Connie Kelly

Cornelius Kelly (1949 – 5 April 1985) was an Irish hurler and Gaelic footballer. He played with club sides Cloughduv and Canovee, divisional side Muskerry and at inter-county level with the Cork senior teams.

Connie Kelly

Personal information
Irish name	Conchur Ó Ceallaigh
Sport	Gaelic football
Position	Centre-forward
Born	1949 Cloughduv, County Cork, Ireland
Died	5 April 1985 (aged 36) Farnanes, County Cork, Ireland
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Occupation	Farmer
Club(s)
Years	Club
	Cloughduv Canovee → Muskerry
Club titles
	Football	Hurling
Cork titles	1	0
Inter-county(ies)
Years	County	Apps (scores)
1971 1971	Cork (SH) Cork (SF)	1 (0–07) 1 (0-00)
Inter-county titles
Munster titles	1
All-Irelands	0
NFL	0
All Stars	0

Career

Kelly first played hurling with the Cloughduv minor team that won three successive divisional titles in the mid-1960s. He soon progressed to adult level and won a Cork JFC title with sister club Canovee in 1968.^[1] Kelly was the championship's top scorer when he added a Cork JHC title to his collection in 1970.^[2] He was also a member of the Muskerry divisional teams as a dual player that year and, after losing the SHC final, won a Cork SFC medal after a defeat of Nemo Rangers.^[3][4] Kelly enjoyed further club success when Canovee-Cloughduv completed an intermediate double in 1973. He ended his club career with a second Cork IHC title in 1983.

Kelly first played for Cork as a substitute on the minor team that lost the 1966 All-Ireland minor final to Wexford. He was again eligible for the minor grade the following year and won an All-Ireland MHC medal from left wing-forward when Wexford were beaten.^[5] Kelly's performances at club level resulted in a call-up to the under-21 team and he scored 2-07 when Wexford were beaten in the 1970 All-Ireland under-21 final replay.^[6] He was drafted onto the Cork senior teams as a dual player for the respective 1971 championships an won a Munster SFC medal after a defeat of Kerry.^[7][8] A recurring back problem resulted in Kelly's inter-county career coming to a premature end.

Personal life and death

Kelly was educated at Pallaskenry Agricultural College in County Limerick and worked on the family farm in Farnanes, County Cork. He died suddenly on 5 April 1985, at the age of 36.^[9]

Honours

Canovee

• Cork Intermediate Football Championship: 1973
• Cork Junior Football Championship: 1968
• Mid Cork Junior A Football Championship: 1968

Cloughduv

• Cork Intermediate Hurling Championship: 1973, 1983
• Cork Junior Hurling Championship: 1970
• Mid Cork Junior A Hurling Championship: 1967, 1970

Muskerry

• Cork Senior Football Championship: 1970

Cork

• Munster Senior Football Championship: 1971
• Munster Junior Football Championship: 1971
• All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship: 1970
• Munster Under-21 Hurling Championship: 1970
• All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship: 1967
• Munster Minor Hurling Championship: 1966, 1967