{{Other people|Edmund Kelly}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}} {{Short description|Irish Military Chaplain and priest}} {{Infobox military person | honorific_prefix = Servant of God | name = Canon Edmond Kelly | honorific_suffix = SJ | image_size = | image = Father Edmond Kelly, pictured in Belgium as a WWI Military Chaplain (between 1915 and 1917).jpg | alt = | caption = | nickname = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1874|06|08|df=yes}} | birth_place = Newtown, New Inn, County Tipperary, Ireland | death_date = {{Death date and age|1955|10|11|1874|06|08|df=yes}} | death_place = St John of God University Hospital, Stillorgan, Dublin, Ireland | burial_place = | branch = British Army | service_years = 1915–1917 | rank = Military chaplain | service_number = | unit = 8th Royal Irish Fusiliers | commands = | battles = First World War * Battle of Loos * Battle of the Somme ** Battle of Ginchy * Battle of Messines * Battle of Passchendaele ** Battle of Langemarck | awards = {{ubl|Military Cross|Mentioned in dispatches}} | relations = | other_work = }} Canon '''Edmond Kelly''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|MC|PP|VF}} (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.<ref name="Clonmel1917"/> 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== Edmund Kelly was born on 8 June 1874 in Newtown, New Inn, County Tipperary, Ireland.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Page number 65, Microfilm 02502 / 03, New Inn and Knockgraffon, Cashel and Emly - Catholic Parish Registers at the NLI |url=https://registers.nli.ie/pages/vtls000632746_065 |access-date=2025-10-28 |website=registers.nli.ie |language=en}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite news |date=April 1967 |title=Famed Bushranger's Descendants from Tipp |url=https://www.wikitree.com/photo.php/b/b3/Kelly-38180.jpg |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date= |work=Tipperary Star (from Irish Newspaper Archives) |pages=1 |edition=Thurles |volume=77 |issue=14}}</ref>
Edmond Kelly received his early education locally before attending Rockwell College.<ref name="Indo1955" /> He later studied at St Patrick's College, Thurles and then at St Patrick's College, Maynooth.<ref name="Clericus"/> On 1 September 1897, he matriculated to Maynooth College to study for the priesthood in the Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly.<ref name="Clericus"/><ref>{{Citation |last= |first= |title=Photograph: Saint-Patrick's College, Maynooth - Matriculation Class of 1898-99 |date=1898-01-01 |url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Saint-Patrick's_College,_Maynooth_-_Matriculation_Class_of_1898-99.jpg |access-date=2025-11-06}}</ref>
thumb|Edmundus Kelly featuring in this classpiece of Saint-Patrick's College, Maynooth - Matriculation Class of 1898-99
== Priesthood == === Ordination and early ministry === Edmond Kelly was ordained to the priesthood on 17 June 1900 at St Patrick's College, Maynooth.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1899-08-05 |title=ORDINATIONS AT MAYNOOTH. |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article111074262 |access-date=2025-11-21 |work=Freeman's Journal |pages=6}}</ref><ref name="Clericus"/><ref>{{Cite web |last=Dr. Joe M. O'Kelly |title=Kellys In Religion: Canon Edmund Kelly, M.C., P.P., V.F. |url=https://kellyclanireland.com/tracing-kelly-ancestors/general-interests/kelly-s-in-religion?showall=&start=3 |access-date=2025-11-06 |website=www.kellyclanireland.com |language=en-gb}}</ref> Following his ordination, he served as a missionary in South Africa from 1900 to 1911.<ref name="Clericus"/> Upon returning to Ireland in 1911, he was appointed as a curate at Mullinahone in County Tipperary, where he served until 1915.<ref name="MullinahoneChurch"/>
=== Military chaplaincy === In 1915, Edmond Kelly volunteered for military service and was commissioned as a chaplain in the Army Chaplains' Department.<ref>{{Citation |title=Tipp Today Highlights - The Tipp Priest Who Served In WWI |url=https://soundcloud.com/tippfmradio/tipp-today-highlights-the-tipp-priest-who-fought-in-wwi |access-date=2025-11-06 |publisher=Tipp FM |language=en}}</ref> He served on the Western Front, particularly in the Ypres Salient.<ref name="Burke2015"/>
==== Military Cross ==== On 16 August 1917, Edmond Kelly was awarded the Military Cross for tending the wounded under heavy fire.<ref name="Clonmel1917"/> The award was published in the ''London Gazette'' in March 1918.<ref name="Gazette1918"/>
== Post-war ministry == [[File:Harry Clarke window at St Mary's Killenaule.png|left|thumb|upright=0.5|Harry Clarke window commissioned by Edmond 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.<ref>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.</ref><ref>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.</ref> 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<ref name="Indo1955" />
During his tenure at Killenaule, Edmond Kelly oversaw improvements to St Mary's Church, including a window designed by Harry Clarke dedicated to the Assumption of Mary.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-02-27 |title=St. Mary's Church |url=https://killenaule.net/town/history-2/churches/st-marys-church/ |access-date=2025-11-08 |website=Killenaule |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref name="HistoricKillenaule"/> In 1939, he discovered old parish registers dating from 1743 to 1801 and arranged for their restoration.<ref name="Fanning"/>
[[File:Tipperary Star - Irish newspaper issue Vol.49 No.42 - 15 Oct. 1955.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|Canon Kelly in the front page of the newspaper Tipperary Star (Vol.49 No.42) on 15 October 1955]]
== Death == Canon Edmond 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.<ref name="Indo1955"/>
== Legacy == The Very Reverend Canon Edmond Kelly's Military Cross and other personal effects were later acquired by Tipperary Studies,<ref>{{Cite news |date=19 August 2017 |title=Heritage week in Tipperary Studies |url=https://wordsworthlearning.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Nenagh-Guardian.pdf |work=Nenagh Guardian |pages=11 |quote=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.}}</ref> 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.<ref name="OGrady"/><ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-08-10 |title=Do you want to see an original Military Cross medal ? – Tipperary Studies |url=https://tipperarystudies.ie/do-you-want-to-see-an-original-military-cross-medal/ |access-date=2025-11-06 |language=en-GB}}</ref> Again in 2018, a special conference and exhibition were organised by Tipperary Studies.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-11-15 |title=Fr Kelly Military Cross – Tipperary Studies |url=https://tipperarystudies.ie/fr-kelly-military-cross/ |access-date=2025-11-06 |language=en-GB}}</ref>
== Honours == * Military Cross (1917) * Canon of the Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly
== References == <references>
<ref name="Clonmel1917">{{cite news |title=Tipperary Chaplain Awarded the Military Cross |work=Clonmel Chronicle |date=27 October 1917}}</ref>
<ref name="Indo1955">{{cite news |title=Death of Killenaule's P.P. Very Rev. Edmond Canon Kelly |work=Irish Independent |date=12 October 1955 |page=1}}</ref>
<ref name="Clericus">{{cite web |title=Edmund Kelly |url=https://clericus.maynoothuniversity.ie/person/38437 |website=Clericus.ie |access-date=20 November 2025}}</ref>
<ref name="MullinahoneChurch">{{cite web |title=Saint Michael's Catholic Church, Mullinahone |url=https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/22103005/saint-michaels-catholic-church-mullinahone-county-tipperary |website=Buildings of Ireland |access-date=4 October 2025}}</ref>
<ref name="Burke2015">{{cite journal |last=Burke |first=Damien |year=2015 |title=Irish Jesuit Chaplains in the First World War |journal=Studies: An Irish Quarterly Review |volume=104 |issue=414 |pages=167–175 |issn=0039-3495 |jstor=24347760}}</ref>
<ref name="Gazette1918">{{cite journal |title=Military Cross awards |journal=Supplement to the London Gazette |issue=30564 |page=2921 |date=7 March 1918 |url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30561/supplement/2921/data.pdf}}</ref>
<ref name="HistoricKillenaule">{{cite web |title=St. Mary's Church Killenaule |url=https://historicgraves.com/st-mary-s-church-killenaule/ts-smkl-0210/grave |website=Historic Graves |date=29 March 2013 |access-date=4 October 2025}}</ref>
<ref name="Fanning">{{cite book |last=Fanning |first=Kathleen |title=Parish Records Restoration |publisher=Fanning Family History |year= |location= |isbn= }}</ref>
<ref name="OGrady">{{cite web |last=O'Grady |first=Anne |title=Military Cross awarded to Tipperary man on display during heritage week |url=https://www.tipperarylive.ie/news/home/264242/military-cross-awarded-to-tipperary-man-on-display-during-heritage-week.html |website=Tipperary Live |date=9 August 2017 |access-date=27 May 2023}}</ref>
</references>
{{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Kelly, Edmund}} Category:1874 births Category:1955 deaths Category:People from County Tipperary Category:People educated at Rockwell College Category:Alumni of St Patrick's College, Maynooth Category:19th-century Irish Roman Catholic priests Category:20th-century Irish Roman Catholic priests Category:Irish military chaplains Category:Royal Army Chaplains' Department officers Category:World War I chaplains Category:Recipients of the Military Cross Category:Irish expatriates in South Africa