The late Paddy Kelly of Melbourne and Kilruane

The death has taken place in Melbourne, Australia, of Paddy Kelly, formerly from Southill, Kilruane.

Before he emigrated to Australia in 1968 Paddy played juvenile (under 15) and minor hurling with Kilruane MacDonaghs and he won a north and county final in 1962 with the juvenile team. He joined the Australian army and he served in Vietnam and was wounded there in 1970. After many months of rehabilitation Paddy returned to civilian life and was active in the Sinn Féin hurling club, of which he was a founding member and the Saint Kevin's football club in Melbourne.

He kept in touch with events in Ireland through Setanta Sports and Irish radio via the internet and during the recent lockdown, due to the Covid pandemic, he tuned in to the Sunday Mass that was broadcast on the Cloughjordan Parish Facebook page.

In the recent edition of Cloughjordan Heritage (Vol XI) the story of Paddy's emigration to Australia was featured.

Paddy will be fondly remembered by all his friends in the Kilruane area and by his former colleagues on the Kilruane MacDonaghs hurling teams.

Sympathy is extended to his sister Mary Maher, Southill; his brother Bill Kelly, Nenagh and his family in Australia. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dilís.