Manus Kelly

Manus Kelly (9 February 1978 – 23 June 2019) was an Irish rally driver, businessman, and Fianna Fáil politician from Glenswilly in County Donegal. Known as "Mandy", He was educated at Glenswilly National School and St Eunan's College. With his wife Bernie he had five children—three sons, Manus, Charlie, and Conan, and two daughters, Annie and Bella. He was also involved in coaching Gaelic football and led his local team Glenswilly to a Senior C Championship win in 2016.

Once employed as a porter at Letterkenny University Hospital, Kelly subsequently drove the "cancer bus" that took patients from Donegal to Dublin for cancer treatment. He was also known as a road safety advocate in local schools and as a volunteer with Donegal Down Syndrome. Following Kelly's death, his father, Donal Kelly Sr, was co-opted onto Donegal County Council to replace him. After Donal Kelly Sr retired in 2020, he was replaced on the council by Kelly's brother, Donal "Mandy" Kelly Jr, who was later elected in the 2024 Donegal County Council election, having attained 1,841 first-preference votes.

Death In the 2019 Donegal International Rally, Kelly drove a Hyundai i20 R5. On Sunday, 23 June, during Super Stage 15 on the Fanad Head loop, Kelly's car crashed through a hedge and into a field. The remaining stages of that year's Donegal International Rally were cancelled. Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin called his death "an immeasurable loss to us all", while Minister of State for Tourism and Sport Brendan Griffin called him "a great ambassador for Irish motor sport".

Funeral Around 700 mourners attended Kelly's funeral at St Columba's Church, Glenswilly on 27 June. The funeral cortège was led by the Subaru Impreza S12B WRC in which he had won the Donegal International Rally three times, driven by 2014 champion Declan Boyle, with Kelly's son Charlie in the passenger seat. Micheál Martin attended the funeral, as did Minister for Education and Skills Joe McHugh, while the Taoiseach was represented by his aide-de-camp. Following the funeral mass, Kelly's four brothers carried his coffin across the Donegal International Rally ramp. He was buried in Conwal Cemetery.