Francie Kelly (c.1878 – 1954)

Máire Bhríd & Francie Kelly

Francie, a fiddle player was born and lived all his life at Leirg an Dachtáin. Like many of his generation in the Teileann area, he survived through fishing and tending a small farm which provided for himself, his wife Máire Bhríd and their family. Like his brother, Jimmy, Francie was gifted with his hands and indeed made some tin fiddles, a trade he may have learned from the travelling tinsmiths and fiddlers, Alec and Mickey McConnell. Francie had an older brother, Johnny, also a fiddler, who passed away at a relatively young age.