The life and times of Harry Long
Many visitors to this website will have fond memories of the Revd Harry Long. At every diocesan event Harry would be visible with his camera and shortly afterwards he would send copies of his pictures into the Diocesan Office. He was very much the 'diocesan photographer'.
A new biography entitled ‘The Life and Times of Harry Long' is due to be launched on Tuesday 11th September. The writer of the biography is Helen Long, elder daughter of the late Harry.
This, Helen's first book, tells the story of Harry's remarkable life, from childhood in Downpatrick, through his career in the RUC, and ultimately to ordination as a priest in the Church of Ireland.
In his RUC career, he served in the counties of Tyrone and Londonderry, as well as in Belfast. His church ministry was spent firstly in Killaney & Carryduff, and then in Belvoir parish, where he assisted the Revd Canon Tom Keightley.
The biography also includes chapters on Harry's twin interests of photography and music. A strong swimmer, he held two Royal Humane Society awards for two separate lifesaving incidents, in Portrush and Bangor respectively.
Helen, the author, has been living in Carryduff for some 36 years, sharing the family home with her parents until their deaths (her mother, Edith, in 2001 and Harry in 2003). She taught English in The Wallace High School, Lisburn, for 33 years, and during her retirement she started cultivating her lifelong interest in writing. Her other interests are mostly centred on church activities; gardening; watching and writing about wildlife, and walking her little dog. Her sister, Maureen Bennett, also lives in Carryduff with her husband Ken, daughter Natasha and son Stephen.
‘The Life and Times of Harry Long' will be launched in St Ignatius Parish Church Hall on 11th September at 7.30pm. Copies of the book will also be available from Down Cathedral and the Good Book Shop.