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Martin Kelly was born in Castle Lambert, Athenry, Co. Galway and emigrated to America in 1964. His family has long been prominent in the Irish nationalist movement. His father was a member of the Old I.R.A. and was imprisoned by the British in Frongoch Camp in Wales following the 1916 Rising, the same prison camp which held leading members of the nationalist movement including Michael Collins and Eamon De Valera.

Martin first resided in the Bronx after coming from Ireland, but after his marriage to the lovely Anna Marie Gallagher of Frosses, Co. Donegal, he was persuaded to move to Brooklyn. He and Anna Marie have four children, Bernadette, Margaret, Martin and Sean. Employed by Verizon for the past thirty years, he is currently manager of the Special Services Department in Manhattan.

Martin Kelly has devoted himself to the advancement of the Ancient Order of Hibernians for over twenty-five years. He has held every office at the division and county level including an extremely successful term as Kings County President. He served a term on the state board as Chairman of the Commodore Barry Committee, Political Education Chairman and as past Director of District No. 5 comprising the counties of Staten Island, Queens and Kings. Past State Treasurer, past State Secretary, past State Vice-President and current State President, Martin is proudly endorsed by his brother Hibernians of the Kings County Board.

As a charter member of Baile na nGael Hall in Brooklyn’s Gerritsen Beach section, he has been in the forefront of the county-wide projects including the Great Irish Fair, the Irish festival held in Coney Island every summer to raise funds for Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Brooklyn. Martin serves as an active committeeman for both the New York and Brooklyn St. Patrick’s Day Parades. He is vice president of Hibernians of Flatbush, Inc., an executive board member of the Rosary for Life, Inc., and is an active member of the Commodore Barry Club of Brooklyn, the Telephone Emerald Society and the Knights of Columbus Council #126.

Martin has served on the Pastoral Council of his Parish, Good Shepherd, where he is an usher, eucharistic minister and member of the choir.

Editor’s Note: Martin Kelly just about survived the Twin Towers disaster in N Y. 2001

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Written by To be confirmed!

Published here 24 May 2023 and originally published Christmas 2001

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