Death of legendary Kerry dog trainer

TRALEE man Paddy Kelly, whose name was synonymous with greyhounds for more than half a century, died in a Dublin hospital before Christmas.

Paddy, from Strand Street, won the English Derby at White City in 1956 with a dog called ‘Dunmore King’, and his other successes included two Irish Grand Nationals, an Irish Derby and a Puppy Derby.

In fact, he bought his Puppy Derby winner, ‘Fawn Sherry’ for £100 from another Tralee man, Paddy Murphy of Clogherbrien, and he sold him subsequently for £2,000 — a colossal figure way back in the late 1940s.

Paddy Kelly who was aged 81, lived in Celbridge, Co Kildare and was associated with greyhounds from an early age. Indeed he was only 13 when paid £3 for his first dog.

In the years that followed his name was to be linked with many famous greyhounds among them ‘Ballyhennessy Sandals’.

He paid £50 for ‘Ballyhennessy Sandals’ in the late 1930s and sold him to a London trainer for £1,100. The dog won a puppy stake in coursing and the Summer Cup at Harolds Cross and proved virtually unbeatable when he went to England.

The English paper The Daily Mail carried a special feature on Paddy in 1958 and said that the idea for the introduction of identity cards came from him.

Paddy made no secret of the fact that loved coursing even better than track racing, regarding it as the “healthiest and cleanest sport that I know.”

The Kelly name is, of course, regularly kept to the forefront in the doggy game in Kerry by another of the clan, Johnny, who has turned out many a winner from his kennels at Lohecannon, Tralee.

The late Paddy Kelly was a stepbrother to Johnny’s father Georgie, who is, of course, very much hale and hearty.

Doubtless there are many readers who will remember the name Paddy Kelly...and the names of ‘Dunmore King and ‘Ballyhennessy Sandals’.

The late Paddy Kelly is survived by his wife Maureen, five daughters and three sons.

The sisters of the Presentation Convent, Rathmore, during the Convent’s centenary celebrations in January 1982. Included in the photograph are: Sister Magadalene Kennelly, Superior, with Sisters Mary Buckley, Concepta Quille, Mary Leen, Canice Barrett,...

Kerry GAA supporters at the four-in-a-row victory dance in the Gleneagle Hotel, Killarney, in January 1982.

LEFT: Mr. Danny Mccarthy, Ballytrasna, Faha, with his twin lambs which were born on New Year’s Day on his farm in January 1982. Also included is Mr. Mccarthy’s second cousin Caroline Cronin, of Fossa, Killarney.