Among his many other distinctions, the writer and journalist Seumas O’Kelly (circa 1880-1918) was one of the few Irish people who could be said to have been a victim of both the Troubles and the first World War. On the other hand, the events that killed him were a direct result of the 1918 Armistice, making him also, arguably, one of the last casualties of the Great War. Alas, O’Kelly suffered either a cerebral haemorrhage or heart attack – accounts differ – or both. Neither is PJ Lawlor, who wrote to me urging a mention for O’Kelly in the run-up to his anniversary. As PJ noted, his actual centenary is likely to be overshadowed by the centenary of the armistice that led indirectly to O’Kelly’s demise.

Source: The Irish Times October 16, 2018 17:03 UTC