Patrick Joseph Kelly
{{Short description|IRA member}}
{{other people|Patrick Kelly}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Use Hiberno-English|date=February 2017}}
{{Infobox military person
|name= Patrick Kelly
|birth_date=19 March 1957
|death_date= 8 May 1987 (aged 30)
|birth_place= Carrickfergus, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
|death_place= Loughgall, County Armagh Northern Ireland
|image= Vol Patrick kelly.jpg
|caption=
|nickname=
|allegiance= Provisional Irish Republican Army
|serviceyears= c. 1974–1987
|rank= Officer Commanding
|commands=
|unit= East Tyrone Brigade
|battles= The Troubles
|awards=
|laterwork=
}}
Patrick Joseph Kelly (19 March 1957{{spaced ndash}}8 May 1987), was an Irish commander of the East Tyrone Brigade of the Provisional Irish Republican Army during the mid-1980s until his death in a Special Air Service ambush at Loughgall, County Armagh in May 1987.{{cite book | title = Tírghrá | publisher = National Commemoration Centre | year = 2002 | pages = 290 | isbn = 0-9542946-0-2}}[http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/sutton/chron/1987.html CAIN Web Service]
Background
The oldest child in a Roman Catholic family of five, Kelly was born and lived in Carrickfergus until he was 16 before the family returned to live in Dungannon. Patrick Kelly's uncle was the Irish Republican activist and elected official Liam Kelly.{{cite web |url=https://www.dib.ie/biography/kelly-liam-a10012 |title=Kelly, Liam |last=Hanley |first=Brian |date=June 2018 |website=DICTIONARY OF IRISH BIOGRAPHY |publisher=Royal Irish Academy |access-date=30 November 2023 |quote=}}
Paramilitary activity
Kelly became a member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army at the beginning of the 1970s and became one of the most experienced IRA men in Tyrone. He was arrested in February 1982 based on testimony from an informant named Patrick McGurk but was released in October 1983 due to lack of evidence, after a trial that lasted fifteen minutes.Dáil Éireann Parliamentary Debates - [http://historical-debates.oireachtas.ie/D/0354/D.0354.198412040123.html Volume 354 – 4 December 1984, Private Members' Business – Northern Ireland Supergrass Trials] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607082158/http://historical-debates.oireachtas.ie/D/0354/D.0354.198412040123.html |date=7 June 2011 }}, historical-debates.oireachtas.ie; accessed 6 October 2015.
In 1985, Kelly became brigade commander in East Tyrone and began developing tactics for attacking isolated Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) bases in his area. Under his leadership the East Tyrone Brigade became the most active IRA unit.{{cite book|last=Coogan|first=Tim|author-link=Tim Pat Coogan|title=The I.R.A.|publisher=HarperCollins|year=2000|page=[https://archive.org/details/ira00timp/page/575 575]|isbn=0-00-653155-5|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/ira00timp/page/575}}{{cite book|last=Moloney|first=Ed|author-link=Ed Moloney|title=A Secret History of the IRA|publisher=Penguin Books|year=2002|page=307|isbn=0-14-101041-X}}Henry McDonald. [https://www.theguardian.com/Northern_Ireland/Story/0,2763,801151,00.html " True tale of IRA 'martyrs' revealed"], The Guardian, 29 September 2002; retrieved 8 February 2007.
In 1986, Kelly attended the IRA Army Convention where the main topic of discussion was the principle of abstentionism. Gerry Adams and others argued that the abstentionist rule should be dropped and the Provisional movement should become involved in constitutional politics. Kelly voted against dropping the rule, and a rift with the majority of the IRA Army Council ensued.
Loughgall ambush
{{Main|Loughgall Ambush}}
Patrick Kelly was killed by the Special Air Service on 8 May 1987 whilst he was participating in an attack on Loughgall police station, in which seven other IRA men: Pádraig McKearney, Declan Arthurs, Seamus Donnelly, Tony Gormley, Eugene Kelly, Jim Lynagh, and Gerard O'Callaghan also died. Kelly's funeral in Dungannon was one of the largest in Tyrone during the Troubles.{{cite web|title=IRA deaths: The four shootings|author=Paul Gallagher|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/1312421.stm|publisher=BBC|date=4 May 2001|access-date=30 May 2007}}[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1312378.stm IRA deaths: Full judgement], bbc.co.uk; accessed 6 October 2015.
Kelly was buried in Edendork cemetery, two miles from his home in Dungannon.
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
{{PIRA}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kelly, Patrick}}
Category:Deaths by firearm in Northern Ireland
Category:People from Carrickfergus
Category:People killed by security forces during The Troubles (Northern Ireland)