ACTOR DAVID Kelly was fondly remembered at a removal service yesterday, for his sense of dress, his acting ability and his sense of timing, the latter of which, the priest said, he used up to his final breath.
“His timing, I am told by all those in the acting profession, was impeccable,” Fr Kevin Bartley told those who gathered in the Church of the Miraculous Medal, Bird Avenue in Clonskeagh, Dublin, adding his timing “on his exit from this stage of life” was as good.
He explained that, last Sunday, his daughter Miriam left her father’s bedside to retrieve a Valentine’s Day card from her car.
“She came back, she read the card. It was a greeting of love from Laurie [his wife] Dave [his son] and Miriam. When she finished reading the card, David Kelly peacefully closed his eyes and went to eternity. You could not get better on a Hollywood set,” Fr Bartley said.
The celebrant noted that, of the 82 years of his life, Mr Kelly had spent 70 of them in show business: “It was a lifetime . . . David’s 70 years in the acting profession spanned the stage, the radio, television and film. His first love, I’m told, was always the stage.”
Representatives from a number of these disciplines were at last night's ceremony, including actors Frank Kelly, Stephen Rea and Pat Laffan, director Jim Sheridan, radio presenter Larry Gogan, artist Robert Ballagh and Christopher Fitz-Simon, writer and theatre director, who was an executive producer on The Riordans.
Also there were the President, Michael D Higgins, his wife Sabina and Minister for Arts Jimmy Deenihan.
Fr Bartley described Mr Kelly's role as "Rashers" Tierney in Strumpet Cityas one in which "he brought great dignity to a broken character". He also noted his roles as "Orally" (as Fawlty Towers'Manuel memorably pronounced Mr Kelly's character O'Reilly in the sit-com) and that of Grandpa Joe in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
“These are just a flavour of the many roles played by David Kelly and for these he was known to so many people,” Fr Bartley said, but added his family had their own special memories.
He noted Kelly and his wife had first met on stage: “As they rehearsed, David Kelly complained about his ulcer and Laurie said, ‘I would never marry you, I have a father at home always complaining about his ulcer’. How wrong she was,” Fr Bartley said to laughter.
He also said Kelly’s son and daughter had followed their parents into the creative arts. David senior was none too happy when his son first told him of his intentions. “His father at first was furious but a few minutes later he rang him back and said: ‘I’ve never had a real job in my life, what am I talking about’?”