Death of a much loved Offaly character

THE death has taken place of a much loved and hugely popular Offaly personality. Joe Kelly, Ballycollin, Geashill lived a full and active life and will be missed by his family and the many people who had the pleasure of knowing him.

In poor health in recent years, he went the full distance and leaves an abundance of treasured and cherished memories. A member of a famous Kilclonfert family, Joe spent most of his life living in the Ballycollin townland, almost equidistant from Geashill, Ballinagar and Killeigh.

While he embraced life in all those areas, he remained a Kilclonfert man at heart and pride in his community and local GAA club never left him. An uncle of Offaly senior football joint manager, Declan Kelly, Joe was a passionate GAA supporter and was one of a generation blessed to have witnessed all of Offaly's great GAA successes from 1960 onwards.

A devoted husband and father, Joe lined out for Daingean in the 1960s, regularly playing on the full back line along with younger brother Paddy in junior and tournament games while they were part of the Daingean panel that won the Senior Football Championship in 1965.

Joe was a very steady corner back and enjoyed his football. A Kilclonfert club was not in existence during most of his playing career. Kilclonfert had combined with Cappincur to form one of the most celebrated clubs in Daingean parish, St Coleman's in the 1950s and they went out of existence in the early 1960s. After this, players from Kilclonfert played with either Daingean or Ballycommon and it was 1977 when a club was officially reformed in the area – with a clearly defined border from Barnan Cross to Ballyowen Cross to the Westmeath border, including Ballylennon to the new school in Cappagh, to ensure protection for both Daingean and Ballycommon clubs. Joe also played with Ballycommon and the Kilclonfert, Daingean and Ballycommon jersey all adorned his coffin at his removal in addition to a Clodiagh Gaels one.

The deceased was very proud of Kilclonfert's return to the fold and their rare successes since then. He also took a great interest in the clubs in Killeigh parish. His son John was a very good hurler who played with Killeigh-Raheen and then Killeigh after that amalgamation split up around the 2000 mark and Joe was a regular at their games and then Clodiagh Gaels after Killeigh amalgamated with Killurin in 2015. In later years, he enjoyed attending games featuring his grandchildren.

He was a dedicated employee, very loyal to a fellow Kilclonfert man, Sean Maunsell who set up a very successful pre-cast concrete business between Daingean and Croghan. Initially called Maunsell's, this later became Killeshal Precast Concrete and Joe worked with them for decades before retiring several years ago.

He was a very sociable man, who loved the pub scene and the fun and banter that went on in them. He was a familiar figure in Ballinagar, Geashill and Killeigh for years and had a particular affinity with Ballinagar during the 1980s and 1990s when the pub there was owned by a Ferbane native Kieran Devery.

Throughout his life, Joe was a larger than life personality who attracted people into his company without seeking it. He was fantastic, gregarious company, with a great wit and he got great pleasure out of playing the 25 card game. A nine was his favourite but he also enjoyed a six or playing single handedly and he was very adept at this game, knowing when to fight his corner and when to hold back. He was tolerant of players who were not as skilled as him but he also let people know when they made a mistake or didn't go when they should have. The games in Ballinagar in particular were not for the sensitive and Joe had many great friends there. He was also a very efficient player of poker, where the stakes were often higher and the game more serious than 25.

He also enjoyed darts, throwing for the pub in Ballinagar in local leagues. Back in the 1980s and 1990s, there was a mini horse-shoe throwing craze in the wider Ballinagar-Cappincur area and Joe greatly enjoyed these, regularly attending the Sunday morning games behind the house of the late Joe Malone at Clonmore.

Time in Joe's company was always well spent and he loved the big days out at matches in Croke Park and throughout the county.

He got a good few years of happy retirement and was a regular in the Bridge Centre in Tullamore, enjoying conversations with the multitudes of passer-bys as he relaxed on a bench outside Dunnes Stores.

He had one of those endearing personalities and he will be mourned by many.

Pre deceased by his infant daughter, grandson Niall, parents John and Mary and his brother Sean. Joe will be sadly missed and fondly remembered by his loving wife Ann and family Martina, Amanda, John and Jackie, sons-in-law Paul, John and Colm, daughter-in-law Shirley, his adored grandchildren Craig, Chloe, Adam, Robert, Kevin, Aoife, Sean, Eoghain, Ryan, Aaron and his great grandchildren, brothers Paddy, Tommy, Andy, Camillus and Matt, sisters Lucy, Brid, Mary-Ann, Eileen and Bernadette, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, relatives, neighbours, his good neighbour Kathleen Hoctor and many friends.