Edward Kelly

Edward Joseph Kelly (31 March 1883 – 25 September 1944) was an Irish nationalist politician and Member of Parliament in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. He was a solicitor, barrister-at-law and Senior Counsel (SC).

He was the son of Peter Kelly JP of Ballyshannon, County Donegal, and of Rose Kelly. Born at Ballyshannon, he was educated at St Vincent's College, Castleknock and at the Royal University, Dublin, where he obtained a M.A. in 1904. He later lectured at the Royal University in Modern History and also lectured and examined in Economics at the Royal College of Science, St Stephen's Green. He was called to the bar in 1917, In the election Kelly obtained 7,596 votes to the Unionist's 4,797. An unofficial Sinn Féin candidate broke the pact but obtained a mere 46 votes. Following the election, Kelly chose not to be a member of the First Dáil but remained active in the UK House of Commons representing East Donegal until his retirement in October 1922 on the establishment of the Irish Free State.

He was an unsuccessful Cumann na nGaedheal candidate at the September 1927 general election for the Donegal constituency.