Editing Martin Dillon (section)

==Early life==

Martin Dillon was born in the [[Falls Road, Belfast|Lower Falls]] area of West [[Belfast]], [[Northern Ireland]]. He grew up with nine siblings in a traditional Catholic household. His mother, Maureen, looked after the children while his father, Gerard, worked as a watch maker and later telephone engineer to support his large family. Dillon attended [[St Finian's Primary School]] on the Falls Road.

In 1961, aged twelve, he left Belfast to pursue a religious vocation at Montfort College Seminary<ref>{{cite book |last1=Allerton |first1=Paul |title=Montford College: A short history |date=1972 |url=https://www.montfort.org.uk/Documents/History%20of%20Montfort%20College%20(with%20illustrations).pdf |access-date=19 March 2020}}</ref> in [[Romsey]], [[Hampshire]].  The seminary was run by the Montfort Fathers, a French religious Order devoted to the teachings of [[Louis de Montfort|St. Louis Marie de Montfort]]. After four years, he abandoned it and returned to Belfast to finish his studies at [[St Malachy's College]] and [[St Patrick's College, Belfast|St Patrick's, Barnageeha]]. He attended [[Belfast Metropolitan College|Belfast College of Business Studies]] in 1970.