For the 40th anniversary of the death of Pte Paddy Kelly – ONE has renamed our Athlone Branch in his honour.

Pte Patrick Kelly (36) was killed along with recruit Garda Gary Sheehan (23) on 16th December 1983, when a Provisional IRA gang opened fire on them after they came across a hideout in a Co Leitrim wood where supermarket executive Don Tidey had been kidnapped and held for 23 days.

Pte Kelly was married with four sons, Sgt Andrew Kelly 6 Inf Bn, David Kelly, Patrick Kelly and Michael Kelly, and are all pictured below with the new ONE Branch flag in honour of their late father, Pte Patrick Kelly. Pte Kelly had served overseas as a UN Peacekeeper on four occasions, three to Lebanon and one to Cyprus. Pte Kelly was posthumously awarded the Military Star by the Defence Forces.

In a ceremony held in Custume Barracks in Athlone on Friday 15th December 2023, the local ONE branch was renamed in his honour – to the Paddy Kelly Athlone Branch.

ONE supports the needs of Irish veterans by the provision of accommodation to homeless veterans in its Veterans’ Homes and the provision of other advice and support to veterans through its nationwide network of 35 Branches and 15 Veteran Support Centres.

Cuimhnímis – Remember Those Who Served

#DefenceForces #Veterans #Charity #SCAR #Support #Comradeship #Advocacy #Remembrance #NoIrishVeteranLeftBehind #Veteran #VeteransAffairs #TeamWork #Military #Support #Membership #Community #Fundraising #Volunteering