The Kelly Crest
Message
Forum
Allows visitors to
find information, ask questions, or add comments about Ireland.
Click to enter
Chat Room
Links:
My
pictorial tour of Ireland
(with tips for the
traveler)
My Irish music
Traditional and pub songs
My Navy Career
Other Places
I've Been
I have included
some other links that you might find interesting though I don't attest to their currency.
Bloody Sunday
Easter Rising 1916
Irish
Abroad
Irish Arts and Music
Irish literature, mythology,
folklore, and drama
Irish Musicians
Irish
Recipes
Irish Sayings
Irish Storyteller
The Kelly Family
The McLaughlins of
Donegal
The Wild
Geese...Erin's Far-flung Exiles
May those who know
us, love us.....
And if they don't
love us,
May God turn their hearts,....
And if He can't turn
their hearts, may He turn their ankles....
So we can know them
by their limp
Click to
view my book page
Click to
view my upcoming book page
Weather Forecast
Annual Events by Month
Message
Forum
Allows visitors to
find information, ask questions, or add comments about Ireland.
Click to enter
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The web page for Brian Kelly
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(Best viewed when screen is maximized)
I am a retired naval officer and a retired civil
service employee. In October of 2003, my life as I knew it was shattered when my wife, Phoebe, was
diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. She had recently retired from coaching tennis and
field hockey after 20 years, and was advised to retire from teaching as well. By May 2005,
all indications showed that Phoebe had beaten the cancer when she developed pneumonia.
Because of the chemotherapy, she had no immune system. She
was hospitalized and contracted the insidious MRSA which took her from us in
four days on May 31.
Though no longer of this material world, she will live forever in the minds, hearts, and
souls of those lucky enough to have known her.
Our son, Brian, lives with his wife, Trenna,
in Hagerstown, MD with our first grandchild, Camryn Brooke, born 12
March 2003 and our first grandson, Bryce Patrick, who joined the clan on
13 July 2005. Landon Blake is the newest addition, having joined
the clan in April 2008. In December 2005, I moved to Martinsburg, West
Virginia to be closer to family. Martinsburg is about 20 minutes from
Hagerstown.
Our daughter, Lorine, who began her career as
a Neo-natal Respiratory Therapist at Johns Hopkins Hospital, now works as a Neo-natal
Intensive Care nurse at Northern Virginia Hospital in Alexandria. On 4 June 2005, Lorine married Chris Hawthorne of Scottish descent in a fantastic Celtic ceremony. The two
live in Springfield, VA. Lorine gave birth to a baby girl, Brianna
Lorine, on 24 October
2006 and had the first St Patrick's Day baby in the history of our family, Cassandra, on March 17,
2009.
I am 100% American-Irish having descended from
the Kelly and McLaughlin families. We think my father's parents came from Co. Cork in
the 18th century, but trying to trace a Kelly is like trying to box up fog. Lots of
luck!! My maternal grandparents came from Co. Donegal in the late 1890s and I am in
the process of charting the McLaughlin ancestry. Unfortunately, my grandparents came to
America during the period when the Irish were the target of widespread discrimination and
"Irish Need Not Apply" was the catchphrase of the times. If you were Irish
Catholic, you were doubly damned. When they bought their first house in
Philadelphia, the neighbors said "I hope you're not Irish. We have too
many of "them" as it is." So my grandfather lied. Consequently, my maternal grandparents discarded
most of their Irish heritage in order to become "Americanized."
If you've ever wanted to experience
Ireland, I have traveled there numerous
times and recently have decided to offer my services as an unpaid tour
guide. If you are interested, click on the icon below:
I was born in Philadelphia, PA, in 1943 but we
moved shortly thereafter to Brooklyn, NY. My Dad worked in Manhattan as a commercial
artist, drawing men's fashions for the print media before they changed to
photography . I was raised in Brooklyn until 1955 when the family moved to rural Bucks
County, PA. At the time, I thought I'd fallen off the edge of the earth but I
grew to love Bucks County and still return frequently. Besides, there was no sense
going back to Brooklyn - they tore down Ebbitt's Field and moved my beloved Dodgers to Los
Angeles. No Brooklyn Dodgers? What a sacrilege!!
I graduated from Palisades High School in
Kintnersville, PA, in 1961 and went on to Mount St. Mary's College in Emmitsburg,
MD. Upon graduating from "The Mount" in 1965, I became a science teacher
at Unami Jr. High School in Chalfont, PA, and that was where I met Phoebe. Phoebe
was born at Ft Jackson, SC, and had traveled with her family. Her father, Harry, was
in the Army and, later, the National Guard. She went to Central Bucks High School in
Doylestown, PA, and graduated from Lock Haven University (then a State College). In
1968, I left teaching to join the Navy. Phoebe finished the 1968-69 school year at
Unami and joined me in Pensacola. FL. The rest, as they say, is history!
I have a Golden Retriever named Harp (after
the Irish beer of course). Our first Golden, Blazer, was a very special dog to me
since I raised and trained him from a pup. There was nothing he couldn't or wouldn't
do. Unfortunately, Blazer's life was snuffed out in 1994 by a suspected dognapper.
He fought for two months but eventually lost his valiant struggle for life. I will always
remember him and I miss him to this
day. Blazer was replaced by Murphy (named after the
Irish beer of course) born in June 1989. Murphy died of
cancer in 2001 leaving Harp without a friend. Brian has one of Harp's
litter mates named Barley and Lorine has a Golden Retriever named Molson
(think we have a theme going?)
Harp 2000- |
In my effort to learn more about my heritage,
a number of years ago I stumbled into an AOL Chat Room in the UK Members section called
Galway Bay. This room was populated mostly with Irish (living both there and here)
and Irish-Americans. The craic was brilliant and I've made many lasting friends
there. Since then, I've left AOL but I still get together with the friends I made
there as
often as I can. I understand the room no longer exists...a shame because it
was a good chat room. I now belong to an Irish chat site on
AnotherFriend.com and have made many friends through there that I have
gotten together with on my trips.
I have been to Ireland 11 times as of
2008 on visits lasting from two weeks to seven weeks. I have provided a lot of
information in the message forum based upon the experience gained during
those trips.
Awards this
site has won
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