Longford community remembers beloved Owen Kelly 20 years on

It has been 20 years since the tragic death of twenty-year-old Owen Kelly.

Owen was a widely beloved young man from Lanesboro, he was well-known across the county and beyond for his great sense of humour, his loyalty and his incredible work ethic. Owen passed away on 15 May 2005, 20 years on, his loss still leaves those who knew and loved him heartsick.

This year a his older brother and younger sister alongside a group of Owen’s closest friends are hosting a tractor run in his honour, the proceeds of which will be going to two charities, the National Rehabilitation Centre and the Head Injury Unit at Beaumont Hospital.

The tractor run will be taking place on Sunday 18 May at 2:30 pm.

Mary Kelly, Owen’s mother has been promoting the event in her son’s honour.

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“His friends have been talking about doing it for years, it would have been on his 40th last year but it didn’t come to pass,” said Mary, “They decided we’re not letting the 20th Anniversary pass without having it.”

“Owen was a very lively joyful character, hard-working, and he had a great sense of humour.

“He was two months off his 21st birthday when he died.”

The tractor run is the perfect way to honour Owen’s memory says his mother, as he loved tractors and all kinds of machinery.

“He loved tractors and machinery, yes,” said Mary, “He worked with Laing O’Rourke in Dublin, he was a concrete technician so he would have been driving big machines.”

“He was only with them now 14 months before he died but he absolutley loved tractors.

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“Don’t ask him to study with books,” she laughed “But he did well in another field.”

“Owen had been out driving tractors with farmers, he’d be doing silage and hay making and wrapping bales, you name it.

“He’d be gone in the early hours of the morning in the summertime doing all this kind of work.

“He absolutely loved it.”

In fact Owen loved JCB tractors especially. He had bought one of his own to use on the work site and was very excited for it’s arrival.

“That was one of his favourite tractors. He actually bought one but it never got to the house here.

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“He was killed in the early hours of Sunday morning. It was to come that Sunday,” she said, with a slight rattle in her voice, the emotions of the memory coming to the surface.

Bravely, she continued, “He had asked his boss if he could buy this tractor and put it on the building site that he was working on.

“But it never happened.”

There was a before she spoke again. Just from one conversation you can glean how much strength Mary has, and the infinite love she has for Owen as well as her son Edward and daughter Therese.

“That was 20 years ago and it’s still very raw.

“He was a fine young man, he was six foot three and full of life and bubbly and always had time for others.”

While Owen and his older brother Edward, were seemingly complete opposites personality-wise, “like chalk and cheese” as Mary says, their friendship and the loyalty they had to one another was unmatched. And their younger sister, Therese who was just 14 when Owen passed away and was so loved by him.

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“His friends, for 20 years have been very loyal to us and to his brother and sister.

“They’ve never forgotten him at anniversaries or his birthdays.

“And, of course, were very loyal when he died, they showed great respect and dignity with his removal and funeral and helped in every way.

Anyone who wishes to contribute can do so here: https://www.idonate.ie/fundraiser/CashelGAARun4Pieta1