Manus Kelly facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Manus Kelly |
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|---|---|
| Nationality |  Irish |
| Born | 9 February 1978 Letterkenny, County Donegal, Ireland |
| Died | 23 June 2019 (aged 41) Fanad Head, County Donegal, Ireland |
| Irish Tarmac Rally Championship career | |
| Co-driver | Donall Barrett |
| Championship titles | |
| 2016, 2017, 2018 | Donegal International Rally |
Manus "Mandy" Kelly (born 9 February 1978 – died 23 June 2019) was an Irish rally driver. He was also a successful businessman and a local politician. Manus was a talented rally driver. He competed in the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship. He famously won the Donegal International Rally three times in a row (2016, 2017, and 2018).
As a businessman, he owned a company and a café in Letterkenny. He created many jobs for people in his community. He was also a politician for the Fianna Fáil party. In May 2019, he was elected to the Donegal County Council. Sadly, Manus Kelly died in a crash on 23 June 2019. This happened while he was racing in the 2019 Donegal International Rally. After his death, many important people, including Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, spoke about his great achievements.
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About Manus Kelly
Manus Kelly grew up in Glenswilly, County Donegal. He was one of nine children born to Donal and Jacqueline. He had four brothers: Donal, Caolan, Teigharan, and Leon. He also had four sisters: Breigeen, Kelda, Ciara, and Shannagh. Manus went to Glenswilly National School and St Eunan's College.
He worked at Letterkenny General Hospital as a porter. Later, he drove a special "cancer bus." This bus took very ill patients from Donegal to Dublin for their cancer treatment. Manus also cared about road safety. He taught about it in local schools. He was a volunteer for Donegal Down Syndrome too.
Manus was married to Bernie. They had five children together. Their three sons were Mandy, Conan, and Charlie. Their two daughters were Annie and Bella. At the time of his death, his children were aged between one and 21 years old.
His Sporting Life
Manus Kelly was a well-known rally driver. He competed in the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship. He made history by winning the Donegal International Rally three times in a row. These wins happened in 2016, 2017, and 2018.
Beyond rallying, Manus also coached Gaelic football. He led his local team, Glenswilly, to win the Senior C Championship in 2016.
His Businesses
Manus Kelly was a successful business owner. He owned the Uptown Café in Letterkenny. He also started and managed a company called Tailored Facility Solutions. This company provided many jobs for people in the area.
His Political Career
In 2019, Manus Kelly decided to enter politics. He ran as a candidate for the Fianna Fáil party. He wanted to represent the Letterkenny area in the Donegal County Council. He started his campaign on 29 March 2019. Another Fianna Fáil councillor, James Pat McDaid, supported his campaign.
Manus continued his rally racing while campaigning for the election. He received 906 first-choice votes. He was successfully elected to the Donegal County Council after the ninth count of votes.
His Death and Funeral
On 23 June 2019, around 12:30 PM, Manus Kelly was racing. He was competing in the 2019 Donegal International Rally. His car, a Hyundai i20 R5, crashed on the Fanad Head loop. It went through a hedge and into a field. The car was badly damaged. The Gardaí (Irish police) later confirmed that he had died.
His co-driver, Donall Barrett, was injured and taken to hospital. Because of the accident, the rest of the 2019 rally was cancelled. Manus was survived by his wife, his five children, his parents, and his eight brothers and sisters.
Many politicians, both local and national, shared their sadness. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar called him a "phenomenal motorsportsman." Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said his death was "an immeasurable loss." Minister of State for Tourism and Sport Brendan Griffin called him "a great ambassador for Irish motor sport." Motorsport Ireland and the Donegal Motor Club also sent their sympathies to his family and friends.
Manus Kelly's death happened on the same day that Donegal won their tenth Ulster Senior Football Championship. The Donegal team was captained by his clubmate and close friend, Michael Murphy. Michael missed the team's celebration after hearing the sad news.
About 700 people attended Manus Kelly's funeral. It was held at St Columba's Church, Glenswilly on 27 June 2019. The funeral procession was led by the Subaru Impreza S12B WRC car. This was the car Manus had used to win the Donegal International Rally three times. Rally champion Declan Boyle drove the car, with Manus's son Charlie in the passenger seat.
Micheál Martin attended the funeral. The Minister for Education and Skills, Joe McHugh, was also there. The Taoiseach was represented by his aide-de-camp. After the funeral mass, Manus's four brothers carried his coffin. They walked it across the Donegal International Rally ramp. He was then laid to rest in Conwal Cemetery.
