TRALEE CAME to a standstill yesterday for the funeral of photographer, television cameraman, photo-journalist and founder of Kerry's Eyenewspaper Pádraig Kennelly, who died aged 82 at the weekend.
The 40 staff of the newspaper he founded in 1974 with his late wife Joan at his home in Ashe Street provided a guard of honour. The cortege stopped outside the newspaper premises alongside the family home as a mark of respect.
A pharmacist by profession, his passion for photography had led him and Joan to establish a photo-journalism business.
His son Jerry Kennelly spoke at the funeral Mass yesterday of the happy chaos of the family home, which was also the hub of a newspaper and an international photo-journalism operation.
One of Pádraig’s great friends, former RTÉ political journalist and broadcaster Seán Duignan, also spoke of their work together and friendship.
After a Mass concelebrated by seven priests at St John’s Church, Tralee, led by Msgr Dan Riordan, and also including Church of Ireland minister Canon Robert Warren, the cortege took over an hour to get to Rath cemetery near Tralee, where he was buried.
Among those who paid tribute to Mr Kennelly’s work were Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Jimmy Deenihan, who said he was “a community man” whose work was a commitment to public service.
The mayor of Kerry, Cllr Pat Leahy, paid tribute to Mr Kennelly’s love of and tireless work in promoting the county.
Barrister John O’Sullivan said: “Pádraig had worked assiduously in the courts in Kerry during his career and he was highly respected among the legal profession for the thoroughness, accuracy and courtesy with which he carried out his work”.
He is survived by four sons Pádraig, Brendan, Jerry and Kerry.