She was educated at Carndonagh Community School in the Inishowen peninsula, County Donegal, and then at the University of Ulster at Jordanstown, Northern Ireland.
[citation needed] Her father Paddy Keaveney was an Independent Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála (TD) for Donegal North-East from 1976 to 1977.
[citation needed] Keaveney was first elected to Dáil Éireann for Donegal North-East in a by-election on 2 April 1996 following the death of Independent Fianna Fáil TD Neil Blaney.
[2] Keaveney was formerly Chair of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Sports, Tourism, Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.
This unusual situation arose when in July 2006 outgoing Fianna Fáil TD Jim McDaid reversed his earlier announcement that he would not seek a nomination to contest the election.