KILLARNEY woke up this Monday morning a much less vibrant place as the shock news filtered through of the sudden and sad passing of John Kelly, one of the town’s best known and most popular citizens.
Aged 82, John passed away in hospital after being admitted on Friday but, up to that, he had been in very good health and remained as hugely active as he had been throughout his life.
From Coolcashlagh in Spa, John lived a truly remarkable life in that he donated his time and energy to the community he loved and in which he lived. A retired community psychiatric nurse, who operated from a base in St Finan’s Hospital, he was acknowledged as a caring, practical and ground-breaking health professional who worked tirelessly to help those in need of support and he continued to support many people long after his nursing career had ended.
John was one of life’s great givers in that he was involved in so many associations, clubs, organisations and groups and if a search for the ultimate volunteer was ever conducted, he would have no competition whatsoever.
A great Gael, he played his club football with his beloved Spa and was part of the club’s first ever O’Donoghue Cup winning team in 1966, lining our at corner forward when they beat Kilcummin in the final. He was chairman, PRO and the main driving force of the club for several years and, in addition to being a long-serving county board delegate, he went on to become a pioneering chairman and PRO of the East Kerry Board, being acknowledged as one of its greatest ever administrators. He became President of the East Kerry Board in 2015, a title he richly deserved given his remarkable service throughout his lifetime.
John was also very actively involved with the Kerry team, offering his services as a masseuse for many years and he was one of the main driving forces behind the East Kerry District Board team that won three Kerry senior football championships in a row from 1997 to 1999.
John also devoted much of his life to the annual Killarney Regatta, ensuring the tradition of rowing was kept alive during some turbulent years and he was always at the helm when the annual spectacle was held at Mahony’s Point.
He also loved pitch and putt and, up until the recent annual general meeting, he was captain of the Deerpark Club in Killarney and he was a regular at Killarney Golf and Fishing Club where he demonstrated a real passion for the game.
A keen farmer and an energetic member of the retired nurses’ association, Killarney Community Services and An Taisce, John was hugely passionate about preserving rural Ireland and worked long and hard on the rural resettlement project, becoming the go-to authority in Kerry on issues of rural decline.
John was also very politically engaged and in 1989, at the age of 53, he contested the general election for the Progressive Democrats, polling 1,458 first preference votes. He was a great supporter for former MEP Pat Cox and worked tirelessly on his behalf during the European elections.
He was also involved in the publication of several books, including the official histories of Killarney Regatta and Spa GAA Club and the Story of the O’Donoghue Cup
Married to Sheila (nee Doolan) from Kilbrean, John is the father of five children. His funeral arrangements will be announced later.
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