1930s to 1950s

1939
On 5 May, William Neville Keery (NK) born at Hatch Street Nursing Home, Dublin, to Florence Mary (née Murphy) and William John Keery. He is the first of two sons born into the then family home at “Sprucefield”, 8 Cowper Drive, Dublin.

1943
On 11 March, John Samuel Keery (brother) born.
NK at Mount Temple School, kindergarten at Palmerston Park, Dublin, to 1948.

1946
On 15 July, death of William John Keery (father) aged 63.

1948
NK at St. Andrew’s College, Clyde Road, Dublin to 1957.

1951
School Scholarship. Associated Board Grade III piano.

1952
Captain of seven-a-side rugby team in St. Andrew’s under-14 league competition.

1954
Schools’ Intermediate Certificate. Rugby Junior Cup team, Captain and Colours.

1955
Royal Life Saving Society Instructor’s Certificate and Award of Merit.
Irish Championship Gold Medal for Lifesaving.

1956
Trinity College Entrance and GCE O-Level examinations.
Rugby Senior Cup Team Colours.
Stage Manager for school play.
Driving Licence.

1957
Awarded Percy Cup as outstanding school leaver.
Part in school play.
Warranted Assistant Scout Master.
Enters Trinity College to begin Honor Degree course in Mental and Moral Science and Diploma course in Public Administration.

1958
Bernard Prize in philosophy.
Marked Thanks of the College Historical Society for debating.

1959
Trinity College Foundation Scholarship.
Cotter Prize in philosophy.
Diploma in Public Administration.
Auditor of the College Metaphysical Society.

1960s

1960
Joins Trinity News.
Senior Committee Member and Silver Medallist of the College Historical Society.
Observer Mace debating competition finalist.
Beare Prize in philosophy.

1961
Graduates BA.Mod.TCD (2.2).
Gold Medallist and Honorary Member of the College Historical Society.
Joins Westminster Press Provincial Newspapers as an Editorial Trainee.

1962
Reporter with the Blyth News, Northumberland.
Joins National Union of Journalists.

1963
Reporter with the Shields Gazette, South Shields.
Certificate in Preliminary Technical Knowledge of British Federation of Master Printers.

1964
Reporter with the Yorkshire Evening Press, York.
Proficiency Test of the National Council for the Training of Journalists.
Appointed to the Institute of Public Administration, Dublin, as an Administrative Officer.
Joins Fianna Fail and Irish Film Society.
NK meets Anne Moran, of Bray, Co. Wicklow, an Administrative Assistant at the School of Public Administration.

1965
NK appointed Assistant Careers and Appointments Officer at Trinity College Dublin.

1967
On 4 April NK marries Anne Moran in Bray. Purchase of house at Dalkey, Co. Dublin.
Fianna Fail candidate for local government elections in Dun Laoghaire.
Promoted to Assistant Secretary, Trinity College Dublin.
Conferred with Trinity College MA degree.

1968
Member of National Savings Committee and Chairman Vocational Schools Advisory Committee to 1974.
Constituency Delegate on Fianna Fail National Executive to 1974.
Birth of son, Justin Keery.

1969
General Election Candidate for Fianna Fail with David Andrews and Carmel Gleeson in the Constituency of Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown.
Nominated by Taoiseach to Seanad Eireann (Senator 1969-73).
Member of Executive Committee of Irish Council of the European Movement to 1974.

1970s

1971
Nomination to participate in United Nations Regional Seminar (France) and Wilton Park Conferences UK).
Council Member, Institute of Public Administration to 1974.
Birth of daughter, Patricia Florence Keery.

1972
Committee Member Irish United Nations Association to 1974.
Member of Working Group of Institute of Public Administration on the contribution of the educational system to citizenship.
Fianna Fail Headquarters Research Officer and Secretary to Into Europe, Article 44 and Votes at 18 Referendum Campaigns.
Moves house to Seafield Avenue, Monkstown, Co. Dublin.

1973
Acting Director of Irish Council of the European Movement.
General Election Candidate for Fianna Fail with David Andrews and Eric Leonard for the Constituency of Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown.
Senate Election candidate.
25e Cours International de Vacances, University of Caen.
Appointed Principal Administrator A5 of the European Commission (Deputy Head and Press Officer of the Commission’s Dublin Office).

1974
Seconded as Deputy Chef de Cabinet in the Office of Dr. Patrick Hillery, Vice-President of the European Commission, Brussels (to 1977). Family moves to rented house at Avenue Van Goolen, Woluwe Saint Lambert, Brussels.

1976
NK and AK join Religious Society of Friends, Belgium Monthly Meeting.

1977
Returned to Dublin Commission post. Extern Examiner for Degree Programme in European Studies of the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick, National Council for Educational Awards (to 1981).
Works on draft of Fianna Fail General Election Manifesto.

1978
Founder Member, Quaker Council for European Affairs, Brussels. Short-term secondment (May) as Cabinet Member in the Office of Commissioner Richard Burke.

1979
M.Sc.(Econ.) course at University of Dublin, Trinity College (Degree Conferred 1981). NK dislocates left shoulder. First European Parliament elections.

1980s

1980
NK turns down invitation to become General Secretary of Fianna Fail.

1981
Completion of re-building of mews at Seafield Avenue, Monkstown.

1982
NK appointed member of European Commission’s Spokesman’s Group Brussels. Seafield Avenue house sold and mother moves into mews. Family moves house to Avenue du Monoplan, Woluwe St. Pierre, Brussels.

1983
NK makes first trip to US on holiday with family.

1985
Appointment of new Commission with Jacques Delors as President.

1986
NK appointed head of project for Spokesman’s database RAPID. NK (and AK) purchase house in Glastonbury to facilitate mother’s move from Monkstown mews to be near John Keery and family in Glastonbury, Somerset.

1987
NK chairs Irish Club project to mount Disposition’87, an exhibition of contemporary Irish art in Brussels.

1988
NK chairs Irish Club film festival project. NK visits Moscow and Riga with Quaker-led group.

1989
Writes and produces European Commission in-house film: A Day in the life of the Spokesman’s Service.

1990s

1990
Makes, as a personal project, a short documentary about the Irish painter Pat Harris. (It is shown at the UNESCO International Festival of Art Films, Paris.)

1991
Appointed Head of Unit in the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Information, Communication and Culture (DG.X). Responsible for organisation of the Assises Europennes de la Presse, Luxembourg.

1992
NK and AK make down-sizing move to new apartment at Rue Henrotte, Woluwe St. Pierre. Gifts of books to the Poetry Ireland Library and to the Metaphysical Society, TCD. Arrangements to give papers to the Boole Library Archive of University College Cork.

1993
Promoted Head of Division Libraries (A3) in DG.X.

1994
Elected President of EUROLIB, the group of EU institution libraries. Attends first meeting of LIBER, the league of European research libraries.

1995
Death of Anne Keery’s brother Bernard in Dublin. Death of mother of NK in Glastonbury.

1997
NK has operation for replacement of right hip.

1999
NK and AK purchase 61 Carysfort Park, Blackrock, Co. Dublin. Publication of “Turnings”, first poetry collection.

Year 2000 to present

2000
Birth of grandson, Eli Keery to Justin Keery and Dr. Amma Kyei-Mensah.

2001
NK retires from the European Commission and moves to Blackrock. Clerk of the Quaker Council for European Affairs.

2002
On initiative of Dublin Poetry Conference, NK Drafts Poets’ Manifesto for Irish General Election.

2003
Poem wins Francis Ledwidge Award. Represents former EU officials on National Forum on Europe. MA course in Film Studies at University College Dublin (conferred 2004).

2005
Begins memoir project based on contents of study (M.A.D.).

2006
Birth of granddaughter Emer Keery.

2007
Clerk of the Congregational Committee of Monkstown Quaker Meeting.
Co-ordinator of Kildare Street and University Club group visit to San Sebastian Film Festival.

2008
Co-ordinator of Club visit to Santiago de Compostela, Oporto and Lisbon.
Publication of “Home”, second poetry collection.

2009
Completes term as Elder of Dublin Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends.
Member of Ireland for Europe Headquarters’ team.

2010
Cruise to the Levant.

2011
Cruise to the Black Sea. Publishing submissions of Baby Book series and this memoir, under its original title, “Surprised by the Years”.

2012
Member of Steering Committee of Monkstown’s MC3 grouping of the three local Christian congregations. Mention in Diarmaid Ferriter’s book, “Ambiguous Republic: Ireland in the 1970s”.
Death of Anne Keery-Moran, 8 July.

2013
Member of Values, Narrative and Communication Group of the Irish Institute of International and European Affairs.
Participates in Listowel Writers Week Workshop and Quaker Peace Testimony Seminar.
Leads Kildare Street and University Club trip to Istanbul.

2014
Marriage of Patricia Keery to Kevin Miners, Exeter, 5 April.
Relationship with Pauline Hall from October.
Visit to Amma’s family in Ghana to celebrate the memory of Professor Denis Kingsford Greenstreet.

2015
Involvement in Basic Income Ireland and Engagement and Participation Working Group of the Media Literacy Ireland Network.

2016
Elected as a Vice-President of the Dublin University Metaphysical Society.
Encountering Philosophy, A Dubliner’s 60 year experience.

2017
Exhibition in the boole Library University College Cork based on the Keery papers and marking the 45th Anniversary of the referendums held in 1972.
Publication of the third poetry collection, MEMOIR Poems 2007-2016.

2018
Publication of the listing of the Keery Papers by the Archive Service of University College Cork.
https://libguides.ucc.ie/NevilleKeeryCollection/
Baltic cruise and trip to Berlin.

2019
Marriage to Pauline Hall, 22 August.