Manus Kelly
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Irish| Manus Kelly | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Irish |
| Born | 9 February 1978 |
| 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 Kelly (9 February 1978[1] – 23 June 2019) was an Irish rally driver, businessman, and Fianna Fáil politician from Glenswilly in County Donegal. Known as "Mandy",[2] he won the Donegal International Rally three consecutive times, in 2016, 2017, and 2018. Elected in the 2019 local elections to serve on Donegal County Council, he died less than a month later, aged 41, while competing in the 2019 Donegal International Rally.
A native of Glenswilly,[3] Manus Kelly was the son of Donal and Jacqueline Kelly; he had four brothers, Donal, Caolan, Teigharan and Leon, and four sisters, Breigeen, Kelda, Ciara and Shannagh.[2][4] He was educated at Glenswilly National School and St Eunan's College.[5] With his wife Bernie he had five children—three sons, Manus, Charlie, and Conan, and two daughters, Annie and Bella.[2]
Career
A driver in the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship, Kelly won the Donegal International Rally three consecutive times, in 2016, 2017, and 2018.[6][7][8] He was also involved in coaching Gaelic football and led his local team Glenswilly to a Senior C Championship win in 2016.[9]
Once employed as a porter at Letterkenny University Hospital, Kelly subsequently drove the "cancer bus" that took patients from Donegal to Dublin for cancer treatment.[4] He later became a well-known local businessman, known as the proprietor of Uptown Café in Letterkenny and the founder and managing director of Tailored Facility Solutions, a Letterkenny-based company employing 60 people.[4][10] He was also known as a road safety advocate in local schools and as a volunteer with Donegal Down Syndrome.[4]
In the 2019 Donegal County Council election, Kelly stood as a Fianna Fáil candidate in the Letterkenny local electoral area. Endorsed by outgoing Fianna Fáil councillor and fellow sportsman James Pat McDaid, he received 906 first-preference votes and was elected to Donegal County Council on the ninth count.[11][12][3] Following Kelly's death, his father, Donal Kelly Sr, was co-opted onto Donegal County Council to replace him.[13] After Donal Kelly Sr retired in 2020, he was replaced on the council by Kelly's brother, Donal "Mandy" Kelly Jr,[14] who was later elected in the 2024 Donegal County Council election, having attained 1,841 first-preference votes.[15]