Seán Kelly (politician)

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-suffix = MEP

| image = Kelly, Seán-9813.jpg

| office = Member of the European Parliament

| term_start = 1 July 2009

| term_end =

| constituency = South

| office1 = Leader of Fine Gael in the European Parliament

| term_start1 = 4 May 2014

| term_end1 =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1952|4|26|df=y}}

| birth_place = Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland

| death_date =

| death_place =

| party = {{Ubl|Ireland: Fine Gael|EU: European People's Party}}

| spouse = {{marriage|Juliette Kelly|1987}}

| children = 4

| education = St Brendan's College, Killarney

| alma_mater = {{Ubl|St Patrick's College of Education|University College Dublin}}

| website = {{URL|seankelly.eu}}

|}}

Seán Kelly (born 26 April 1952) is an Irish politician who has been a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Ireland for the South constituency since July 2009. He is a member of Fine Gael, part of the European People's Party.{{cite web|url=http://electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=1341|title=Seán Kelly|work=ElectionsIreland.org|access-date=11 June 2009|archive-date=23 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171223235434/https://electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=1341|url-status=live}}

He served as the 34th President of the Gaelic Athletic Association from 2003 to 2006. He was the first person from County Kerry to hold the office, being elected at his first attempt by a record margin at the GAA Congress in 2002. In July 2006, he took up the position of Executive Chairman of the Irish Institute of Sport, a body that was set up in Ireland to support elite athletes and players, and served as Executive President until he announced his resignation in July 2008.{{cite news|url=http://www.irishexaminer.com/breaking/sport/mhqlkfqlgbsn/|title=Kelly steps down from role with Irish Institute of Sport|work=Irish Examiner|date=30 July 2008|access-date=25 September 2008|archive-date=6 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306111515/https://www.irishexaminer.com/breaking/sport/mhqlkfqlgbsn/|url-status=live}}

Early and personal life

Kelly was born in Knockataggle, Kilcummin, Killarney, County Kerry in 1952. He was born into a family that was deeply involved in the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). His grandfather had been chairman of the local club and his four uncles had distinguished playing careers, with his uncle, also Seán Kelly, starring at full-forward for Kerry in their All-Ireland SFC victory against Armagh in the 1953 final. He is a first cousin to Fionnuala O'Kelly, wife of former Taoiseach Enda Kenny.{{cite news |url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0315/1224292162995.html |title=Labour to choose between Higgins and Finlay as presidential candidate |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=15 March 2011 |first=Mary |last=Minihan |access-date=15 March 2011 |archive-date=23 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023113243/http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0315/1224292162995.html |url-status=live }}

Kelly was educated at Kilcummin National School, Tralee CBS and St Brendan's College, Killarney. He qualified as a primary school teacher in St Patrick's College of Education, Drumcondra and then attended University College Dublin where he received a BA in 1974 and Higher Diploma in Education (HDip) in 1975. He worked as a teacher in Dublin (Cromcastle Green, Kilmore West) and in St. Brendan's, Killarney.{{citation needed|date=May 2021}}

GAA career

Before being elected president of the GAA he served as chairman of the East Kerry from 1975 to 1987 and County Kerry Boards from 1987 to 1997 and Munster Council from 1997 to 2000. He also was one of the founding members of the St Patrick's (East Kerry) hurling team in 1984. As county chairman, he founded the Kerry GAA Supporters' Club in 1987.{{cite news|url=https://www.southernstar.ie/sport/can-cork-gaa-afford-not-to-have-its-own-supporters-club-4124149|title=Can Cork GAA afford not to have its own supporters' club?|work=The Southern Star|date=1 August 2016|access-date=28 May 2021|archive-date=29 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029013416/https://www.southernstar.ie/sport/can-cork-gaa-afford-not-to-have-its-own-supporters-club-4124149|url-status=live}}

As the first person from County Kerry to hold the office of President of the Gaelic Athletic Association, his presidency is seen as a landmark one in moving forward the Association on so many fronts with the introduction of Christy Ring Cup and Nicky Rackard Cup, Tommy Murphy Cup, All-Ireland Junior and Intermediate Championships, he also oversaw the completion of the Croke Park re-development through the completion of Hill 16/Northern end and the building of the Croke Park Jury's Hotel. He introduced the President's Awards and developed a great working relationship with the GPA and initiated major improvements in player welfare matters.

Concluding his career in the GAA he published an autobiography in 2007, titled "Rule 42 and all that".{{cite book |last1=Kelly |first1=Sean |title=Rule 42 and all that |date=August 2007 |publisher=Gill & Macmillan |location=Hume Avenue, Park West, Dublin 12 |isbn=978-0-7171-4183-8 |url=https://archive.org/details/rule42allthat0000kell/page/n7/mode/2up |access-date=30 April 2024}}

He is also credited with the successful conclusion of arrangements for the use of Croke Park, the GAA's 82,500 capacity national stadium, by the Irish Rugby Football Union and the Football Association of Ireland while Lansdowne Road was being re-developed.

He was awarded an honorary doctorate by Dublin Institute of Technology in February 2007.

Political career

File:Sean Kelly MEP office.jpg, County Tipperary]]

Seán Kelly was elected as a Fine Gael candidate at the 2009 European Parliament election for the South constituency, at the expense of sitting MEP and party colleague Colm Burke.{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/breaking-news/national-news/politics/fgs-sean-kelly-takes-second-seat-in-ireland-south-1766196.html|title=FG's Sean Kelly takes second seat in Ireland South|date=8 June 2009|work=Irish Independent|access-date=8 June 2009|archive-date=12 June 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090612230647/http://www.independent.ie/breaking-news/national-news/politics/fgs-sean-kelly-takes-second-seat-in-ireland-south-1766196.html|url-status=live}} Kelly is a member of the European Parliament's Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, the Committee on International Trade and the Committee on Constitutional Affairs. He is a member of the delegation for relations with South Africa and he serves as a member of the Delegation for relations with the Countries of South East Asia and ASEAN.{{Cite web|title=My Policy Work|url=https://seankelly.eu/my-policy-work/|access-date=2021-05-10|website=Seán Kelly|date=3 January 2021 |language=en-GB|archive-date=10 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510142927/https://seankelly.eu/my-policy-work/|url-status=live}}

Kelly was elected MEP of the Year for Research and Innovation by fellow MEPs for his work on the European Parliament's ITRE Committee in 2012.{{cite web|url=http://www.mepawards.eu/index.php/2012-winners |title=Archived copy |access-date=2013-02-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121227004227/http://www.mepawards.eu/index.php/2012-winners |archive-date=2012-12-27 }}

Kelly is a recipient of IAB Europe's Award for Leadership and Excellence in Public Policy for his work on data protection.{{Cite web |url=http://siliconrepublic.com/strategy/item/32804-iab-europe-awards-mep-sean |title=IAB Europe awards MEP Sean Kelly for standing up for data privacy rights (Video) - Ireland's CIO and strategy news and reports service – Siliconrepublic.com |access-date=4 July 2013 |archive-date=11 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130611194123/http://www.siliconrepublic.com/strategy/item/32804-iab-europe-awards-mep-sean/ |url-status=live }}

He had been mentioned as a possible Fine Gael candidate for the 2011 presidential election.{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/fionnan-sheahan/fionnan-sheahan-race-to-succeed-mcaleese-will-be-no-stroll-in-the-park-2332770.html|title=Race to succeed McAleese will be no stroll in the park|work=Irish Independent|date=10 September 2010|first=Fionnan|last=Sheahan|access-date=15 March 2011|archive-date=11 September 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100911174921/http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/fionnan-sheahan/fionnan-sheahan-race-to-succeed-mcaleese-will-be-no-stroll-in-the-park-2332770.html|url-status=live}} He was re-elected as an MEP for the South constituency at the 2014 European Parliament election.

Kelly has lobbied to end the bi-annual clock change in the EU,{{Cite web |url=https://seankelly.eu/news/high-time-to-end-bi-annual-clock-change-mep-kelly/ |title="High time to end bi-annual clock change" – MEP Kelly |date=24 March 2017 |access-date=2 April 2019 |archive-date=2 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402191858/https://seankelly.eu/news/high-time-to-end-bi-annual-clock-change-mep-kelly/ |url-status=live }} but is in favour of Ireland's adoption of year-round summertime or Central European Time instead of its present, closer to solar time, Western European Time,{{Cite web |url=https://seankelly.eu/news/keep-summer-time-year-round-mep-kelly/ |title=Keep summer time year round: MEP Kelly |date=26 March 2018 |access-date=2 April 2019 |archive-date=29 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190629160230/https://seankelly.eu/news/keep-summer-time-year-round-mep-kelly/ |url-status=live }} which is precisely the most detrimental time arrangement to human health according to recent chronobiological studies.{{Cite web |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2022/11/06/health/permanent-daylight-savings-health-harms-wellness/index.html |title=Permanent Daylight Saving Time will hurt our health, experts say |date=6 November 2022 |access-date=3 June 2023|archive-date= |archive-url= |url-status=}}

In December 2020, Kelly received the Industry, Research & Innovation award at The Parliament Magazine's annual MEP Awards.{{cite news|url=https://www.theparliamentmagazine.eu/news/article/mep-awards-2020-reaction-and-comment-from-our-winners|title=MEP Awards 2020: Reaction and comment from our winners|last=Johnson|first=Brian|date=2 December 2020|work=The Parliament Magazine|access-date=8 January 2021|archive-date=10 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210110202255/https://www.theparliamentmagazine.eu/news/article/mep-awards-2020-reaction-and-comment-from-our-winners|url-status=live}}

Kelly is known for his frequent use of the Irish Language in the European Parliament. In January 2022, he submitted the first amendment to EU legislation that was written in the Irish Language.{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/first-amendment-as-gaeilge-proposed-for-eu-legislation-1.4787374|title=First amendment 'as Gaeilge' proposed for EU legislation|last=Ó Caollaí|first=Éanna|date=27 January 2022|newspaper=The Irish Times|access-date=28 March 2022}}

Kelly ran for re-election at the 2024 European Parliament election in Ireland with running mate John Mullins.{{Cite web |last=Ryan |first=Órla |date=2024-03-10 |title=Seán Kelly and John Mullins, former Bord Gáis CEO, to run for Fine Gael in European elections |url=https://www.thejournal.ie/fine-gael-candidates-in-ireland-south-6323175-Mar2024/ |access-date=2024-03-15 |website=TheJournal.ie |language=en}} Kelly was re-elected on the first count, topping the poll with 122,777 (17.8%) first preference votes .{{cite web|url=https://www.rte.ie/news/elections-2024/2024/0610/1453895-european-elections-roundup/|title=Fine Gael's Kelly takes first MEP seat in Ireland South|work=RTÉ News |date=11 June 2024|access-date=11 June 2024}}