Priest who founded the Flax Trust and dedicated his life to north Belfast ‘left no stone unturned’

A priest who dedicated more than 60 years of his life to serving the people of north Belfast, including establishing the Flax Trust, has died.

Tributes have been paid to Fr Myles Kavanagh following his death on Sunday, with many describing him as a “gifted team leader” and someone who “left no stone unturned” in his mission to help others.

A member of the Passionist congregation originally from Dublin, he spent the majority of his ministry in north Belfast and played a major role in improving economic opportunities in the area, particularly through the Flax Trust.

Helping to establish the trust in the 1970s, one of its first projects saw the transformation of the former Brookfield linen mill into a business centre and developing close links with the US in order to encourage Americans to invest in Northern Ireland.

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In a statement, the Flax Trust said while Fr Myles “spent most of his priestly life ministering in and around north Belfast although his outreach was way beyond this island”.

He was also chairman of the Flax Trust Housing Association, overseeing the building of sheltered accommodation for the elderly and homeless youth.

Fr Kavanagh’s “vision for a better social and economic future for the local area” also saw him found the Ardoyne Association, impacting all sections of public and community life.

He was also involved in developing a vision for education in north Belfast.

The Flax Trust said “although sad to bid him farewell, we are proud of the great legacy he has left behind”.

Fr Kavanagh was a former vocations director at Tobar Mhuire, the Passionist retreat in Crossgar.

In a statement, Tobar Mhuire said the priest was a “larger-than-life character who dedicated his life for over sixty years to the people of Belfast particularly economic and social improvement through the Flax Trust”.

“A gifted team leader and fundraiser, Fr Myles left no stone unturned in his mission to help the people practically and culturally, building houses, providing flats, creating a nursing home, providing music scholarships to name but a few projects.”