Gerard Harney

During his time in Doncaster he guided his parishioners through periods of great difficulty. When the coal and rail engineering industries all but ended, the high employment enjoyed by the town gave way to levels of unemployment that were amongst the highest in England.

Homelessness, which was rare when Father Harney first went to Doncaster, became common.

He was on of those who were at the forefront of trying to rebuild communities following the ending of the year-long miners' strike in 1985. He joined civic and business leaders from Doncaster at a Business in the Community meeting in Liverpool, chaired by the Duke of Edinburgh, to find ways to plan the regeneration of the borough.

In 2000, he was granted the Freedom of Doncaster for his work in support of the borough's development, and in particular for the care of the homeless.

He was ordained priest in Kilkenny, Ireland, in 1965, and went to Doncaster the same year as curate at St Peter-in-Chains which was then in Princes Street, but later moved to Chequer Road.He then left and spent 16 years as curate and parish priest in churches in Bradford, Brighouse and Barnsley, before returning to St Peter's as parish priest in 1985 where he stayed until 2002 when he went to be parish priest of St Anne's, Deepcar.

He continued to carry out his many duties in Sheffield and in Doncaster until a few weeks before his death in Castlebar, Co Mayo, Ireland.

During his time in Doncaster Fr Harney was chairman of governors of St Peter's Primary School, St Frances Xavier School in Balby, and the McAuley Catholic High School.

For 25 years following the formation of the Diocese of Hallam in 1980, he was director of the diocese's annual Pilgrimage to Lourdes which has taken thousands of sick people to the shrine in France. He also led diocesan pilgrimages to the Holy Land and to shrines in Poland and in Ireland.

Throughout his time in Doncaster, Fr Harney worked tirelessly for ecumenism and enjoyed excellent relations with all faiths. He was chairman of the Doncaster Town Centre Churches for many years, and led the development of St Anne's, Burghwallis as a rest and care home for the diocese, and the Maridon Pastoral Centre on Netherhall Road.

Apart from his priestly duties, Father Harney had a great love of sport. He had been a keen golfer and was a long-time supporter of Doncaster Rovers.

The Bishop of Hallam, John Rawsthorne, who was the celebrant at the funeral Mass for Fr Harney at St Patrick's Church, Louisburgh, Co Mayo, paid tribute to his many years of priestly service in the diocese, and said he touched the lives of all those with whom he came in contact.

He was buried in the shadow of Croagh Patrick Mountain, close to his family home in Louisburgh.