He was educated at the Abbey Christian Brothers' Grammar School, Newry. He graduated from Queen's University Belfast in 1961 with a first class honours BA in History, and attended the Institute of Historical Research, in London from  1961 to 1962.
He received his education at the Abbey Christian Brothers' Grammar School in Newry. He graduated from Queen's University Belfast with a first-class honors degree in history in 1961 and attended the Institute of Historical Research in London from 1961 to 1962.