Jim KELLY

Dear Anne, I was shocked when I heard Jim had passed away so suddenly. As Catherine Clynes has referenced, there are a few of us who got to know each other in the UCD B/Comm class of 1986 with Jim and I both being ex-Drimnagh Castle lads, although we had not been in the same year in school. We were a group of Civil Servants working by day and studying at night, so our social interactions were mainly on the bus home from lectures! After 5 years in UCD our paths diverged but as we remained Civil Servants they would cross from time to time, although with Jim overseas and myself homebased, those overlaps diminished over time. In my current role, I reconnected with Jim when he was Ambassador in Ottawa but even that was only by email. As always, at such sad times, I regret very much that we did not make more of an effort to meet up again face-to-face but fate has been so cruel that it was not meant to be. I hope you all have the strength to regroup from this terrible loss and I will always remember Jim fondly, especially his pushing his spectacles back up his nose to the bridge as they never seemed to sit comfortably.

Dear Anne, Orla and Ciara, thinking of you all at this time. So very sorry to hear of Jim's passing. May he Rest in Peace.

With sincere and deepest sympathy to Jim's family on his sad and sudden passing. May he rest in peace.

Dear Anne, Orla and Ciara, we are so sorry to hear the heartbreaking new of Jim passing. Our deepest sympathy goes out to you at this difficult time. We want to let you know that our thoughts are with you and your family.
From the lyons family (108 St Annes)

Saddened to hear the bad news. Please accept my deep sympathy. Just remember the good times.

We are so saddened by Jim's too-soon passing. I first met Jim over 30 years ago in Revenue. Even then he was the cleverest in any room but yet always modest and great fun. He went on to become one of the best examples of what an Irish public servant should be and could achieve. Our deepest sympathies to Anne and the girls.

Sincere sympathy to Anne, Orla, Ciara and the Kelly and Martin families. May Jim rest in peace.

Our Association is deeply saddened to hear of His Excellency Jim Kelly's sudden passing. Our sympathies and prayers go out to his family and friends.

I want to express my sincere condolences to the family and friends of Jim Kelly as well as to the Irish mission. Jim was a fantastic colleague and I know he was also a great leader within the mission. May him rest in peace.

As so many have said, Jim was a brilliant representative of his country and a loved and respected colleague. Meeting him first on his last tour in New York, it was evident what a lynchpin he was to everyone both professionally and personally - and it is clear that has only grown in the time since. He will be sorely missed by everyone in DFA. My deepest sympathies to Anne, Ciara and Orla.

As an Irish person working in the belly of the UN beast I have crossed paths with most of the Irish diplomats who have served in New York over the past 25 years and few could surpass Jim in his combination of intellect, integrity, warmth, humility and humanity. It was a privilege to know him and I felt enormously proud at how he represented Ireland on the world stage. He's gone far far too soon but he did his country and his family proud. I'm so sorry we never managed to make time for that recent coffee we were planning. Rest in peace Jim.

Sincere sympathy to Anne, Orla, Ciara, the extended Kelly and Martin families on the sudden passing of Jim. May he rest in peace

Sincere sympathy to you Ann, and to Orla and Ciara. It was always such a joy to have you and Jim attend our community events in Toronto. What a great loss for Ireland and indeed the world given Jim's most recent role, but most of all for you guys. Thinking of you all and remembering Jim with great fondness and respect.

Dear Anne, Orla and Ciara
My deepest sympathy on your great loss. You are in my thoughts and prayers at this difficult time.

I met Jim at UCD in the 1980s and we became the best of friends. So many of the tributes paid to him have mentioned his kindness and his wise counsel, and I was an early beneficiary of both, as well as his being the human precursor to Google I have lots of happy memories, watching the Italia 90 qualification campaign between lectures, the joy of seeing our exam passes on the UCD noticeboard, and above all, the great company and craic. He introduced me to Dave one evening on the back of the no. 10 bus, and he met his lovely Anne, and we have more happy memories visiting then in Copenhagen, Brussels and New York. Good times with a warm and wonderful friend.

Anne, Orla, Ciara, our hearts are breaking for you. You and Jim are very much on our minds. Bernie, Stephen, Michael, Peter, we are so very sorry for your loss.

I was so sorry to hear this sad news. My deepest sympathy on your loss.

Dear Anne, Orla and Ciara
Our thoughts are with you and all of your extended family at this time.
Jim was one of the best of us. He was an outstanding diplomat and a great colleague, and everyone who knew him had nothing but good things to say about his generosity, other-centeredness, his calm, warmth and professionalism.
Our memories of Jim will always be happy ones – of Christmas party chats in the Iveagh House ballroom, of shared words of support and encouragement, of smiles and laughter. The world is a better place for Jim having been in it, and we will miss him.
We hope that you will find some solace in knowing how much Jim was respected and loved by all those, whose lives he touched.

Pat, Sonali and the Bourne family

My sincere condolences to Anne and family. Diplomacy is about the human connection and Ambassador Jim Kelly truly connected with us all and will be remembered along each step of the path he travelled.

Dear Anne, Orla & Ciara. Anne I am so sorry to hear of the untimely passing of your husband Jim. My prayers & thoughts are with you at this difficult time. May Jim rest in peace.

My deepest sympathy to Anne, Orlando and Ciara
Bless you all at this difficult time Marnie Baird
Seniors Social Group Ottawa

My deepest sympathies to Anne, Orla, Ciara and to Jim’s extended family. I was lucky enough to work with Jim when we were both posted to the UN in New York over a decade ago. He was a wonderful colleague, mentor and friend, as well as an outstanding diplomat. I remember him saying that the excitement and pride he felt at sitting in the Ireland seat at the UN never faded. I will miss him very much. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

Dear Anne, Ciara & Orla,

Please accept my sincere condolences on the very sudden loss of your dear Husband and Father.
May he Rest in Peace,

With deepest sympathy,
Aileen D

Sending condolences and love to you Anne, Orla and Ciara, and to all of Jim’s loved ones. Jim was an exceptional diplomat and a warm, good humoured line manager. Most importantly, he lived his values and life fully with love and generosity. I will miss him. Yvonne Campbell (former intern in the DFA).

My condolences to Anne, Orla, Ciara and the extended family on the devastating loss of Jim. I was fortunate enough to work with Jim when he was Ambassador to Canada and can wholeheartedly say that Ireland has lost a formidable representative and a genuinely lovely man. Ag smaoineamh oraibh go léir.

Dear Anne, Orla and Ciara,

We were so very sorry to hear of Jim's sudden and untimely passing. Please accept our deepest condolences on your great loss. He was a wonderful friend and colleague, who always had a smile and time for a chat. May he rest in peace. Christina and Paul.

Deepest sympathy to all the Kelly Family on the untimely passing of Jim, may he rest in peace

To Anne, Orla and Ciara, we are so sad to hear of Jim's passing. He was such a great friend, always so full of enthusiasm for life. You are very much in our thoughts at this time.

Deepest sympathy to Anne, Ciara and Orla and extended Kelly family on the sad passing of Jim. I wish to acknowledge his dedicated and hugely valued public service for and on behalf of Ireland over the course of his career. May he rest in everlasting peace.

Dear Anne, Orla and Ciara, my sincere condolences on the passing of Jim. I had the honour of working with him during his time as Ambassador to Canada. He was a great colleague and extremely kind. He is a huge loss to the Department of Foreign Affairs. My thoughts and prayers are with you all and the extended Kelly family at this very sad time.

Dear Anne, Orla, Ciara,
I was so shocked and sad to hear of Jim's untimely passing. I spent many times in Jim's company over the last 30 years through my brother David and he was always so good humoured, funny, kind and such easy company. I was lucky to be on his team in a pub quiz on one or two occasions where he saved us from humiliating defeats!
Jim always made time for Power family occasions over the years and it was lovely to meet you all on occasion. He always kept David upto date with Orla and Ciaras pathways in life.
Jim will be sorely missed by all who knew him. May he rest in peace. Eithne

Our deepest and heartfelt condolences to Anne, Orla, Ciara, and the extended family. Jim was one of those people who made life better for knowing him. He was such a thoroughly decent person. May he rest in peace.

Anne, Orla & Ciara

So very sorry for your loss. We are thinking of you.

I was so shocked and saddened to hear of Jim’s sudden passing in New York. I had the pleasure of working with him previously at the UN, such a talented kind man with a smile for everyone. Sincere sympathies to all the Kelly family, thinking of you at this difficult time.

Our deepest sympathies to you Anne, Orla and Ciara on the tragic passing of Jim. We are all devastated at the loss of such a great friend and colleague. You are very much in our thoughts.

Dear Anne, Orla & Ciara,

So very sad to hear of Jim's sudden and untimely death.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this very sad and difficult time. Deepest sympathy to all the family. May Jim rest in peace.

My most sincere condolences to Anne, Orla, and Ciara. It is an honour to have had the opportunity to work with Jim in Ottawa and he was a true mentor to many of us in the Embassy. It was thanks to Jim, and Michael, that I decided to pursue a career in DFA and I think of them both all the time. Jim will be greatly missed by many around the globe, myself included. I am so sorry for your loss, and my thoughts are with you all.

Dear Anne, Orla & Ciara,

So very sad to hear of Jim's sudden and untimely death.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this very sad and difficult time. Deepest sympathy to all the family. May Jim rest in peace.

Our sincere condolences to Anne, Orla, Ciara and all the Kelly family on the very sad passing of Jim. Our heartfelt thoughts are with you all at this difficult time. Rest in peace Jim.

I was so very sad to learn of Jim’s sudden death on March 17. Just unbelievable that after a day of global celebration we awoke the following morning to this awful news. I will never forget that joyful day on September 19, 2016, when he joined us for a commemoration ceremony at Martindale Pioneer Cemetery in Quebec. This was his first community event in Canada as Ambassador of Ireland and it was wonderful to meet Anne and his two lovely daughters there. We were so proud of his presence as he spoke so eloquently about the Irish diaspora in Canada and the impact of Ireland’s Great Hunger on this country. I later met him in Vancouver where he was so generous with his time and sat down with me for an in-depth interview for The Celtic Connection newspaper. Jim was a lovely man and his loss is felt acutely from coast to coast in Canada. Deepest sympathies to Anne, Orla and Ciara. May he Rest In Peace.

Dearest Anne, Orla and Ciara, we are at a loss for words to describe the shock we experienced on learning of Jim’s untimely departure from this earthly life. We are so very sorry for your loss and send you our heartfelt condolences. Of course, the hole in your hearts is deep and filled with grief but we hope that the memories of the wonderful years you spent together will always remain fresh in your minds and be a constant source of joy! Sending you love and strength❤️

My sincere condolences to Jim's family. I came to know Jim while he was the Ambassador to Canada and he would often visit us in Vancouver. I enjoyed some good cups of tea with Jim in Vancouver, as well as his company at the All-Ireland football final in 2017. He was always great company, a gentleman, funny, friendly, intelligent and above all he cared for the people he represented and was always eager to go above and beyond to help out. He was just a lovely man. May he rest in peace.

So very sad to hear this news. My thoughts are with you Anne and family . Keep strong.

Words cannot express how deeply sad I was on hearing of the untimely loss of Jim. I send love and sincerest condolences to the Kelly family at this heartbreaking time. As childhood family friends, we were so proud of his achievements and his humility. He was still Jim, such a wonderfully nice guy, incredibly smart, with a great sense of humour. My brother will miss his friend immensely. May Jim's gentle soul rest in peace.

My deepest sympathy to Anne, Orla and Ciara on the loss of Jim, beloved husband and father. His passing so unexpectedly, is tragic for you all. I am sure you have many fond memories of shared experiences over the years. You can reflect on those happier moments and find comfort at this time of loss.I am thinking of you and hope you find support in the love and caring of family and friends.

Sincere condolences Anne, Orla, Ciara and the Kelly family on the sudden passing of Jim. Thinking of you all at this very difficult time. May Jim rest in peace.

Heartfelt to condolences to Anne, Orla, Ciara, and Jim's extended family. The news of Jim's death has come as a shock to me, the team at the Embassy Ottawa, and indeed the whole Irish community across Canada. As Ambassador here between 2016 and 2020, Jim travelled far and wide, meeting the community and many others. He brought to these meetings a real warmth and generosity of spirit. He developed relationships, spent time, listened. In turn, they came to know, love and admire Jim. Jim was too the epitome of the professional diplomat, well briefed on all angles, a keen sense of judgement, and the talent to express himself. When called upon, he shouldered another heavy burden, bringing his acumen, work ethic and knowledge to our Mission at the UN as Ireland joined the Security Council. Mary, I, and everyone who knew Jim mourns the loss of such a fine man.

We were heartbroken to hear the news. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and the girls Anne and with all of Jim's family and friends at this terrible time. Jim made the world a better place and he will be sorely missed.

Terribly sad to hear of Jim’s untimely passing. My deepest condolences to all his family

Dear Anne, Orla & Ciara we are so sorry your lovely Dad has been taken from you so unexpectedly. Our deepest sympathies to you on the passing of Jim. Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this time …,… The Hurleys

I was so sorry to hear of Jim’s sudden passing in New York. He was a fabulous colleague, so gifted and always had a smile and a welcome for everyone. I am thinking of you all at this sad and difficult time.

Our deepest sympathies to Anne, Orla, Ciara and to the Kelly family on the sudden loss of Jim. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all at this difficult time. May he rest in peace

Our deepest sympathy to Anne, Orla, Ciara, the extended Kelly and Martin families on the sudden passing of Jim. Our prayers and thoughts are with you at this difficult time, May he rest in peace.

My deepest condolences to all the Kelly family on your great loss. May Jim rest in peace and may time help to ease your sorrow.

Deepest sympathies Anne, Orla and Ciara on Jim's sudden passing. He was a great colleague and a lovely man.

My deepest condolences to Jim's family and close friends. He was a true inspiration in DFA and I feel privileged to have crossed paths with him; his kindness, warmth and intelligence shone through at all times. May he rest in peace.

Deepest sympathies to Anne, Orla and Ciara on the sudden death of Jim. We started out together in the DFA many years ago and his warmth, good humour and intelligence left a lasting impression on me. May he rest in peace.

My deepest condolences to Anne, Orla and Ciara on your tragic loss. Jim was much loved by those who had the pleasure to work with him in the Department of Foreign Affairs. His ready smile, wit and good humour made him a hugely popular colleague. He was, in addition, an exceptionally gifted civil servant and a fine representative of his country, who ended his career by representing Ireland at the United Nations Security Council. Outside the office, Jim had a great interest in sport and I particularly enjoyed our exchanges on baseball on which he had a keen knowledge. Jim will be greatly missed by all his friends but we will carry with us our fond memories of him.

Condolences to all the Kelly family ,RIP Jim

Sincere condolences to Peter and all of Jim's family on your terrible loss. I knew Jim since he was a child. He was a lovely bright friendly boy. We all knew he was going to make a positive impact on the world and sure enough he did. I hope the happy memories of Jim will carry you through this sad time.

Deepest sympathy to Anne, Órla Ciara and the Martin family on the sudden loss of Jim. Our prayers and thoughts are with you at this difficult time. May he rest in peace.