Brendan has been a member of the Order for over 25 years and has served in various roles, including Grand Knight, Provincial Grand Knight, Supreme Warden, Supreme Chancellor and Deputy Supreme Knight. In October 2020, he was elected to Supreme Knight’s position and will serve in this role until 2023.
He is married to Angela and is a proud father of four.
At the age of 22, he established his own construction firm, which he successfully ran until his retirement. Upon retirement, Brendan took up a role in community development, specifically tackling rural isolation and poverty. During his time in this role, he served as a director of the LEADER program and helped deliver £10m of investment for farmers and local community groups.
He has also led multiple initiatives throughout the peace process, most notably securing funding through Peace III & Peace IV. This money was used to bring communities together across the Armagh Area. Many of the engagements were with victims of the troubles and ex paramilitary members. It was for this work that Brendan received recognition from Uachtarán na hÉireann.
He also spent several years in a supervisory capacity in his local credit union, implementing anti-money laundering governance and overseeing an investment book in excess of £25m
In 2013 he was awarded the mayoral medal, receiving the award for outstanding service to the community in the Craigavon district.
In his late 30’s Brendan studied for a degree in Youth and Community work from NUI Maynooth and subsequently took up a role managing a local youth club. He evolved this role into a community outreach facility for youth drug and alcohol addiction. This was a ground-breaking peer to peer initiative which allowed young people to emerge from addiction through collaboration and sharing.
Brendan also served as the chairman of his local GAA club and associated members bar, taking over the helm at a time of severe financial distress. He designed and implemented a business rescue plan which, within 18 months, had eliminated the club debt and increased revenues, setting the club on a path to greater successes.
He serves on the board of governors of his local secondary school and has worked tirelessly to prevent its closure
Brendan is a proud member of the Knights of Saint Columbanus and often speaks of the Order’s great camaraderie and Brotherhood, emphasising that it is this special bonding that has kept the Order together for the past one hundred years, and it is this unique Brotherhood that will carry us forward for the next hundred.