Dolores Kelly
Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly
for Upper Bann
In office
2 March 2017 – 27 March 2022
Preceded byCatherine Seeley
Succeeded byEóin Tennyson
In office
26 November 2003 – 30 March 2016
Preceded byBríd Rodgers
Succeeded byCatherine Seeley
Personal details
Born (1959-09-03) 3 September 1959 (age 64)
Aghalee, Northern Ireland
NationalityIrish
Political partySDLP
SpouseEamon Kelly
Children4
Residence(s)Lurgan, County Armagh
Alma materUniversity of Ulster
ProfessionOccupational therapist
WebsiteSDLP profile

Mary Dolores Kelly (born 3 September 1959) is a Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) politician. She was a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA)[1] for Upper Bann from 2003 until 2016, and again from 2017 until 2022.

Background

Dolores Kelly attended St Michael's Grammar School, Lurgan and then the University of Ulster, Jordanstown. She worked as an occupational therapist in the Craigavon Area Hospital and in social services in Banbridge. She married Eamon Kelly in 1982 and has four children.[2]

Political career

In May 1993 she was first elected to Craigavon Borough Council for the Loughside District. She served on all committees, and was chair of Technical Services and Environmental Services. In 1996 she was an unsuccessful candidate in the Northern Ireland Forum election in Upper Bann.[3]

In May 1997 she was re-elected to Craigavon Borough. She was elected Deputy Mayor in 1998 and from 1999 to 2000 was the first SDLP Mayor of Craigavon.[4] Kelly was also deputy leader of the SDLP from 2011 to 2015.[5]

In 2004, Kelly was the target of death threats from dissident Republicans, and her home was attacked.[6] In 2009, Kelly was threatened by a masked gunman while canvassing in the Kilwilkie estate in Lurgan.[2]

In 2003 Kelly was elected to Northern Ireland Assembly for Upper Bann. She was a member of the Northern Ireland Policing Board.[7] She lost her seat in the 2016 Assembly election[8] but regained it and rejoined the Policing Board in 2017, at the expense of Sinn Féin.

She lost her seat in the 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election.[9]

Political positions

Kelly has called for the establishment of an all-island registry for those convicted of animal cruelty.[10]

References

  1. ^ BBC television programme Northern Ireland Assembly: 31 January 2009
  2. ^ a b McNeilly, Claire (19 February 2018). "Dolores Kelly: 'I was eight months pregnant when police came to my door to say an SDLP councillor's home was to be targeted that night. After that, I had to learn how to search for car bombs'". Belfast Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  3. ^ Profile: Northern Ireland elections, ark.ac.uk; accessed 5 March 2017.
  4. ^ "SDLP woman elected mayor". The Irish Times. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  5. ^ Amanda Ferguson. "Upper Bann: SDLP's Dolores Kelly back in the game". The Irish Times. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  6. ^ "SDLP woman's home attacked in Co Armagh". The Irish Times. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  7. ^ "The Board". Archived from the original on 8 May 2016. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  8. ^ "BBC NI Election 2016". BBC News. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  9. ^ "Winners and losers of historic Northern Ireland Assembly election 2022" – via www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk.
  10. ^ "SDLP calls for all-island animal cruelty register". www.farminglife.com. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
Civic offices Preceded byMervyn Carrick Mayor of Craigavon 1999–2000 Succeeded byFred Crowe Northern Ireland Assembly Preceded byBríd Rodgers MLA for Upper Bann 2003–2016 Succeeded byCatherine Seeley Preceded byCatherine Seeley MLA for Upper Bann 2017–2022 Succeeded byEóin Tennyson


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