Bernard Doonan was born in Denny in 1940. He was educated at Drygrange Seminary and he was subsequently ordained at St Alexander's Denny in 1969.

His first parish was St John the Evangelist at Portobello in Edinburgh where he was appointed assistant Priest from 1969 to 1972. After this he was appointed as a Professor at Drygrange Seminary from 1972 until 1986. He returned to Parish work at St Mark's Edinburgh for a year in 1986-87 and was then moved to St Margaret's South Queensferry where he ministered from 1987 to 1989.

It was then that Fr Doonan came to St Patrick's Kilsyth soon after the sudden death of Canon Karl Krugger the incumbent Parish Priest of Kilsyth in 1989. Sadly after only a year in Kilsyth Fr Doonan also died suddenly and unexpectedly on the 28th September 1990. The Parish of St Patrick's was devastated at the loss of our 2nd Parish Priest in the space of only 15 months.

Fr Doonan's requiem Mass took place in his home Parish of Denny.