Ordinary Lives

 This is a picture of my great grandfather Joseph Kelly and his friends, Michael Kelly (no relation) and Willie Dodd (a cousin). William Dodd (seated) Michael Kelly standing behind William, Joseph Kelly on the right Joseph Kelly was born on the 8th of May 1895 in Durham, the ninth child of Michael Kelly and Mary Agnes Dodds. He would have been 19 when war was declared in 1914, and he joined the Durham Light Infantry, 8th Battalion. Presumably this picture was taken not long after he’d joined the army. His cousin, William Dodd, was slightly older and was a reservist so was called up when war broke out. Michael Kelly is the same age as Joseph and worked as a miner just like Joseph and William.  Looking at the picture, they all look quite young to me, even William who would have been in his late twenties. I wouldn’t describe any of them as scrawny but they don’t look like big men.  Joseph, or Joe, never really talked about his experiences in the war. He died suddenly in 1965...

 When looking through the family archive, I found a transcript of a letter written to Mary Ellen Kelly from her cousin Mary Hanlon. As the address was Ballymitty, Co. Wexford I was intrigued. My great-great-grandfather Michael Kelly was from Ballymitty, Co. Wexford. And while I know quite a lot about his life from when he joined the army at age 18, I know very little about his life in Ireland or his Irish family. Mary Ellen Kelly was his eldest daughter and Michael had died by 1928 when this letter was written.  “Ballingly Ballymitty Co. Wexford Ireland 5/7/1928 My dear Mary, I hope you are well. Excuse me for not writing before now, but I must tell you how delighted I was to get your letter and to know you are so well as this leaves myself and all the family well thank God. Well, Mary, there are big changes in the bog since yourself and Kate Furlong was there. You did not know that John is dead. I never wrote to tell you he is dead six years may God have mercy on him. He was ...