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Hermann Kelly

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Hermann Kelly
Kelly in 2019
President of theIrish Freedom Party
Assumed office
8 September 2018
Director of Communications forEurope of Freedom and Direct Democracy
In office
August 2009 – 2019
Personal details
Born(1968-12-25)25 December 1968(age 55)[citation needed]
Bogside, Derry,Northern Ireland
Political partyIrish Freedom Party(since 2018)
Other political
affiliations		UK Independence Party(UKIP)[1]
EducationSt Columb's College
Alma materSt Patrick's College, Maynooth
OccupationPress officer

Hermann Patrick Kelly(born 1968) is an Irishanti-immigrationactivist,politician,press officerand former journalist, serving as president of the far-right[2]Irish Freedom Party[3]since its foundation in September 2018.[4]As of late 2021, Kelly is employed in the European Parliament as an assistant to Romanian MEPCristian Terheș.[5][6]

Early life and education[edit]

Kelly was born on Christmas Day, 1968[7]and is originally from theBogsideinDerry.[8]His father was a headmaster of a primary school inCreggan,his mother was a nurse who immigrated from Australia and he has three siblings.[8]

His secondary education was atSt Columb's College,Derry.He then studiedmarine biologyinEdinburghbefore studyingtheologyas a lay student atSt. Patrick's College, Maynooth.[8]He briefly worked as a teacher in Dublin.[8]

Writer[edit]

Journalism[edit]

As a journalist, Kelly was a contributing columnist to theIrish Examiner,[8]and also wrote for theIrish Mail on Sunday.[9]Following the resignation of editorSimon Rowein mid-2004, Kelly was briefly acting editor (and later deputy editor) ofThe Irish Catholic.[10]

Kathy O'Beirne book[edit]

In 2007, Kelly wrote a book titledKathy's Real Storywhich disputed the claims made in a book byKathy O'Beirne(Don't Ever Tell), in which O'Beirne described childhood abuse she had reputedly suffered in aMagdalene asylum.[11]Kelly claimed that initial doubts that he had while reading her book were confirmed by inconsistencies in different accounts which O'Beirne had given, and later confirmed by various witnesses and documentary evidence.[11][12]He also claimed that false allegations were being made by those appearing before the Residential Institutions Redress Board in order to receive compensation.[11]

A review byGene Kerrigan(who worked alongside Michael Sheridan, O'Beirne's co-author) criticised Kelly's own criticism of O'Beirne's book.[13]Kelly and O'Beirne both appeared onIreland AMto discuss their books in November 2007, and the encounter ended in an argument.[9]

Kelly also wrote to the proposed publishers of a sequel by O'Beirne, sending them a copy ofKathy's Real Storyand asking them not to publish. ASunday Timesarticle of July 2009 indicated that the publisher had withdrawn their initial offer to publish her book because of an "unresolved legal issue".[14]

European Union politics[edit]

Kelly was formerly a press officer forNigel Farage,and the director of communications forEurope of Freedom and Direct Democracy(EFDD), of which Farage was co-president.[15][16]The EFDD dissolved in mid-2019.[17]In a 2023Irish Timesarticle, Farage described Kelly as a "big strong strappingPaddy".[18]

Kelly supports Ireland leaving theEuropean Union(an 'Irexit'), and is the President of the far-right Irish Freedom Party, a party that advocates the same position.[8][19]He contested the2019 European Parliament electionin theDublin constituency,[20]receiving 2,441 (0.67%) first preference votes and was eliminated on the fourth count.[21]

As of 2021 Kelly was press officer to Romanian MEPCristian Terheșof theEuropean Conservatives and Reformistsgroup,[5]who has consistently declined to show anEU Digital COVID Certificateor proof ofCOVID-19testing upon entering theEuropean Parliament.[22]

Kelly unsuccessfully contested theMidlands–North-Westconstituency at the2024 European Parliament elections.He was eliminated on the thirteenth count, with 13,904 (2.04%) first-preference votes.[23][24]

Political views[edit]

Kelly advocates for Ireland to leave the European Union and for a united Ireland.[1]Kelly isfiscally conservative,[25]and has questioned the financial cost of Ireland's EU contributions.[26]

His party, the Irish Freedom Party, isanti-abortion,pro-natalistand "supportive of stable families for procreation".[27]Kelly has described his views as representing "Irish Catholic nationalism".[28]

Some outlets have linked Kelly withalt-rightideologies, pointing to a YouTube interview in which Kelly appeared alongsidefar-rightBritish Loyalist and formerBritish National PartymemberJim Dowson.[29]In the video Kelly stated that "[they want to] kill Irish kids and [..] replace them with every nationality who wants to come into our country",[30]a statement which several news outlets associated with thewhite nationalist"great replacement"conspiracy theory.[29][31]This followed a similar interview, in January 2019 withLifeSiteNews,in which Kelly denounced what he called the "great replacement of our children".[32]In a 2019 Twitter post, Kelly stated that "those talking about a Great Replacement in Ireland have a point".[33]Later in 2019, Kelly stated that, before an Irish government could make policy changes which result in "population increases [..] immigration or otherwise, it must first consult the people of Ireland".[34]He used the phrase "abort and import" to describe Sinn Féin immigration policy.[35]In interviews and Twitter posts, Kelly has stated that he does not support the idea of separate races or racial superiority,[25][36]while also advocating for a "mono cultural society".[37][38]

References[edit]

  1. ^ab"PR man for Ukip Hermann Kelly in favour of a united Ireland".belfasttelegraph.co.uk.Belfast Telegraph. 21 November 2014.Archivedfrom the original on 8 November 2020.Retrieved31 August2020.
  2. ^Feeney, Peter (13 October 2021)."445/2020 – Mr Hermann Kelly and TheJournal.ie".presscouncil.ie.Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman. Archived fromthe originalon 2 November 2021.The use of the epithet "far-right" [..] seems acceptable given the range of policies promoted by the party and by the causes party members have been associated with
  3. ^"A party is being launched today that's calling for Ireland to leave the EU".thejournal.ie. 8 September 2018.Archivedfrom the original on 14 September 2018.Retrieved14 September2018.
  4. ^"Members – Hermann Kelly – Uachtarán (President)".irishfreedom.ie.Archivedfrom the original on 11 August 2020.Retrieved1 September2020.
  5. ^ab"How a Covid cert revolt in Brussels reveals a dark trend in pandemic politics".irishtimes.Irish Times. 9 December 2021.Retrieved21 April2022.
  6. ^"European Parliament website page for Romanian MEP Cristian Terhes, listing staff".European Parliament.European Parliament. 21 November 2021. Archived fromthe originalon 21 November 2021.Retrieved29 September2023.
  7. ^Áine Duffy meets Hermann Kelly, Irish Freedom Party. Former journalist, Director of Communications,retrieved10 July2022
  8. ^abcdefMcDowell, Lindy (8 October 2018)."Hermann Kelly: I believe Ireland, both North and South, is better off outside the European Union".Belfast Telegraph.Archivedfrom the original on 7 November 2018.Retrieved7 November2018.
  9. ^ab"Derry author in live TV dust-up".Derry Journal. 9 November 2007.Archivedfrom the original on 10 January 2008.Retrieved19 May2009.
  10. ^"Ireland's leading religious weekly appoints editor".Press Gazette.26 November 2004. Archived fromthe originalon 16 June 2011.
  11. ^abc"Feud between warring authors to hot up".The Irish Post. 20 February 2008. Archived fromthe originalon 22 June 2011.
  12. ^West, Ed (5 March 2008)."Mis lit: Is this the end for the misery memoir?".The Telegraph.Archivedfrom the original on 21 January 2018.Retrieved19 May2009.
  13. ^Kerrigan, Gene (11 November 2007)."Both sides in the bad books after bust-up".Independent.ie.Independent News and Media.Archivedfrom the original on 3 November 2009.Retrieved19 May2009.
  14. ^"Times Online".Archivedfrom the original on 27 September 2021.Retrieved2 January2014.
  15. ^"Hermann Kelly Interview".channel4.Channel 4. 14 May 2018.Archivedfrom the original on 27 September 2021.Retrieved31 August2020.I have worked as a teacher, then became a journalist, and then became Press Officer for Nigel Farage
  16. ^"The Group – Staff".EDFgroup.eu.Archived fromthe originalon 3 June 2010.
  17. ^de la Baume, Maïa (26 June 2019)."Brexit Party misses first deadline to form political group in European Parliament".Politico Europe.Archivedfrom the original on 5 February 2021.Retrieved4 July2019.Several Parliament officials said that Farage's former "Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy" group had not been added to the official list. "Farage and 5Star doesn't have a group," said one official, referring to Italy's 5Star movement which was also part of the EFDD.
  18. ^"A 'proper f***ing lunch' with Nigel Farage".The Irish Times.23 September 2023.
  19. ^Ní Aodha, Gráinne (8 September 2018)."A party is being launched today that's calling for Ireland to leave the EU".TheJournal.ie.Archivedfrom the original on 7 November 2018.Retrieved7 November2018.
  20. ^"Home".dublincountyreturningofficer.Archivedfrom the original on 10 April 2019.Retrieved10 April2019.
  21. ^"European Election: 24 May 2019, Dublin, European Parliament".electionsireland.org.Elections Ireland.Archivedfrom the original on 1 June 2019.Retrieved29 May2019.
  22. ^"Irexit leader wages war on Covid-19 certs in role paid by EU".IrishTimes.The Irish Times. 6 December 2021.Retrieved15 March2022.
  23. ^"Hermann Kelly alleged to have knocked phone out of journalist's hand at European Parliament".IrishTimes.The Irish Times. 3 April 2024.Retrieved14 April2024.
  24. ^"European Elections: Midlands North-West".RTÉ News.Retrieved15 June2024.
  25. ^ab"Hermann Kelly: I believe Ireland, both North and South, is better off outside the European Union".Belfast Telegraph.8 October 2018.ISSN0307-1235.Archivedfrom the original on 25 October 2020.Retrieved31 August2020.
  26. ^"Letter to the editor – EU and potential debt liability".irishtimes.Irish Times. 9 September 2020.Archivedfrom the original on 10 May 2021.Retrieved10 September2020.
  27. ^Tobin, Sharon (8 September 2018)."'Irexit' group seeking to register as political party ".RTÉ News.Archivedfrom the original on 9 November 2020.Retrieved31 August2020.
  28. ^"Is Ireland ready for a dose of Farage-style politics?".thetimes.co.uk.The Times. 9 September 2018.Archivedfrom the original on 20 January 2021.Retrieved31 August2020.[Kelly] says his views reflect "Irish Catholic nationalism"
  29. ^ab"Ireland's Alt Right: The people building an empire online".The Business Post.Archivedfrom the original on 20 September 2019.Retrieved20 September2019.
  30. ^"YouTube source".youtube.Archivedfrom the original on 4 February 2021.Retrieved1 September2020.
  31. ^"How the far-right is exploiting immigration concerns in Oughterard".irishtimes.Irish Times. 16 October 2019.Archivedfrom the original on 15 February 2020.Retrieved23 September2019."The first thing they want to do is kill Irish kids and [they] want to replace them with every nationality who wants to come into our country," Irish Freedom Party leader Hermann Kelly [..said..] in an interview this year
  32. ^"Abortion is 'stain' that 'should be removed' – Hermann Kelly".irexitfreedom.ie.Archivedfrom the original on 18 October 2019.Retrieved4 November2019.Party media release referring earlier interview in which Kelly states "we must control the quality and number of economic migrants [..] we don't want the brutal demise or 'great replacement' of our children"
  33. ^@hermannkelly (2 September 2019)."What a cheek! Not a word about incentivising talented and skilled Irish diaspora to come home. According to this, looks as if those talking about a Great Replacement in Ireland have a point. Who is doing the discrimination now?"(Tweet) – viaTwitter.
  34. ^"Elections, Europe, and Irish Freedom: A Talk With Hermann Kelly".The Burkean.10 September 2019.Archivedfrom the original on 24 September 2020.Retrieved31 August2020.
  35. ^Youtube IFP Channel, see speech at 1min 45 sec (8 December 2018)."Hermann Kelly speaks at Irexit Protest against UN Migration Pact".YOutube.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  36. ^@hermannkelly (29 July 2020)."No I had a recorded discussion with Jim Dowson after he made a video [...]"(Tweet) – viaTwitter.
  37. ^@hermannkelly (15 June 2020)."A mono cultural society is high trust, low friction. A multicultural" society "is a recipe for endless agro and trouble"(Tweet) – viaTwitter.
  38. ^"The far right rises: Its growth as a political force in Ireland".irishtimes.Irish Times. 19 September 2020.Archivedfrom the original on 3 October 2020.Retrieved5 October2020.Hermann Kelly has advocated for a "monocultural" Irish society and been a proponent of the "great replacement", a conspiracy theory stating western governments are intentionally replacing their native populations with immigrants
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