Obituary. Rev. Father Michael Keenan, Dunedin, New Zealand Tablet, Dunedin, 13 May 1915, p 36, https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/NZT19150513.2.59:

The many friends of. Rev. Father M. Keenan throughout the diocese of Dunedin, heard with sincere regret of his death, which occurred in Dunedin on Friday, May 7, in his 69th year. The late Father Keenan was born near Castledawson, County Derry, in 1846, being a member of a well-known family in that district. He received his primary education at the local National school, and from there proceeded to the Tergarval Classical School. Later on he entered St. Macartan's Seminary at Monaghan. For his theological course he went to All Hallows' College, Dublin, and was ordained priest on June 24, 1875. In the following year he came out to Australia, and spent two years in Brisbane. From there he went to the Armidale diocese, and labored for ten years in the parish of Tenterfield. At the end of that period, owing to his health breaking down, he came to New Zealand, and took up duties in the diocese of Dunedin, having since then been stationed in Invercargill, Winton, Arrowtown, and Riversdale. During the absence of the Very Rev. Mgr. O'Leary in Europe some years ago, the deceased had charge of the Lawrence parish. Owing to ill-health, and acting on medical advice, he relinquished charge of the Riversdale parish some two or three years ago, and since then had resided in South Dunedin. In all, the late Father Keenan had spent about forty years on the mission. The deceased was a brother of the late Father John Keenan, of Omagh, County Tyrone, and uncle of the Rev. Michael Keenan, of Newcastle, New South Wales.

The remains were taken to St. Joseph's Cathedral, where on Tuesday morning a Solemn Pontifical Requiem Mass for the repose of the soul of the deceased was celebrated by his Lordship Bishop Verdon, Very Rev. Mgr. O'Leary (Lawrence) being assistant priest, Rev. Father Murphy (Riverton) deacon, Very Rev. Father O'Donnell (Gore) subdeacon, and Very Rev. Father Coffey, Adm., master of ceremonies. The solemn music was rendered by a choir of the clergy. In addition to the clergy just mentioned the following were present in the sanctuary — Rev. Father O'Donnell (Ashburton), Very Rev. Dean Burke (Invercargill), Very Rev. Father Hunt (Cromwell), Rev. Father O'Donnell (Queenstown), Rev. Father O'Neill (Winton), Rev. Father McMullan (Ranfurly), Very Rev. Father Lynch (Wrey's Bush), Rev. Father O'Dea (Ophir), Rev. Father Howard (Milton), Rev. Father Delany (South Dunedin), Rev. Father O'Reilly (Port Chalmers), Rev. Father J. Lynch (Palmerston South), Rev. Father P. J. O'Neill (Riversdale). Rev. Fathers Buckley, Corcoran, and Kavanagh (Dunedin), Rev. Father D. O'Neill (Invercargill), Rev. Fathers Liston, Morkane, Collins, Scanlan, and E. Lynch (Holy Cross College), Rev. Father Tobin (South Dunedin), Rev. Father O'Connell (Oamaru), and Rev. Father Kaveney (Lawrence). His Lordship the Bishop gave the Absolution at the catafalque. Later on the funeral left for the Southern Cemetery, where Very Rev. Mgr. O'Leary, assisted by the clergy who were present at the Cathedral, officiated.—R.I.P.

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T.W. Campbell, The Priests of the Diocese of Armidale: A Necrology, Braddon ACT, 2005:
Keenan, Michael Joseph

Born in December 1845 at Ballyscullion, Co Monaghan. Educated at St Deacartan's, Monaghan. Studied at All Hallows from 1871 to 1875. He was ordained at All Hallows on 24 June 1875 for the Brisbane diocese, but somehow or other was at Tenterfield from 1878 to 1885, at the time the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart arrived there from Brisbane in March 1880 at the invitation of bishop Elzear Torreggiani to start work in the diocese. He left the diocese for unknown reasons and next appeared in Dunedin diocese, New Zealand, at Winton (1887-1896) then Arrowtown (1898). He died in Dunedin on 7 May 1915 and is buried in Dunedin.
(Sources: FJ 25 Jun 1887 p 15, Kelly, Doody, MDHC A-Z K28).

(Reproduced by permission of Tom Campbell.)

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Denis M. Long, Pioneer and Early Priests, Archdiocese of Brisbane, Deceased or retired by 1929, 2021, p 79:
Rev Fr Michael Joseph Keenan

Michael Keenan was born the son of Richard and Mary Keenan at Ballycullion in co Derry Ireland on 2 January 1846. He entered All Hallows Missionary College from St Macartan's College Monaghan in 1871 and was ordained for Brisbane diocese on 24 June 1875.(1)

Fr Southerwood in his Prayer Calendar of Deceased Priests and Deacons in Australia 1788-2009 lists Michael Joseph Keenan in Brisbane diocese, Tenterfield in Armidale diocese and Dungog in Maitland diocese.(2) He was never in the Maitland diocese being confused with Fr Michael Aloysius Keenan who died on 29 October 1928. All Hallows records indicate that Fr Michael Joseph was in Tenterfield from 1878 until 1885.(3) He probably spent two to three years in Brisbane before moving to Armidale even there is no mention of him in Pugh's Almanac.

New South Wales newspapers mention our Fr Keenan in the 1880s:

During the past week several of the farmers in the neighbourhood of Groom-Bridge Swamp, assisted by a number of men working on the road in the vicinity assembled on the Rev M Keenan's farm to carry out an old custom in Ireland of ploughing the clergyman's ground. They ploughed, harrowed, and sowed a large area; the time occupied being three days. It was a kindly action, and is a proof of the high esteem in which the Rev Father Keenan is held by the people under his charge.(4)

A correspondent writes from Tenterfield that Mr William Redmond is there preparing for war with his brother. The School of Arts and the Agricultural Society's showroom has been refused him, notwithstanding the efforts of the Rev Father Keenan. The Missionary of the abominable Land League will have to deliver his lecture in the Romish (sic) chapel – or in a hotel room.(5)

The undermentioned gentlemen have been appointed trustees of portion of general cemeteries:- Genera Cemetery at Bolivia, set apart for Roman Catholic burial-ground, viz:- Very Rev Elezar Torreggiani, DD, Rev Michael Keenan, Messrs Owen McManus, Kyran McManus, Michael McDonnell.(6)

By 1891 Fr Michael Keenan was registered in New Zealand as an officiating catholic priest. These lists do not nominate the place of residence of priests. He remained on the annual list until 1915. In 1891 he is registered at Winton 19 miles from Invercargill and in 1892 at Lumsden 50 miles from Invercargill. By 1903 he was stationed at Riversdale, 117 miles from Dunedin.(7)

All Hallows College archival records give his date of death as 7 May 1915, possibly at Riversdale.(8) Without a death certificate we have no certainty of the place of death. It appears that he was stationed at Riversdale for some years.

His death actually took place on 17 May 1915. He died at the age of 69 and was buried with the priests of that diocese in the Southern cemetery in Dunedin, Otago.(9)

Footnotes
1. Kevin Condon, The Missionary College of All Hallows 1842 -1891, 1986, student number 1285, p. 338.
2. Southerwood, Prayer-Calendar of Deceased Priests and Deacons in Australia 1788 to 2009, p. 338.
3. Kevin Condon, op. cit.
4. Armidale Express and New England General Advertiser, Tenterfield news, 14 Aug, 1883, p. 2.
5. The Protestant Standard, Saturday 21 Apr 1883, p. 6.
6. The Sydney Morning Herald, Saturday 7 Mar 1885, p. 10.
7. New Zealand registrations of officiating priests and residential records, accessed on Ancestry.com.
8. Kevin Condon, op. cit.
9. Ancestry.com. New Zealand cemetery and death records.

Reproduced by permission of Fr Denis Long.