The funeral arrangements for the late PJ Kelly have been confirmed.
Reposing at Our Lady of the Wayside Church, Lissycasey on Tuesday 17th September from 4 o’clock to 8 o’clock. Funeral Mass on Wednesday at 12 noon with burial in the local Cemetery. The Mass can be viewed here.
Family flowers only please – House Private please.
Tributes are being paid to Clare County Council’s longest serving member, PJ Kelly who has passed away.
Mr Kelly, who only retired as a councillor in June after five decades service, died at his home last night.
The Lissycasey Fianna Fáil veteran was first elected in 1974 and in his most recent contest in 2019, he topped the pole in West Clare after exceeding the quota by 500 votes on the first count.
Clare Fianna Fáil TD Cathal Crowed said: “I am very shocked and very saddened to hear of the passing of Lissycasey’s PJ Kelly overnight.
PJ was an great friend and highly valued political mentor of mine. We would speak several times a week and, indeed, only had our last phone conversation yesterday evening.”
“PJ was an incredible public representative for West Clare over decades – the decades part must be emphasised because PJ won a seat on Clare County Council in 9 successive elections and his political career spanned 50 years.”
Deputy Crowe added: “PJ was a guru on all things planning and took great pride in knowing sections and sub-sections of both the Planning Act and Local Government Act in great detail. Every speech he made in the Council chamber was memorable and new entrants to politicians would do well to study PJ’s ability to say everything with a loaded one-liner that would invariably make the newspaper headlines later in the week.
PJ loved horses, horse breeding, his VW Beetle and he had the incredible gift of being able to divine for water – it worked every time. There will never be the likes of PJ Kelly again. My very deepest sympathies to Maura, Barry John, Aoife and Alma,” Mr Crowe concluded.
Clare County Council Cathaoirleach Alan O’Callaghan posted on Facebook: “Shocked is an understatement. Had the pleasure of sitting beside the great Councillor Pj Kelly for 10yrs until he retired last June. He passed away early this morning in his sleep. Condolences to his family neighbours and political friends from near and far. Have some fond memories of PJ. May he rest in peace.”