Twin priests from Co Kildare who were ordained in the 1950's are celebrating their 95th birthdays this weekend.
This year also marks the platinum jubilee of Fathers Joe and Matt Kelly's ordination to the diocesan priesthood.
Father Joe served in the Archdiocese of Dublin throughout his ministry, while Father Matt served in the Diocese of Kildare & Leighlin. Both brothers now reside at the Little Sisters of the Poor, Sacred Heart Residence in Sybil Hill, Raheny.
They were born on 31 March 1931 in Coolcarrigan, Co Kildare, and attended primary school in Timahoe where their mother was a teacher and their father had a grocery shop in the area.
They both attended secondary school at St Mary's, Knockbeg College in Co Carlow.
When the decision came to enter the Seminary, the bishop at that time, Bishop Thomas Keogh decided to send Joe Kelly to Dublin to Clonliffe College and Matt Kelly to Maynooth College. After three years, Joe Kelly joined his brother Matt in Maynooth up to ordination time.
Fr Joe was ordained for the Archdiocese of Dublin in May 1956, and Fr Matt was ordained for Kildare & Leighlin Diocese in June 1956.
They explained to journalists at their nursing home today that they wished to be ordained together, but the request was denied.
"That's when bishops were like bishops," according to Fr Joe, "But bishops have come down in the world, which is a good thing, it's a great thing in fact."
Reflecting on his life and ministry Fr Matt said that he had varied appointments throughout his life, an early one with Tullow Parish where he was also one of the Religious Education Inspectors to primary schools in the diocese.
He was appointed to Carlow College, St Patrick’s Seminary where he taught philosophy for about 20 years.
He had several parish appointments, notably as Parish Priest in Kildare Town and then retired as Parish Priest and became a curate in the Parish of Kill/Ardclough, Co Kildare, where he stayed for the remainder of his ministry.
Throughout his life he was involved in Church music and spent many years as a choir director. When he moved to Kill, he joined the local choir, the award-winning Kill Singers and he also sang in the Church Choir for many years.
Fr Joe spent his parish life throughout the Archdiocese of Dublin. Early in his ministry, he spent time at Kilmeague Parish which was where his grandparents were from, and he welcomed the connection to his roots.
Other appointments were in Finglas, Larkhill-Whitehall-Santry (as Parish Priest) and finally as curate in Bayside Parish in Raheny in Dublin, where he remained serving his parishioners until recently.
Fr Joe said there were wonderful people in every parish he worked in.
"People are very good deep down, I've always believed that and I still believe it," he said.
Both Fr Matt and Fr Joe Kelly were keen golfers and were members in Royal Dublin Golf Club. They played a weekly game of golf with a group of priest friends until last year.
To honour their 70 years of service, a special mass will be concelebrated on Sunday, 17 May, at the Church of the Resurrection in Bayside, Dublin. The liturgy will be led by Archbishop Dermot Farrell, Archbishop of Dublin, and Bishop Denis Nulty, Bishop of Kildare & Leighlin.
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