Son of Mayo man appointed to the board of Celtic FC

The son of a Mayo native has been appointed as one of two new Non-Executive Directors on the board of Celtic Football Club.

The Glasgow football giants announced this morning that Mark Keane has been appointed as new Non-Executive Directors, starting with immediate effect.

A native of Edinburgh, Mark Keane (55) is the son of the late Doohoma born business man John Keane who played a critical role at a key moment in the club’s history. John, who passed away in 2024, gave £1 million of his own money to the club to stop it slipping into administration in the 1990s. He also served as a non executive director for over 20 years, and in 2013 was named honorary chairman before retiring in 2019.

The Keane family ties to Mayo remain close with Mark and his wife Karisma and their young family regularly spending time in Doohoma and Achill.

Mark inherited his father's love for Celtic and also in business where he has built a successful business career in property and retailing. He is the founder of Slievemore, a Scotland-based family investment office with interests in retail, property, leisure, development and investment. He has over 25 years' experience in property investment, development and retail businesses and is a significant shareholder in Celtic.

Mark Keane commented: “It is a tremendous honour to be invited to join the board of Celtic. As a lifelong supporter who has attended games for more than 45 years, it is particularly special to have the opportunity to contribute to the Club I have supported all my life.

“I hope to make a positive contribution and to support Celtic’s continued growth and success.”

His appointment to the board comes at a time when there is ongoing tensions between some sections of the Celtic support and members of the board over the direction the club is going. Last season, fans held protests against the board during games and also called for a boycott of club merchandise.

Mark will be joined on the board by Raymond Buchanan who is currently Director of Corporate Affairs at Scottish Water. Previously, Raymond held senior communications and public affairs roles at SSE plc and Weir plc, having earlier worked as a correspondent and presenter with the BBC.

Celtic Interim Chairman Brian Wilson said: “I am pleased to confirm that we have appointed two new Non-Executive Directors to fill vacancies created by the retirements of Peter Lawwell and Tom Allison. This process of board refreshment will continue.

“Our two new directors have excellent credentials, both as lifelong Celtic supporters and highly successful individuals in their professional careers. They will bring new ideas and insights to enhance the work of the board, its oversight of the club’s affairs and strengthening of relationships within the whole Celtic Family.”