Manus was an idol, Irish rally legend, an all-round good guy – an inspiration. He was one of Donegal’s greatest ever sportsmen, local representative and Donegal based businessman.
Manus was an idol, Irish rally legend, an all-round good guy – an inspiration. He was one of Donegal’s greatest ever sportsmen, local representative and Donegal based businessman.
More obviously Manus ‘Mandy’ Kelly was a devoted family man to his wife Bernie, his children Annie, Mandy, Charlie, Conan and Bella, his parents Donal and Jacquline, his sisters Bridgin, Kelda, Ciara and Shannagh and his brothers Donal, Caolan, Teighearnan and Leon, as well as extended family.
Priority for Manus was family, then came a long list of passions but it was in rallying where Manus excelled.
Manus’ first Donegal Rally was in 2005 when, at the age of 26, in his Twin Cam Corolla and co-driven by Gareth Doherty, he won his Class.
This followed an initial outing in the car earlier in the year with his brother-in-law Brendan McBride.
12 months later Manus had Damien McCauley in the co-driver’s seat and together they finished tenth overall and with that a realisation that the young driver from Glenswilly was going places.
In 2007 Manus was joined in-car for the first time by his close friend Donall Barrett who had been co-driving on ad-hoc events in previous years. Together the pairing would go on to make history and on route amass thousands of passionate and loyal fans. Their first big goal was achieved in 2015 when Manus and Donall won the National section of the Donegal Rally in a Mark 2 Escort.
The emotion that spilled onto the ramp outside the Mount Errigal in that June Sunday afternoon of 2015 was there for everyone to see. We were all so immensely proud of our local rally heroes, after watching them entertain us for the previous decade and in many duals. And of course, they were a most likeable pairing.
In early 2016, behind the scenes, Manus had big plans. He put together a package to hire a Subaru S12b from Melvyn Evans Motorsport to ‘have a go’ at Donegal in a WRC. First stop was a trip to Carlow to get a feel for the S12b in preparation for Donegal. Manus and Donall won, surprising even their followers. And so to Donegal and after an epic battle with Keith Cronin and that famous trip into a field in Carrygort, the Donegal pairing finished the final stage on Fanad with less than a second to spare to win the rally.
Onto 2017 when Manus and Donall won again after a brilliant dual with Donagh Kelly and Conor Foley all weekend. To 2018 and the goal was set for three in a row, only after winning Killarney’s Rally of the Lakes in May. In the Donegal Rally of 2018 Manus and Donall set the tone for the weekend with a blistering time through the opening stage of Brenagh, in the wet, to go on and win the rally.
Three in a row – King of the Hills – Manus Kelly and Donall Barrett.
Never achieved by a home crew and only the second crew to have ever made this remarkable achievement on Ireland’s biggest rally stage.
In 2019 Manus would take on his next challenge, a Hyundai supported R5 to compete in the Irish Tarmac Championship. By Donegal Manus was on the pace, setting excellent times on Friday and Saturday and starting to come to terms with the technique needed to get the most out of an R5 car.
Tragically, on Fanad, the opening Sunday stage – June 23rd 2019, the same famous stage that had brought tears of success in previous years, we were all left stunned and absolutely devastated, when Manus suffered fatal injuries when his car left the road.
In the days that followed, tens of thousands of people showed their love and loss for Manus and respect to Manus’ family, in what was the biggest funeral in Donegal in recent times.
By now the realisation of Manus’ death is as hard as ever – it doesn’t at all seem fair. Our hearts go out to Manus’ family, for their loss is hard for us to comprehend. For his friends and followers we have to remind ourselves of the reality but are continuously taken aback by the legacy that Manus has left behind.
Manus was a successful businessman through his Letterkenny based business TFS. He was a former GAA player and manager with his local beloved Glenswilly Club (he managed them to Senior C Championship success in 2016). Manus’ popularity was even more evident when, at his first attempt, he won a seat on Donegal County Council in the 2019 local elections, a mere four weeks before his death. Everything that Manus attended to he did with passion. He was so looking forward to being a public representative.
For those who were friends of Manus, they will tell you of a genuine nice guy, humble and forgiving, a big smiley head, generous by nature – most notably with his time. Manus would put others first and when asked upon to assist he didn’t ask. He was, for example, a loyal supporter to Donegal Down Syndrome Association, having organised an annual fundraiser in recent years in the weekend prior to the Donegal Rally.