As an immigrant myself, I have always had a great interest in those who have come to these shores before me, whether they were the diaspora of Black '47 or those of more recent vintage. On learning that my good friend Derek Keaveney was celebrating 60 years in our adopted land, I knew that here was a story worth telling. I was not disappointed.

Derek was educated at Dominican College, Newbridge and on completing his Leaving Certificate he was apprenticed to a firm of chartered accountants on Grafton Street in Dublin. He served five years - unpaid - as an 'articled clerk' and was required to pass the Institute's Intermediate and Final exams wherein he placed first in Ireland in both and was awarded the Institute's gold medal for honours standing in the final. No doubt his legendary photographic memory which is still as sharp today at 85 helped in these challenging academic times.

Then as for many years thereafter, there were few job opportunities in Ireland and London became the destination for many. So in 1947, Derek started a new career with the firm now known as KPMG at a salary of 500 pounds a year.

The principal firm of chartered accountants in Canada at that time was Clarkson, Gordon (now Ernst & Young). One of their senior partners was on a business visit to London and by sheer chance Derek was introduced to him. Canada was starting to boom and the firm had big expansion plans; also they were short of qualified staff because of the war. Derek was offered a job in the firm's Toronto office. And so, after only a few short months in London, he was on his way to Canada.

Sailing on the Aquitania, no longer a luxury liner as it had been converted into a troop ship during the war, Derek arrived at Pier 21 in Halifax 60 years ago this past October 6th and headed for Toronto which at that time was sometimes referred to as the City of Churches and Lost Souls. A city dominated by the Orange Order. As he took the tram up Yonge Street to the city limits at Lawrence that first Sunday, he noticed that the display windows of the Eaton main store at Queen and Yonge were covered by drapes - yes, it was Sunday and those were the times that were in it.

He started with the Clarkson firm on Wellington Street, just after Thanksgiving. "My salary was $300 a month. That figure sounds crazy to anyone reading this now but, believe me, for a young guy of twenty five, I was off to a smashing start".

Derek spent eight years with the firm in their Toronto office except for a two year assignment at the newly -opened Vancouver practice. That gave Derek an opportunity to see Canada as visits to clients took him not only throughout B.C. but also up to the Territories, the Yukon and Alaska. "What a fabulous opportunity I had to see and learn about this vast land. Indeed, what more could a young man have hoped for".

In 1962 he moved into the industrial sector and joined John Inglis as financial controller and stayed there for seven years before moving into banking - joining CIBC, also as financial controller. He moved up into the executive and stayed there for seventeen years until 1980 when he retired to carry out consulting assignments and to join the boards of other companies, including the Chairmanship of Banca Nazionale del Lavoro of Canada.

One of his assignments was as Director of Finance of the Archdiocese of Toronto and that brought him into contact with such wonderful people as Cardinal Carter and Bishop (later Archbishop) Wall as well as a major involvement with Sharelife. Also, this period coincided with the visit in 1984 of Pope John Paul II to Canada. "My wife, Mary Mahoney, and I had the great privilege of travelling back to Rome with His Holiness". Before the plane landed in Rome His Holiness laid his hand on Derek's shoulders and spoke to him as if "I was the only person in the world at that moment" The Pope's clear blue eyes and his kind and warm demeanor are still part of Derek's treasured lifetime memories. While Derek and Mary were in Rome, they visited the church where they had been married twelve years before in 1973 and also met the Benedictine priest who had married them.

Over the past several years Derek has had another very important business client and that, of course, is The Irish Shop started 37 years ago by his wife, Mary Mahoney. From 1986 - 1996 Mary and Derek also had another Irish store in New York - The Irish Secret. They still visit New York almost monthly and regard St. Francis Xavier's around the corner from their apartment as their second parish. Apart from assisting her in the financial and administrative aspects of the business he accompanies Mary to Ireland and London on her many buying trips.