to complete his PhD.
“The encouragement and understanding I received from TU Dublin made all the difference,” Declan reflected. “The flexibility and compassion shown by staff and colleagues allowed me to move forward, step by step.”
Despite further health setbacks, Declan continued to publish widely, including his most recent article in the Autumn 2025 issue of Studies, which proudly introduced him as “Dr Declan O’Keeffe, an independent scholar who has published extensively on modern Irish history, particularly on the history of Jesuit publications in nineteenth and twentieth-century Ireland.”
As he prepares to don his cap and gown today, Declan says he feels immense pride and gratitude for his supervisors, colleagues, and the medical teams who helped him reach this day.
“Completing my PhD has been both a personal and professional triumph,” he said. “I’m deeply thankful to everyone at TU Dublin who helped me make it possible.”