Edmond Kelly

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For other people named Edmund Kelly, see Edmund Kelly (disambiguation).

Servant of God

Canon Edmond Kelly

SJ
Born(1874-06-08)8 June 1874
Newtown, New Inn, County Tipperary, Ireland
Died11 October 1955(1955-10-11) (aged 81)
St John of God University Hospital, Stillorgan, Dublin, Ireland
BranchBritish Army
Years of service1915–1917
RankMilitary chaplain
Unit8th Royal Irish Fusiliers
Battles / warsFirst World War
Awards

Canon Edmund Kelly MC (8 June 1874 – 11 October 1955) was an Irish Catholic priest who served as a military chaplain with the British Army during the First World War. He was awarded the Military Cross in 1917 for gallantry during the Battle of Passchendaele near Ypres.[1] After the war, he returned to parish work in County Tipperary and served as Parish Priest of Killenaule and Moyglass from 1934 until his death in 1955.

Early life and education

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Edmund Kelly was born on 8 June 1874 in Newtown, New Inn, County Tipperary, Ireland.[2] He was the eldest of five children born to John Kelly (1828–1890), a farmer, and Bridget Kelly (née Grady) (1839–1901). He is a second cousin to the Australian bushranger Ned Kelly.[3]

Kelly received his early education locally before attending Rockwell College.[4] He later studied at St Patrick's College, Thurles and then at St Patrick's College, Maynooth.[5] On 1 September 1897, he matriculated to Maynooth College to study for the priesthood in the Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly.[5][6]

Priesthood

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Ordination and early ministry

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Kelly was ordained to the priesthood on 17 June 1900 at St Patrick's College, Maynooth.[7][5][8] Following his ordination, he served as a missionary in South Africa from 1900 to 1911.[5] Upon returning to Ireland in 1911, he was appointed as a curate at Mullinahone in County Tipperary, where he served until 1915.[9]

Military chaplaincy

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In 1915, Kelly volunteered for military service and was commissioned as a chaplain in the Army Chaplains' Department.[10] He served on the Western Front, particularly in the Ypres Salient.[11]

Military Cross

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On 16 August 1917, Kelly was awarded the Military Cross for tending the wounded under heavy fire.[1] The award was published in the London Gazette in March 1918.[12]

Post-war ministry

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Harry Clarke window commissioned by Edmund Kelly for St Mary's Church in Killenaule

After the Armistice, Kelly remained with the army until 1920 before returning to parish duties in Ireland. In 1922, he was appointed curate at Tipperary, where he served for twelve years. In 1934, he became Parish Priest of Killenaule and Moyglass.[13][14] He then initiated and led the construction of several schools in the County of Tipperary, such as St Catherine's Greystown and St Maal's Ballimonty in 1948[4]

During his tenure at Killenaule, Kelly oversaw improvements to St Mary's Church, including a window designed by Harry Clarke dedicated to the Assumption of Mary.[15][16] In 1939, he discovered old parish registers dating from 1743 to 1801 and arranged for their restoration.[17]

Canon Kelly in the front page of the newspaper Tipperary Star (Vol.49 No.42) on 15 October 1955


Death

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Canon Kelly died on 11 October 1955 in Dublin, aged 81. His funeral took place on 13 October 1955 at St Mary's Church in Killenaule, where he is buried.[4]

Legacy

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The Very Reverend Canon Edmond Kelly's Military Cross and other personal effects were later acquired by Tipperary Studies,[18] the historical conservation and archives department within Tipperary County Council. In 2017, during National Heritage Week, an exhibition featuring his Military Cross was held at The Source in Thurles.[19][20] Again in 2018, a special conference and exhibition were organised by Tipperary Studies.[21]

Honours

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Tipperary Chaplain Awarded the Military Cross". Clonmel Chronicle. 27 October 1917.
  2. ^ "Page number 65, Microfilm 02502 / 03, New Inn and Knockgraffon, Cashel and Emly - Catholic Parish Registers at the NLI". registers.nli.ie. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
  3. ^ "Famed Bushranger's Descendants from Tipp". Tipperary Star (from Irish Newspaper Archives). Vol. 77, no. 14 (Thurles ed.). April 1967. p. 1.
  4. ^ a b c "Death of Killenaule's P.P. Very Rev. Edmond Canon Kelly". Irish Independent. 12 October 1955. p. 1.
  5. ^ a b c d "Edmund Kelly". Clericus.ie. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  6. ^ Photograph: Saint-Patrick's College, Maynooth - Matriculation Class of 1898-99, 1 January 1898, retrieved 6 November 2025
  7. ^ "ORDINATIONS AT MAYNOOTH". Freeman's Journal. 5 August 1899. p. 6. Retrieved 21 November 2025.
  8. ^ Dr. Joe M. O'Kelly. "Kellys In Religion: Canon Edmund Kelly, M.C., P.P., V.F." www.kellyclanireland.com. Retrieved 6 November 2025.
  9. ^ "Saint Michael's Catholic Church, Mullinahone". Buildings of Ireland. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  10. ^ Tipp Today Highlights - The Tipp Priest Who Served In WWI, Tipp FM, retrieved 6 November 2025
  11. ^ Burke, Damien (2015). "Irish Jesuit Chaplains in the First World War". Studies: An Irish Quarterly Review. 104 (414): 167–175. ISSN 0039-3495. JSTOR 24347760.
  12. ^ "Military Cross awards" (PDF). Supplement to the London Gazette (30564): 2921. 7 March 1918.
  13. ^ O’Dwyer, Christopher. “Archbishop Butler’s Visitation Book.” Archivium Hibernicum, vol. 33, 1975, pp. 1–90. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/25487412. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
  14. ^ O’Dwyer, Christopher. “Archbishop Butler’s Visitation Book.” Archivium Hibernicum, vol. 34, 1977, pp. 1–49. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/25487419. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
  15. ^ "St. Mary's Church". Killenaule. 27 February 2013. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  16. ^ "St. Mary's Church Killenaule". Historic Graves. 29 March 2013. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  17. ^ Fanning, Kathleen. Parish Records Restoration. Fanning Family History.
  18. ^ "Heritage week in Tipperary Studies" (PDF). Nenagh Guardian. 19 August 2017. p. 11. Fr Kelly volunteered for service as an army chaplain during WWI. He was awarded the Military Cross for 'conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty' on 16 August 1917 east of Ypres. He continued as army chaplain until 1920 before returning to pastoral duties. He became PP in Killenaule in 1937 and was buried there in 1955.
  19. ^ O'Grady, Anne (9 August 2017). "Military Cross awarded to Tipperary man on display during heritage week". Tipperary Live. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  20. ^ "Do you want to see an original Military Cross medal ? – Tipperary Studies". 10 August 2017. Retrieved 6 November 2025.
  21. ^ "Fr Kelly Military Cross – Tipperary Studies". 15 November 2018. Retrieved 6 November 2025.