Kelly, Dick
July 15, 2008
Dick Kelly died on February 27 2008 at the Mater Hospital in Dublin after a short illness. He leaves a grieving wife Ronnie and a grown up family of five brothers and one sister mourn him deeply; indeed the entire community in Kilkelly area of East Mayo is shocked and saddened by his untimely death.
Dick was the youngest of seven children of the late Jack and Mae Kelly, Culmore, Kilkelly. He had enjoyed just three years of fulfilling retirement, leaving his post as Assistant Commissioner in the Garda Siocahana in January 2005.
I remember Dick Kelly with pride. We grew up together in the one community of Culmore. We attended the same National School in Kilkelly and like all youngsters growing up, played the same games, including Gaelic football and Hurling, also handball and other sports such as swimming, squash and basketball. Both of us entered the Garda college in Templemore in the same year, 1965, though not in the same group
Dick's first appointment on graduation was to Clontarf in Dublin. He would spend most of his service in the Dublin: Clontarf store Street, Garda Headquarters and Fitzgibbon Street. He gained rapid promotion through the ranks, serving as Serving as Sergeant in Store Street, Inspector in Head-quarters, District Officer and later as Chief Superintendent in Mullingar and back to Fitzgibbon Street in the DMA.
Dick was promoted to the rank of Assistant Commissioner in March of 1998 at the age of 53 years. His first appointment on promotion was as Regional Commander in Kilkenny City and later finishing a most distinguished career in the force back in Mullingar.
There were a number of hallmarks of outstanding quality and achievement associated with Dick Kelly throughout his life. He was a devoted family man who is dearly missed by his wife Ronnie and their family Sinead, Rory, Richard Junior, Ciaran and Mark.
Dick always made time for his family and no matter how demanding were his responsibilities in the force. He served his community with real zeal and commitment, he loved the job and he loved people. He was appreciated by his colleagues for his understanding, empathy, generosity and fair mindedness; he set the highest standards in terms of service and duty but always balanced it with an appreciation of the members he commanded. He was a great leader. He was a great loss to the force when he retired after 40 years of dedicated service but no doubt others have learned from his example and continue the devotion of duty and care to members of the force and the public.
Kilkelly can be justly proud of its favoured son the qualities which he brought to the Gardai were imbued and nurtured in Culmore and its community. He was very enthusiastic at school, a bright student always had an interest in learning. He channelled his ambition into a wide area, serving in the FCA in Swinford, playing club football with Aghamore/Kilkelly, participating in amateur dramatics and later into fishing and golf.
It is said that many people shape our lives and some have profound influence on us. This perhaps is very true for all who had the privilege of growing up with Dick Kelly and following his career in later life.
Dick always led balanced life: family, work, community involvement and sport. He was a talented club footballer and gave great service to his local club - Aghamore/Kilkelly and East Mayo in his youth. He also served in a number of clubs in Dublin in his early days in the Gardai, recounting many years on convivial evenings together, various stories and things that happened around football clubs in Dublin in the late sixties and seventies, too numerous to mention here. He loved the game of golf, which he took up towards the end of his football career and became an accomplished player.
Dick's love of Gaelic football was centred on his native community and county. He never lost touch with the local and county progress. On a night after a Mayo game, he would invariably spend more time on the phone, mostly to hid brother, Dan in Culmore, himself a great GAA man, having a detailed discussion of the wins and woes of Mayo football.
Many recall that Dick was most helpful on All Ireland and other big match days in Croke Park, where he was in later years the Garda Supremo in charge of operation, and over the years many were indebted to him for his assistance in procuring the much sought after ticket. He would never let his own people down.
Dick loved his native county; he loved to fish and shoot in the West. He inducted his family into the life and ways of Kilkelly and surrounding community spending frequent holidays among his own people. His love for his own area and its people was the bedrock of the consideration and care he showed those he served throughout his career.
Dick spent his short years of retirement with his family and playing golf in Skerries, his home club where he was valued and energetic member. He filled the display cabinet at home with trophies. He enjoyed the distinction of playing Mount Juliet where he was honourary member. He was a keen walker on hill and beach. He had a lifelong interest in photography and was developing this by attending courses before his untimely death.
All of us who knew Dick were enriched by his company, friendship and humility, be they in Dublin or Mayo.
His passing greatly saddens us but his loss is most deeply felt by Ronnie and the family. It is of great consolation to them, and to us, that he was steadfast in his faith and lived his life in justice and charity.
His long service in the force, touching the lives of so many as it did, h would have known the distress of death, the distress of dying and the distress of watching relatives, he himself perhaps comforted many towards their end, and when his own time came, I know he faced it with fortitude, courage and a calm resignation in "God's Will".
You will believe me when I tell you that this Garda Officer was brave as well as talented.
In iothlainn De go raibh se fasta. Ni bheidh a leitheid aris in ar measc.
Courtesy of the Western People
July 15th, 2008
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