Mary Pat Kelly Galway Bay Book

This story ran in the Tribune about "Calling all Kelly's"

'Grandmother of Chicago politics' honored

March 7, 2009 6:36 PM

About 200 descendents of Honora Kelly -- the grandmother of onetime Chicago Mayor Ed Kelly -- gathered today at Calvary Cemetery in Evanston to place a tombstone on the unmarked grave of the "grandmother of Chicago politics."

Honora Kelly emigrated from County Galway, Ireland during the potato famine with her five young children and settled in the city's Bridgeport neighborhood. Her grandson was elected mayor in 1933 and served for 14 years.

Hundreds of Honora Kelly's relatives started reconnecting after the recent publication of "Galway Bay." The historical novel, which is based largely on her life, was written by her great-great-granddaughter, Mary Pat Kelly, an author and filmmaker who grew up in Chicago.

--Mary Owen


And exciting news, Galway Bay is # 1 in Chicago--see link!

Chicagoland Bestseller List

Doesn't that sound glorious? And it was. Ambassador Michael Collins and his wife Marie hosted a gathering of over 100 at their beautiful home. My sisters and brother and friends joined people like Carlton Kent, Sgt Major of the Marine Corps and his wife Liz, Lawrence O'Donnell of MSNBC, Ambassador Elizabeth Bagley--all of us brought together by a love of Ireland and a desire to honor those who went before. Honora Kelly and the characters in Galway Bay represent so many millions of immigrants and exiles from all over.

After Washington I came to my hometown Chicago for a very emotional reunion with 200 cousins, most of whom I'd never met. We came together in Calvary Cemetery at the unmarked grave of the great--great grandmother we all shared, and as the rain poured down and a piper played a lament, we put a stone on the place where she lies and "prayed an Ave" for her.

As the song promises she sleeps in peace knowing that we all love her and that she isn't forgotten. The Chicago Tribune covered the event. "The Grandmother of Chicago Politics" the paper called Honora because her grandson Ed Kelly was mayor of the city from 1932 to 1947 and helped begin the organization that gave us the two Mayor Daley’s.

And as we gathered afterwards at the wonderful Polo Cafein the Bridgeport section of Chicago where the Kelly’s first settled, we all shared stories we'd heard about "the Mayor." My mother, my Aunt Marge and others of that generation remembered Ed Kelly well and even a few members of my generation had some memories. My cousin Tom Rauch, our family genealogist, pointed out that all there were descended from one of Honora's three sons-Paddy, Stephen or Michael. Stephen was Mayor Kelly's father.

Now I have fictionalized these three and their brother James and sister Bridget in Galway Bay. I imagined how they looked and acted and felt and yet here were real people, their descendants and my family—and somehow it all felt very natural. I really believe our ancestors want us to know them so we can find each other.