Patrick Joseph Kelly (19 March 19578 May 1987), was an

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

commander of the East Tyrone Brigade of the

Provisional Irish Republican Army The Irish Republican Army (IRA; ), also known as the Provisional Irish Republican Army, and informally as the Provos, was an Irish republican paramilitary organisation that sought to end British rule in Northern Ireland, facilitate Irish reu ...

during the mid-1980s until his death in a Special Air Service ambush at

Loughgall Loughgall ( ; ) is a small village, townland (of 131 acres) and civil parish in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It is in the historic baronies of Armagh and Oneilland West. It had a population of 282 people (116 households) in the 2011 Censu ...

, County Armagh in May 1987.

Background

The oldest child in a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

family of five, Kelly was born and lived in

Carrickfergus Carrickfergus ( , meaning " Fergus' rock") is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It sits on the north shore of Belfast Lough, from Belfast. The town had a population of 27,998 at the 2011 Census. It is County Antrim's oldest ...

until he was 16 before the family returned to live in Dungannon.

Paramilitary activity

Kelly became a member of the

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. 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. In 1986, Kelly attended the IRA Army Convention where the main topic of discussion was the principle of

abstentionism Abstentionism is standing for election to a deliberative assembly while refusing to take up any seats won or otherwise participate in the assembly's business. Abstentionism differs from an election boycott in that abstentionists participate in ...

Gerry Adams Gerard Adams ( ga, Gearóid Mac Ádhaimh; born 6 October 1948) is an Irish republican politician who was the president of Sinn Féin between 13 November 1983 and 10 February 2018, and served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for Louth from 2011 to 2020. ...

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 The IRA Army Council was the decision-making body of the Provisional Irish Republican Army, a paramilitary group dedicated to bringing about independence to the whole island of Ireland and the end of the Union between Northern Ireland and Grea ...

ensued.

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 The East Tyrone Brigade of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA), also known as the Tyrone/Monaghan Brigade was one of the most active republican paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland during "the Troubles". It is believed to have drawn ...

, Seamus Donnelly, Tony Gormley, Eugene Kelly,

Jim Lynagh Jim Lynagh ( ga, Séamus Ó Laighneach; 13 April 1956 – 8 May 1987) was a member of the East Tyrone Brigade of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA), from Monaghan Town in the Republic of Ireland. Background One of twelve children, Ly ...

, and Gerard O'Callaghan also died. Kelly's funeral in Dungannon was one of the largest in Tyrone during

the Troubles The Troubles ( ga, Na Trioblóidí) were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it is sometimes described as an " ...

.IRA deaths: Full judgement
bbc.co.uk; accessed 6 October 2015. Kelly was buried in Edendork cemetery, two miles from his home in Dungannon.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kelly, Patrick 1957 births 1987 deaths Deaths by firearm in Northern Ireland Irish republicans People from Carrickfergus People killed by security forces during The Troubles (Northern Ireland) Provisional Irish Republican Army members

Background

Paramilitary activity

Loughgall ambush

See also

References