Twins, Fr Joe Kelly and Fr Matt Kelly, were born on March 21st, 1931. Nine popes, 29 Dáils and 30 Kerry All-Ireland senior football titles later, they celebrate their 95th birthday today.
Matt had long believed he was the eldest, but Monsignor Frank Cremin at Maynooth assured Joe he was.
“I’ve been boasting about it ever since,” said Joe.
Regardless, the mystery continues.
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The brothers were ordained in 1956 and, as they approach the platinum anniversary of that event, both reside at Little Sisters of the Poor nursing home in Raheny, Dublin. Mother superior Jacinta said it was “a pleasure” to have the two “very peaceful” men living there.
Joe said he was “very happy” in the six or seven parishes he served. “I enjoyed meeting people and there were wonderful people in every parish.”
He retired as curate in Dublin’s Bayside parish last year. His 69 years serving as a priest began in Kilmeague parish, Dublin, where his grandparents were from. Subsequent appointments were in Dublin – in Finglas, Larkhill-Whitehall-Santry (as parish priest) and finally as curate in Bayside.
Matt had a more academic career, first as a diocesan examiner in schools throughout the Kildare and Leighlin diocese for 10 years. He subsequently lectured in philosophy at Carlow College seminary for 20 years, where he was also president.
“I was very happy there too,” he said, adding that summers were spent serving in Long Island in the US.
Matt was also parish priest in Kildare Town and then curate in Kill/Ardclough. Throughout, he was involved with church music, many times as choir director. He joined the award-winning Kill Singers and sang in the church choir.
“I ended up in Kill where I learned to sing as it should be done,” he said.
He was active until almost three years ago, arriving in the nursing home in July, 2023, after a bout of Covid-19.
Bishops have come down in the world too. It’s a great thing in fact
— Fr Joe Kelly
Despite being twins and sharing a close bond, church authorities decided they would be separated when both opted for a life in the priesthood.
The then-bishop of Kildare & Leighlin, Thomas Keogh, insisted Matt go to Maynooth and Joe to Clonliffe College in Dublin, which he did for three years before being allowed attend Maynooth with his twin.
The circumstances were similar when it came to ordination. Rather than the two men doing so together, as the family wished, church authorities insisted they be ordained three weeks apart – Matt for Kildare and Leighlin, and Joe for the Dublin archdiocese.
Bishops did things differently back in 1956, but Joe says they are different today.
“Bishops have come down in the world too. It’s a great thing in fact because it didn’t make any sense at all to separate us.”
Matt remembered writing a letter to Keogh at the time, asking that they be ordained together.
“I got it back by post and on the top was written ‘request not being observed’.”
Joe was ordained by Archbishop John Charles McQuaid, of whom he said: “He was remote – was always remote. But he was all right behind it all. We’re all just people."
Reflecting on all the changes they had experienced in the church since then, including the Second Vatican Council of the 1960s, Joe said: “The church had to change and it is all the better for changing.”
In their childhood, “everybody was religious”, but Joe believes people today are “probably more religious, in good ways”.
“People are very good deep down. I always believed that and still believe it.”
Religion was in their background. Their uncle, Canon John Waters, then president at Clonliffe College, administered the last rites to Kevin Barry before his execution in 1920. Writing to Barry’s mother Mary afterwards, he said her son as “one of the bravest and best boys” he had ever known.
Priests were regular visitors to their home at Coolcarrigan, Co Kildare, while their mother Ann was principal at the primary school in nearby Timahoe. Their father Peter ran a shop.
The brothers have been active golfers and members of Royal Dublin Golf Club.
“When you’re not able to play football, you play golf,” said Joe, who was a member of the Kildare minor football team in 1953/54.
A special Mass to mark their 70th anniversary as priests will be concelebrated on May 17th at the Church of the Resurrection in Bayside. It will be led by Archbishop of Dublin, Dermot Farrell, and Bishop of Kildare & Leighlin, Denis Nulty.
