Death mourned of Donegal’s ‘Mr Football’, Dessie Kelly

The death has taken place of Dessie Kelly, Donegal’s ‘Mr Football’.

Late of Knocknamona Park in Letterkenny, he passed away on Thursday at the age of 79.

In 2022, he was presented with an honorary life membership by the Football Association of Ireland.

Previously, he was awarded the John Sherlock Services to Football award for his years of service to the game when the FAI AGM was held in Donegal in 2012.

He was the chairperson of his beloved Letterkenny Rovers until their most recent annual general meeting in May, ending a period of 24 years in the role.

Kelly has been involved at Rovers since first joining the Leckview Park club in 1962, filling roles from player, manager and administrator to groundsman.

“He spent many long hours at Leckview Park, working tirelessly on maintaining pitches and improving facilities and was instrumental in the development of the new astro turf pitch,” Letterkenny Rovers said.

“He was committed and loyal to the club in so many ways and overseeing the weekly lotto draw and bingo on a Thursday night in the Station House Hotel was two of his favourite jobs.

“Of course, Dessie’s association with the game extended far beyond our club. To many in the county, he was simply known as ‘Mr Football’.”

As a manager, Kelly guided Rovers to back-to-back Donegal League titles in the 1979/80 and 1980/81 seasons.
He stepped down from the role saying: ‘I couldn’t even think about the possibility of losing’.
A lifetime of administrative work followed into various league organisations.

Letterkenny Rovers said: “Dessie led the club with distinction over a long period of time. He worked exceptionally hard to always drive the club forward and he was a great football man respected by all.

“In what proved to be the final match he attended, Dessie presented the senior team with the Brian McCormick Sports Cup at Diamond Park, Ballyare only last month. It was a fitting way for him to bow out.”
He served as a long-time secretary of the Donegal Junior League and Ulster Senior League, while he has also been involved in the Donegal Youth League, Donegal Schoolboys League and the Donegal Women’s League as well as the Ulster FA.

He was instrumental in the purchase of an subsequent development of The Diamond Park in Ballyare – the Donegal League’s headquarters.
He was a a member of the FAI’s senior and junior councils and served on several sub-committees at national level.

Letterkenny Rovers have extended their sympathy to his wife and all the Kelly family. All club activities have been called off as a mark of respect.

His death comes just over four months after the passing of his good friend and former football administration colleague Terry Leyden.