Patrick Kelly (Irish politician)

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Patrick Michael Kelly
Teachta Dála for Clare
In office 1927 – 1932

Born	August 13, 1878(1878-08-13)
Died	November 20, 1934 (aged 56) Clonina, County Clare, Ireland
Political party	Cumann na nGaedhael
Profession	Farmer
^[1]

Patrick Michael Kelly (10 August 1878 – 20 November 1934) was an Irish soldier, farmer and politician, and was a member of the Irish parliament representing the Clare constituency between 1927 and 1932.

[edit] Biography

Patrick Michael Kelly was born 10 August 1878. He was the eldest son of Tom Ban Kelly and Bridget Davoren and the grandson of the successful landowner, Pat Mor Kelly and Bridget Gibson from Fortview in County Clare. In 1893, at the age of 18, Patrick left for the Boer War in South Africa much to his mother's distress. However, Patrick distinguished himself with honours and he eventually returned to Clonina to take over the farm and eventually to enter political life.

In the Irish general election in 1927, Cumann na nGaedheal performed poorly, winning just 47 seats of the 153 seats. However, Patrick Kelly was elected to the 5th Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas (legislature) of the Irish Free State. These Teachtaí Dála (Members of Parliament) were elected in the June 1927 general election, and served until September of that year. The 5th Dáil is the shortest Dáil in the history of the state, lasting only 98 days. Patrick Kelly, along with Eamon de Valera, were elected as members for County Clare. The 23 June 1927 issue of Dáil Éireann^[2], which document Parliamentary debates, listed the following Deputies returned to serve in the Dáil representing the Clare Constituency: Patrick Michael Kelly, Eamon de Valera, Thomas Falvey, Patrick Houlihan and Patrick Hogan. Following victory in two by-elections, Cosgrave called a snap election in September 1927. Cumann na nGaedheal regained most of the ground lost in June, winning 62 seats and 39% of the vote. In the September election for the sixth Dáil which started on 11 October 1927 Patrick was re-elected along with Eamon deValera (Fianna Fáil), Mr. Patrick Houlihan (Fianna Fáil), Martin Sexton (Fianna Fáil) and Pádraig Hógáin (An Pairtí an Lucht Oibre). Patrick received 5,647 votes, and de Valera received a massive 13,903 votes and both were elected to the parliament, based on the proportional representation system of the Irish parliament.

The country had remained extremely divided for most of the 1920s and 1930s and politics was a dangerous game. In 1934, at the young age of 59, Patrick's political life was brought to a strange and sad conclusion when he died of Pneumonia and Septicemia, while he was on the farm. Patrick left his wife and eight children, the youngest of which was just one year old.

Patrick's friend Paddy J. Egan of Tullamore, wrote the following glowing appreciation of Patrick in the Mungret Annual in 1935:

"I remember Pat Kelly very well at Mungret. He was one of the personalities amongst the Lay Boys of the College about 1890. A bright, breezy, and always cheerful lad, very original and liked by all of us, he was one of the few chaps the mention of whose name provoked smiles of affection in all directions. I would not describe him as a worshipper at the shrine of discipline; in fact, I know that he held somewhat elastic views when he came to interpret rules and regulations. Apart from his likable disposition, this certainly did contribute something to his popularity. Most of us did not have either his initiative or courage in this respect... I gather that he was personally as popular in the Dail as he was in Mungret years ago. It was with a keen sense of regret that I heard of his death".