Simon J. Kelly, who died suddenly in hospital in Galway last weekend, was one of the west of Ireland's most committed and highly respected architects, whose work reflected his particular vision for the Atlantic seaboard.
Leisureland in Galway, Galway City Hall, the development of Galway racecourse and a series of public, ecclesiastical and school buildings throughout the western counties mark his legacy to the region. His practice has won a series of prestigious awards in recent years.
Born in Louisburgh, Co Mayo, in October 1926, Simon J. Kelly was one of a family of 10, and his parents moved into Westport when he was a young boy.
His father, Patrick Joseph, came from small farming stock and had trained as a wheelwright before setting up a building business in Westport. "P.J." was an active member of the Irish Volunteers and was on the run when he met his future wife, Kathleen O'Reilly, a member of Cumann na mBan.
Simon Kelly was educated at the Christian Brothers in Westport and learned much about building construction during site visits with his father. The architect Michael Scott was a family friend and encouraged the young man to apply to study architecture at University College, Dublin, which he did.
Kelly graduated in 1951 and worked with his father initially in Westport, before setting up practice in Woodquay in Galway city in 1954. In 1955 he married Ann O'Malley, having first met her while working on refurbishment of the Zetland Hotel in Connemara.
Establishing the Galway office is regarded by the late architect's family as his finest achievement, because there was no such profession in the city at the time. Initially, he had to run an office in Dublin to ensure that he had sufficient qualified staff for his projects, and he commuted east for several years.
In 1962 he purchased Corrib Castle overlooking the Corrib salmon weir, and among the many young architects who spent time there was the current Labour Party TD, Ms Liz McManus.
Tourism was regarded as the growth industry in the early years, and many of his commissions were for outdoor facilities such as horse-riding centres, golf clubs and swimming pools.
A flagship project was Leisureland in Salthill, which was spearheaded by the former Progressive Democrats minister (then in Fianna Fáil), Bobby Molloy, and was opened by the former president, Mr Erskine Childers, on June 29th,1973.
One of his earliest ecclesiastical projects was the design of a new church in the Galway village of Moycullen, and Kelly introduced Galway granite in the front elevation.
As he recalled in his recently published memoir, Time, Space and People, it was his first experience of Rossaveal stone with its "wonderful, pinkish colour" and he used the stone on many other buildings after that. During his career he designed some 30 churches and schools, including facilities for people with special needs such as the John Paul II Centre in Ballybane, Galway, and the Brothers of Charity premises at Clarinbridge.
One of the projects in which he took most personal pride was his role as project co-ordinator of the papal visit to Galway on September 30th, 1979.
Appointed by the former bishop, Dr Eamon Casey, Kelly planned and prepared all aspects of the location, including the podium for the altar at Ballybrit racecourse in conjunction with a co-ordinating committee. In his memoir he recalled how he made a rough model initially with empty cereal boxes, helped by his daughter, Cathriona.
After the event, Kelly suggested that the canopy used by Pope John Paul II be erected in Eyre Square as a memorial of the visit. However, Galway Corporation officials feared vandalism, and so it was erected at the John Paul II Centre at Ballybane. The altar, of mahogany framing and in-filled with panels of Connemara green and brown marble, was installed at the NUI Galway chapel. All the other materials were stripped down and sold by public auction, he noted.
As Kelly's practice expanded, he took on many projects beyond the western region, including developments at Curragh Camp and Rathmines Barracks for the Department of Defence.
Two of his children, Conor and Sarah, also pursued architecture and are now partners in the practice at Corrib Castle. The company's development at Steamboat Quay, Limerick, won an RIAI regional award in 1998, one of many such plaudits.
Ironically, the practice was marking its 50th anniversary this year. Kelly had taken up golf latterly, joining his wife, Ann, on the links, and was also an enthusiastic woodcarver. He was keenly interested in people and loved nothing more than to stop total strangers in the street and engage with them, according to his son, Conor.
He is survived by his wife, Ann, sons, Simon and Conor, and daughters, Sarah and Cathriona, and many grandchildren.
Simon J. Kelly: born October 22nd, 1926; died February 29th, 2004