Dannyvaluedfriendshipaboveallelse andwoulddoanythinghecouldtohelp
It was with great shock that his family learned of the sudden passing of one of Bray’s more recognisable characters, Danny ‘Mother’ Kelly.
Danny unexpectedly died peacefully in his sleep on November 17.
Danny, born of St. Kevins Villas Sallynoggin, spent much of his adult life competing, working and socialising in Bray. He moved to live in Bray in 2000, where he took up residence on Quinsboro Road which was his cherished home for the following 16 years. Prior to this Danny was long standing member of Bray Golf Club from the 1970s until the move by the club to the new course location. Recently, with assistance from Sunbeam House, Danny moved into his new apartment in Lucinda Lodge, just off the Vevay Road.
Throughout his 78 years, Danny demonstrated a remarkable capability for establishing and maintaining friendships. His friends, children, and later his grandchildren often remarked about how they could go nowhere with Danny without someone reaching out to him to say hello.
His partner Terry Hayde’s daughter Sandie Stanley recently recalled how upon entering a restaurant with Danny in a remote location in the Spanish mountains, Danny was instantly greeted as he walked in the door by one of his old friends. This was not an uncommon experience when in Danny’s presence.
Given that he was a competitive sportsman throughout his life, and even a long standing Spurs fan, it is an endorsement of Danny’s ability to cultivate relationships that he left this world with a long list of friends, and no enemies.
Danny was frequently called upon to apply his skills in bringing people together with his own children and even with the children of his friends. It was fascinating to hear the stories in the past couple of weeks about how Danny didn’t just coerce his children in to making up after A LOVELY person is how the late Mary Edwards (née Hendrick) of Croneyhorn, Carnew, will always be remembered by those who knew her.
An important and treasured member of the Carnew parish, Mary’s recent passing after a brave battle with illness was received with great sadness, especially by her close-knit family and large circle of cherished friends.
Mary Edwards was born in 1948 to Patrick and Elizabeth Hendrick and raised on a farm in Craan outside of Bunclody.
She was one of five children and the only girl among four brothers, John, Jim, Pat, and Tom. Despite living most of her life in County Wicklow, Mary was always hugely proud of her Wexford roots.
As a child, Mary attended school in Kilbranish, Bunclody, and later in the Presentation Convent, Enniscorthy, and was a well-liked and eager student.
An enjoyable spell working in the Courtown Hotel followed for Mary after her school days had ended and she made many dear friends during this time and was a popular member of staff due to her warm and friendly personality.
It was around this time that Mary met Martin Edwards of Croneyhorn, Carnew. They wed in 1974 and settled in to the Edwards family home where they reared five children – Yvonne, twins John and Eilish, Caroline and James.
Over the years Mary became an integral and important member of the Carnew and Tomacork falling out, he also served as an arbiter amongst his friends and their children.
As a trusted neutral broker, you could always rely on Danny to steer you in to submission and see sense if you were in dispute with a sibling or a parent.
A familiar face along the promenade, Danny loved to walk the seafront in Bray. Throughout the year this brought him great solace. His love for the sea front was likely born out of the time he spent in his early working life in Perrys in Dun Laoghaire. It was interesting to observe during 2016 how he got great entertainment observing the interactions of a visiting black swan that took up residence in the harbour. Not sure if he realised it, but there was a lot of black swan in Danny, where he was rather unique and always stood out in a crowd.
In recent times he was very concerned with what he described as an accident waiting to happen, as increasing numbers of cars were parking on the pier in Bray harbour, where he worried that someone would inadvertently end up driving over the edge of the pier as they engaged in parking maneuvers. Danny successfully lobbied local politicians to install retractable barriers to control vehicle access to the pier and avert a future tragedy. He took great pride in instigating this change, and it serves as a fine example of the caring side that frequently defined him.
A skilled painter and decorator, Danny built a solid following of loyal repeat customers that would ask him back year after year to keep their homes and businesses rejuvenated. Many of the high street businesses on Quinsboro Road and Bray Main Street were treated to Danny’s brush over the years. Such was the demand for his skills, even at 78, he was regularly invited to take on painting jobs, which he used to fund his holiday excursions to his much loved Salou.
Over the years, Danny was a welcome regular communities. She was a wonderful mother to her children and a treasured friend and neighbour who always gave freely of her time and was always willing to lend a hand or offer advice.
Mary was a hard worker and dedicated her life to creating a loving family home and providing all the opportunities her children desired.
A wonderful hostess, Mary regularly welcomed family and friends from England and a home away from home was always guaranteed, along with laughter, kindness and generosity.
In later years, Mary spent an enjoyable spell working in the Carnew Community Care where she made many more friends.
The arrival of her grandchildren was a magical period in Mary’s life. Lauren, Niamh, Ciara, Colin, Emily and Daniel were the lights of her life and she showered them with love and care from the moment they were born until her final days. Their young lives were enriched beyond words by the devotion of their Nanny Edwards. Gorgeous memories were made.
Kindness and generosity are the attributes which Mary Edwards will be remembered for. A woman with a beautiful smile, a guiding hand, a kind word, always interested, always concerned, always there.
The past year was difficult for Mary but she battled like she always battled, bravely, quietly, always far too much of a lady to cause a scene, never wanting to trouble others, never wanting to be a burden. in both the Deer Hunter and the Noggin Inn in Sallynoggin, as well as the Graduate in Killiney; but Bray was where he felt most at home over the last two decades. Home to his all-time favorite bar, the Boomerang, Danny enjoyed his late afternoon pint with the fellow workmen that frequented this staple of sporting entertainment in Bray. Under the careful stewardship of Boomerang owner and close friend Derek
Her final weeks were spent in Our Lady’s Hospice, Blackrock, where she received the very best of care and support. Previous to that she had been attending Wexford General Hospital, St James Hospital and Waterford Regional Hospital and had only the very best opinion of all the staff in all three hospitals. She also received the finest care from Dr Damien Doyle in Carnew and all the nurses who attended Mary at home over the past year.
Her funeral Mass was celebrated by Parish Priest Fr Casey and assisted by Fr Matt Brennan in St Brigid’s Church, Tomacork, with burial afterwards in adjoining cemetery.
Mary Edwards was the foundation of her family. She was their support. Everything revolved around her. Her passing leaves a huge void in their lives but their grief is made more bearable thanks to the wonderful memories they possess of her and the powerful and endlessly loving influence Mary had on them.
If you knew Mary Edwards you knew a beautiful human being.
Mary is survived by her husband Martin, her children, Yvonne, John, Eilish, Caroline and James, grandchildren, Lauren, Niamh, Ciara, Colin, Emily and Daniel, son-in-law, daughterin-law, partners, brothers, John, Jim, Pat and Tom, brother-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, extended family, relatives and a wide circle of friends.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam dílis. Stanley, Danny discovered his appreciation for his much loved pint of Beamish, where he ultimately secured the title of ‘Beamish Poster Boy’. The Boomerang served as home, office and local for Danny, with the Harbour Bar on a sunny evening, and the Grange bar in Deansgrange on a Saturday night, being the only venues that could divert his attentions.
The familiar, up-beat, caring personality of Danny will be missed by so many. His children Lavina, Graham and Ronan, his grandchildren Claire, Alannah, Cillian, Lucy and Elliot. His loving partner and best friend Terry Hayde and her children Sandie, Cathy and Kerry, and their extended family. His Brother Tommy and Sisters Margaret and Mary, nieces and nephews. His close friends Ray and Isobel Treynor as well as their children Simon, Shane, Rachel and Adam. James and Dinah Hannah, Box Lonergan and all his friends in the Boomerang.
Danny always wanted people to get along. He would frequently use the phrase ‘It’s nice to be nice’, which was a simple but extremely effective phrase and is something that would make the world a much better place if more of us took it on board. When the opportunity presented itself to help someone, to guide someone, to offer a hand, Danny never had to be asked twice. It had to be pointed out to him recently that he needed to start doing the Euromillions as the amount he planned on giving to family and friends when he won the Irish lottery, the prize money wouldn’t be large enough.
Never distracted by material things, Danny valued friendship more than anything. He was always quick to point out during difficult times: ‘Don’t worry, tomorrow’s another day’. During his last two decades, he was never happier, and while he will be sorely missed, if we all apply his ethos of ‘it’s nice to be nice’ his legacy will remain with us for years to come.