Mike Clague is an engaging and erudite speaker and his talk about the Kelly dynasty of craftsmen and engineers was packed full of interesting details. The whole talk was beautifully illustrated with special effects and even music.
Starting with a photograph of Patrick Kelly, Mike remarked on his long career as a schoolmaster in Kirk Michael, and then followed the career of Patrick’s son, Daniel Kelly (born 1824) who developed the joinery and engineering trade (and corn mill and undertakers business and more) which the Kelly descendants continued to ply right through to 1984.
It was a fascinating story, told with enthusiasm, humour and quite clearly the result of a lot of detailed research, which took us from Kelly’s Yard in Kirk Michael to many places, particularly churches, where the Kelly craftsmanship is frequently still to be seen – not only throughout the Island but across as well.
Grateful thanks to Mike for a really enjoyable afternoon – gura mie mooar ayd.