Church of Ireland rector Rev Matthew Hagan 'humbled' at inclusion on New Year's Honours list

Rev Matthew Hagan is to receive an MBE for services to hospice healthcare and to the community in Northern Ireland.

Rev Hagan was rector of Tynan, Aghavilly and Middletown Group of parishes in Co. Armagh for 12 years until his recent appointment as Rector of Brackaville (Coalisland), Donaghendry and Ballyclog (Stewartstown) Group of parishes in Co. Tyrone.

He also continues to be a chaplain at the Southern Area Hospice in Newry, a position he has held for more than 13 years.

He said: “I am delighted and honoured to receive an MBE and to have been recognised in His Majesty King Charles III’s first New Year’s Honours List. I feel very humbled that my work in parish ministry, hospice chaplaincy and work in the local communities has been recognised by this award”.

Rev. Hagan had contributed much time and energy to various projects in the Tynan Group of parishes. As well as helping to oversee the £650,000 refurbishment of Tynan Parish Church following an accidental fire, he was also successful in securing over £300,000 of funding to build Middletown Parish Community Hall.

In Tynan he was Chairman of Tynan Development Committee Limited and led a village re-imaging group which made improvements to the village of Tynan and this resulted in two Northern Ireland Amenity Council Best Kept Awards being received for Tynan Surgery and Abbey Park.

As a hospice chaplain, the Honours award of an MBE is a recognition for all hospice care and how vital it is to offer chaplaincy support to patients and their families and to meet them at their point of need.

Rev Hagan commented: “I see my role as a chaplain as very much being part of an extremely committed team of dedicated, caring and amazing staff and volunteers in the Southern Area Hospice in Newry.”

He said he feels privileged to have been part of the hospice movement in Northern Ireland for more than 13 years and in 2014 he set up the annual Hospice Sunday Appeal initially in the Church of Ireland Diocese of Armagh and collections have been undertaken previously in some of the other Church of Ireland dioceses in Northern Ireland. To date over £200,000 has been raised and distributed to the Southern Area Hospice, Newry; Northern Ireland Hospice and Children’s Hospice, Belfast; Marie Curie Hospice, Belfast; Foyle Hospice, Londonderry; Donegal Hospice and the Palliative Care Unit at Omagh General Hospital.

For more than 20 years Rev Hagan has also contributed to education by serving on numerous Boards of Governors at primary, secondary, grammar and further education levels. He also served as a board member of Stranmillis University College, Belfast for eight years.

The Southern Area Hospice posted congratulations to Rev Hagan on its Facebook page following the announcement of his inclusion on the Honours List, to which many well-wishers added their own tributes.