02/09/2025
The club are saddened to learn of the passing of Willie Kelly.
Our sincere condolences to his wife Nan (Anne) his children Walter, Denis, Liam, Shemmy, Fintan, Ciarán, Anne, Ita their partners and his many grandchildren and great- grandchildren.
Willie was born in 1936 was the youngest of six; three girls and three boys into a farming family. He was educated at Tombrack national school of which he only attended on fine days, an ass was his usual mode of transport. When he left school he joined with his brothers Joe and Seamus, they worked as farmers and agricultural contractors. His first competitive hurling games came at minor level while playing for Oulart as an isolated player as there was no under age structures in Marshalstown at the time, they were beaten in a replaved county semi final.
At this time a new club was formed in their parish called Hollow Rangers on the tide of the great Wexford hurling success in the fifties. This is the team and team mates that Willie dedicated himself to for the rest of his playing days. Success eventually came in 1960 in the shape of junior hurling, intermediate in "62 and got beaten in the senior semi final of 63 having beaten, what most regarded as the two top teams of that years championship, Geraldine O Harahan's and Shamrocks. Junior football honours came in 1965. Seamus and Willie Kelly were permanent fixtures in the middle of the field through these hectic years; their determination and sheer will to win often brought robust exchanges and conflict with the opposition, referees, and disciplinary committees. Sean Brown in his speech at the silver jubilee reunion of their 1960 junior hurling success said as former county chairman no team had given him more disciplinary headaches than the Hollow Rangers and Willie Kelly was a persistent migraine.
The last throw of the dice came for Willie and a lot of his older team-mates in 1973 when they reclaimed the junior hurling championship; two years later he burst a blood vessal in his leg while training and was forced to retire. Although a very busy man he found time to socialise mostly in Bunclody (by this time the ass was replaced by motor bike) where he was keeping a very close eye on beautiful young dress maker called Anne Byrne; they married and soon after bought a grocery business on Ryland road, in 1960 a chip shop Was added. They had eight children two girls and six boys who all played sport at various levels. Their was no red carpet rolled out for Willie Kelly as he came to Bunclody, due to his exploits on the playing fields in some very contentious matches between Bunclody and Hollow Rangers.
He was one of many players to get his marching orders during a three match saga to decide the district junior football final of 1968. Bunclody in fact went on to win the county final that year their first since 1913. Willie first got involved as a mentor with H.W.H. Bunclody unofficially in1978 and played a major roll in winning the junior B hurling championship that year our first ever hurling title. Two years later he became a selector with our intermediate team which was the start of 14 years as a hurling official. In 1982 we won our first senior football championship and two months later we completed the double by winning the intermediate hurling. We hold many great memories in these 14 years; one more junior B 1981, another intermediate in 1993, and a Wine gap tournament, but the fact that we took on and beat some of the best senior hurling teams in Wexford is testament to the work done by Willie and others who brought hurling to new level in a historically football parish. He promoted a hugely committed tough and uncompromising game with high levels of splintered ash as its main ingredient. The seeds of a hurling culture sown in those years have and will continue to have a big impact in
our club in the years ahead.
He was hugely encouraged and assisted with his involvement in our club by his family especially his wife Nan who would have taken on a huge work load on many occasions to facilitate training and matches. Their house was regularly used as a venue for selection of teams and was also used for committee meetings when venues were scarce. Clothes lines heavily laden with the green and yellow hurling jerseys would have been regular site in their back garden. Willie joined the club committee in 1981 and has perfected ticket selling in the intervening years. He has served under six chairmen and kept a close eye over all proceedings for the last quarter of a century. He was elevated to club President in 2004 and also received they coveted (TEASTAS OMOIS) award the following year. This is the highest honour a club can bestow on one of its members and was presented with the award by club Chairman Micheál Mahon at a dinner dance in the Mill Race Hotel at the club Dinner Dance. He received a Sean Ghael award from the County Board in 2007.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a h'anam dílis
Willie will be waked at his home in Ryland Road from today Tuesday at 2pm and from tomorrow Wednesday at 12pm. His removal to the church will take place Thursday at 11:30am for mass at 12pm.
See below for the RIP.ie notice
https://rip.ie/death-notice/william-willie-kelly-wexford-bunclody-604060
