Dessie Kelly presented with honorary life membership by FAI

Dessie Kelly was this week officially presented with an honorary life membership by the Football Association of Ireland.

A presentation was made to the experienced Leterkenny football administrator prior to Tuesday’s Nations League match between the Republic of Ireland and Armenia at the Aviva Stadium.

FAI President Gerry McAnaney and former Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Packie Bonner made the presentation.

Kelly’s award had been announced at this summer’s annual general meeting of the FAI.

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Previously, he was awarded the John Sherlock Services to Football award for his years of service to the game when the FAI AGM was held in Donegal in 2012.

Kelly has been involved at his native Letterkenny Rovers since first joining the Leckview Park club in 1962, filling roles from player, manager and administrator to groundsman.

As a manager, Kelly guided Rovers to back-to-back Donegal League titles in the 1979/80 and 1980/81 seasons.

He stepped down from the role saying: ‘I couldn’t even think about the possibility of losing’.

A lifetime of administrative work followed into various league organisations.

He served as a long-time secretary of the Donegal Junior League and Ulster Senior League, while he has also been involved in the Donegal Youth League and Donegal Schoolboys League. Kelly was instrumental in the purchase of an subsequent development of The Diamond Park in Ballyare - the Donegal League’s headquarters.

Kelly is the current secretary of the Ulster Football Association and the chairperson of the Donegal Women’s League. He is also the chairperson of Letterkenny Rovers.

He has been a member of the FAI’s senior and junior councils and has served on several sub-committees at national level over the years.