The funeral service of Kevin Kelly, who died in a house fire in Connemara, Co Galway earlier this week, has heard how he would “do anything he could for anybody”.
His younger sister Jill described Mr Kelly (31) as “a free spirit” who “wasn’t one bit shy about standing up for what he believed and not doing things just to follow the crowd”.
The service took place at the Discovery Church on the Tuam Road on Saturday afternoon led by pastor Paul Cullen.
The fire broke out at a cottage near Casla, a village between Indreabhán and An Cheathrú Rua, at about 6am on Tuesday. Mr Kelly and Sonia “Sunny” Jacobs (76), who spent five years on death row in the United States, were pronounced dead at the scene.
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Mr Kelly had been Ms Jacobs’s carer, and had also acted as carer for her husband Peter Pringle who died in 2023.
Speaking at the service, Jill said her older brother was born in Dublin but moved to Inishmore off Galway Bay aged four, where his “love for the tranquil life surrounded by the beauty of Connemara” started.
She said he never lost his love for mountain tops and would often disappear off up a mountain or hill in Connemara alongside his dog Molly and “whichever other dogs he had taken under his wing and you might not hear from him for ages”.
Jill spoke of her brother’s love for dogs despite being bitten by one when he was younger, which showed his ability to “let go and move” and that he “never took life too seriously and was quick to forgive”.
Mr Kelly left school and went on to work at Madra, a dog rescue and adoption service in Connemara, where he met his partner Sheree, she said.
“It was love at first sight in more ways than one,” Jill said. “Kevin’s time at Madra completely changed his life. It was where his love of dogs was truly discovered and came into play and it was where he met his beautiful Sheree.”
Jill said the couple were “made for each other”.
“We have all lost someone today – a son, a brother, a partner, a friend, a rock,” she said. “He was so many things to so many people and we all share that grief. It does not belong to any one of us but to all of us.”
Pastor Paul Cullen said “everybody was heartbroken” for Sheree and that “a few days ago not one of us expected to be here today”.
[ The story of Sunny Jacobs was never as straightforward as the media suggestedOpens in new window ]
“Not one of us expected to be standing in this room, trying to and completely unable to find words or logic or meaning around what has just happened,” he said.
“I think in our mutual shock and sadness it is good to lean into each other and to be kind to each other and caring to each other.”
A number of readings and a poem were read out by members of Mr Kelly’s family.
Mr Kelly is survived by his parents Fiona and Ken, his siblings Jill and Cúán, his partner Sheree and his extended family.
