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The Irish Voice

A fond farewell to GAA royalty

Updated: 5 days ago


THE GAA community in Scotland was rocked by the sad and shocking news of the sudden death of Dave Kellett (above), a well-known and much-loved figure in game in Scotland. The outpouring of grief and the heartfelt tributes that were given in the days following his untimely passing are a mark of the man and of the extent of his impact on Gaelic football in Scotland. He was a great friend to The Irish Voice, and was present at the launch of our newspaper with a group of young Gaelic footballers from Coatbridge, proudly wearing their club colours, and we are proud to share some of the tributes and reflections which we hope will give some sense of the great life he led.


Sands MacSwineys GFC

IT IS with great shock that we received the tragic news of the sudden death of our ex-player David (Dave) Kellett.


Dave’s parents were immigrants from County Meath to England where Dave was born. He returned to Meath as a youngster, attended school there and played with local GAA club Nobber.


At the age of 16 Dave left Nobber for London to work and he soon he met Josephine McKenna from Coatbridge. Love blossomed over the next few years before marriage and settling down in the Lanarkshire town of Coatbridge in the 1990s.


Working locally as a painter and decorator, Dave eventually found his way to local GAA club, Sands MacSwineys. It didn’t take long for Dave to establish himself in the team where he became an uncompromising full-back in the style of many Meath County players of the 1990s. During the late 90s and up until 2014, Dave was a consistent performer for Sands, in his earlier days, winning Championships, League titles and playing for the Scotland County at international tournaments held in Dublin on the part of the GAA at Croke Park. Dave performed particularly well in matches played at St Enda’s’ Ballyboden and at Naomh Mearnog, Portmarnock.


Dave had also previously been a coach and mentor for a generation of youth, boys and girls, at Coatbridge Davitts, where his own children, Adrian, Erin and Colum, also played for a time. He also managed the Scotland Feile Girls in Kerry in 2015. Until then, Dave had also accompanied Davitts on several trips to England and Ireland, including to Donegal, Derry, and an especially memorable one, hosted by Dr Crokes in Killarney, County Kerry.


Most of Dave’s GAA life in Scotland was spent with both Coatbridge clubs. Sands will be forever grateful for his time and effort on the pitch as a player, and Davitts for his contribution in keeping Gaelic football alive in the area in terms of youth development.


Dia Leat. Ar dheis dé go raibh a anam


Dave’s son, Adrian Kellett

WE'RE all heartbroken at the sudden passing of my dad. He was far too young at 55 and had so much more life to live. My mum, sister and brother take comfort in knowing he lived each day to the fullest and lived his life with love, kindness, humour and courage.


Dad has passed on his resilience, humour and unconditional love that will give us strength to get through this tough time. Thinking of his words or listening to him will allow us to move forward with our lives to celebrate and honour him as he would have wanted.


The outpouring of love from family, friends in Coatbridge, Nobber and throughout the world is a reflection of the man he was and lives he touched. We can only take the lessons that Dad passing in these circumstances has provided. Value the moment and don’t worry about stuff that does not matter or waste energy on nonsense as we all do.


You have to truly appreciate your family and friends and tell them how much you love them. Make the effort to see them because you never know what is going to happen or what is round the corner or know when the last time you see them will be.


We were lucky to have had a great life with my dad and made so many cherished memories together. He will be sadly missed by many people all over and we will do our best to live our lives with him in our heart going forward and make every day count.


Scotland GAA

THE Scotland GAA community were extremely saddened to hear of Dave Kellett’s passing.


A fierce player on the pitch, playing for his adopted club Sands MacSwineys for the best part of 18 years as well as representing Scotland on numerous occasions as a player and a coach and an avid volunteer, he was integral in the development of many youth players through Coatbridge Davitts and the Féile teams—travelling with the teams throughout Ireland and England—his contributions many.


His legacy will be celebrated always and our thoughts, prayers, and love goes out to his family and friends.


Tír Conaill Harps GFC

IT IS with profound sadness and shock that we learned of the passing of former first team manager Dave Kellett. Dave led the team from 2020 to 2021, achieving great success on the field. His tenure, however, was often disrupted by Covid-19 restrictions, which ultimately limited his potential to bring even more success to the club. Dave Kellett gave his all during his time with Tír Conaill Harps, and the club will be forever grateful for his contributions.


Dave’s ever-present smile and remarkable sense of humour made a lasting impression. He ensured that training sessions were rigorous, but also filled with enjoyment.


Beyond his managerial role with Tír Conaill Harps, Dave had a significant impact on the wider Scotland GAA community, particularly during his playing days with Sands MacSwineys, and so his loss will be felt far and wide.


He was hard as nails on the pitch, but off it he was one of the most genuine, kindest and friendliest individuals you could meet.


Everyone at Tír Conaill Harps extends their love, sympathy, and prayers to Dave’s friends and family. Rest in peace.


Ronan McCarthy, former GAA Community Development Administrator for Scotland and British Universities Coordinator

(Current Administration Manager for Ulster Ladies Gaelic Football)

THERE are no words to possibly do Dave Kellett justice, but I’ll give it a go.


I was very lucky to know Dave as a coach, teammate and more importantly a friend.


Dave was always very quick witted and this shone through in his coaching at Coatbridge Davitts. All the young players learned so much from Dave, he broke the skills of Gaelic football down so easily and ensured no player would leave a training session without a smile on their face and as a better player.


As a teammate you’d always prefer Dave was with you than against you, Dave was a no-nonsense player, you were guaranteed he would give 100 per cent. During a game he’d make a tackle which would give you a lift or he’d give you a quick one-liner to make you laugh regardless if you were having a good game or bad!


As a friend Dave was perfect in any situation, always great craic on a night out, a good ear for a chat and would always go out of his way to help you.


There’s not many people who come into your life for a moment and make a lasting impact but I’m sure everyone would agree with me that we were all very lucky to have experienced this with Dave.


Coatbridge St Patrick’s Festival

THE St Patrick’s Day Festival Committee would also like to extend its sincerest condolences to Dave’s family and friends, following his sad and untimely passing.


Dave was a great support and practical help, particularly during the early years of the festival, and of course, was well known for his involvement with the GAA at both local and national levels.


We send our deepest sympathy, thoughts and prayers to his family and friends at this very difficult time.


Gerard Gough, The Irish Voice

I WAS absolutely gutted when the news came through of Dave’s passing. He was a brilliant guy, a proud Meathman and, as someone who was a complete rookie to the sport of Gaelic football, he was brilliant at showing me the ropes and helping me develop a real love for playing it—even if he did clatter me so hard in training one time I couldn’t catch a breath.


He was a much-loved member of Sands MacSwineys and was a massive part of Scotland GAA. We developed a special bond due to the fact I’m a member of the Meath diaspora here. He was a really good friend and will be sorely missed. My thoughts and prayers are with all his family, friends and former teammates. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.


Joe Bradley (Scotland GAA)

DAVID Kellett—widely known as Dave—was a GAA man through and through.


He was born, the first of nine children, in Wolverhampton in 1968, where his young parents (Mary Josephine (Ena) and George), from Nobber in County Meath, were temporary emigrants, trying to make their way at a time when many families’ economic futures were bleak in Ireland.


However, after making the best of a handful of years in England, Dave’s family returned to the village of Nobber, where he integrated into the local community through family, faith, school and playing Gaelic Football.


Like many of his time and age, at 16 he decided that he would try his luck in London, this when the chance of a painting and decorating apprenticeship arose. It was there he met his wife to be, Josephine McKenna, from Coatbridge in Scotland. The relationship blossomed and eventually, after many travels between the big city of London with its huge Irish diaspora, and Coatbridge—the most Irish descended town in Britain per head of population—David and Josephine were married at John the Baptist RC Church in Nobber, County Meath, in 1993, before settling down to live in the Kirkwood area of Coatbridge.


There, he made contact with the local GAA club, Sands MacSwineys. After coming and going a little—partly as a result of the stress of losing his brother Adrian in Nobber in an accident—he finally settled down at Sands for around 20 years, playing somewhere in the region of almost 200 games for the club. However, by 2015-16, with age and injuries creeping up, he was only playing occasionally and it became clear it was time to call it a day.


But keeping fit and healthy was still a concern and Dave’s cycling began to pre-occupy him more and more. In this activity he also excelled. Indeed, Fr James Clarke, who celebrated Dave’s very well attended funeral at St Augustine’s RC Church in Coatbridge in July this year, said that in his time, Dave had cycled so much he had more than circumnavigated the globe.


Nevertheless, it was at Gaelic Football that Dave made his mark in Scotland. Playing full-back, some would see Dave as modelling himself on some of the County Meath players of the era, as he made a good fist of replicating their hard no-nonsense style and passion—often following up a hefty tackle with an apology to, or a shake of the hands with, his opponent.


During Dave’s playing career, Sands MacSwineys won the league, the O’Fiaich Cup, Pearse Cup and the Scotland Championship on numerous occasions. Dave was also part of a Sands team that in the 1990s went 18 months in Scotland without defeat—only being beaten in England in the British Championship.


Along with seven of his Sands teammates Dave also represented County Scotland at the International Football Competition in Dublin in 1996. Scotland playing most of their games at St Enda’s in Ballyboden, including against London, and on one occasion also playing a North America team that included an up and coming future Mayo star, a young Ciarán McDonald. A few years later, the GAA tournament took place in Portmarnock in north Dublin and Dave Kellett was again chosen to be an important member of the Scotland squad.


In the early-mid 1990s, Sands delved into trying to start a youth team originating with local youngsters. Trips to England and Ireland, including to Glen Watty Grahams in Maghera, as well as several successes, meant some of these players eventually played adult football. By 2006/07 some more structured coaching began in several Lanarkshire primary schools and from this developed Coatbridge Davitts Gaelic Football Club. Gradually, as the numbers grew from those being coached in schools, and with the addition of numerous girls also taking up the game, the sport rose to a new level in the area.


As a result of this progress, Dave was one of the first to put his hand up to volunteer and support the effort. Subsequently, for the next ten years or more he was a critical part in helping local youngsters play the game he loved. Training weekly throughout much of the year, trips to England and Ireland, Dave was usually there as a critical mentor. Memorably, Dave was an important contributor to Davitts winning at Under-12 and Under-14 girls All-Britain Gaelic Football Competition in London—with the Under-16s being defeated in their final—in 2013. This feat received acclaim in motions passed in both Scottish and British Parliaments that year. He also took the lead in the two-man management team with the Scotland girls under 14 Feile squad that played in Kerry in 2016.


With a greatly reduced game and training participation, by 2014-15 Dave’s career as one of Sands MacSwineys’ important players of the era was ending and cycling became the order of his day. His involvement as a coach with Coatbridge Davitts continued for a few years longer, until 2018/19.


While playing and coaching in Coatbridge, Dave befriended many of his teammates. This was attested to with their large presence at his funeral, some travelling hundreds of miles from Ireland to be there.


Dave’s involvement with the GAA re-started in 2020-21 with his managing Tír Conaill Harps in Glasgow—his time there being severely hampered by the period of Covid restrictions.


Overall, as a player and coach, David Kellett made a most significant contribution to the 127-year history and life of Scotland’s Gaelic Athletic Association.


On behalf of the GAA in Scotland, thanks for your service over many years. Go mbeannaí Dia agus suaimhneas síoraí.

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