Hermann Kelly

Hermann Patrick Kelly (born 1968) is an Irish journalist and political candidate who wrote for the Irish Mail on Sunday and is a former editor of The Irish Catholic. He has also written for The Sunday Times, Sunday Independent, Sunday Mirror, The Sunday Business Post and Magill magazine. In September 2018 he took part in the launch of the Irexit Freedom To Prosper Party.

Early life and education
Born in 1968, he was originally from the Bogside in Derry. His father was a headmaster of a school in Creggan, his mother was a nurse and he has three siblings.

He studied marine biology in Edinburgh before studying theology as a lay student at St. Patrick's College, Maynooth.

Book

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

A review by Gene Kerrigan (who worked alongside Michael Sheridan - O'Beirne's co-author) criticised Kelly's own criticism of O'Beirne's book. Kelly and O'Beirne both appeared on Ireland AM to discuss their books in November 2007, and the encounter ended in an argument.

Kelly also wrote to the proposed publishers of a sequel by O'Beirne, sending them a copy of Kathy's Real Story and asking them not to publish. A Sunday Times article (26 July 2009) indicated that the publisher had withdrawn their initial offer to publish her book because of an 'unresolved legal issue'.

European Union politics
Kelly has worked with Nigel Farage, and was director of communications for Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy (EFDD). The EFDD later dissolved as various MEPs left the group and constituent parties, some in disputes over political extremism.

Kelly, who is from Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom, supports the Republic of Ireland leaving the European Union (an 'Irexit'), and is the President of the Irish Freedom Party, a party that advocates the same position. He contested the 2019 European Parliament election in the Dublin constituency, receiving 2,441 (0.67%) first preference votes and was eliminated on the fourth count.

Political Views
Some outlets have linked Kelly with alt-right ideologies, pointing to a video which Kelly recorded with far-right British Loyalist and former British National Party member Jim Dowson. In the video Kelly endorsed the white nationalist "grand replacement" conspiracy theory. This followed a similar interview, in January 2019 with LifeSiteNews, in which Kelly denounced what he called the "great replacement of our children".

Kelly spoke at the Free Speech Rally, outside the Dail, on 16 November 2019.

References

Category:Living people
Category:Male non-fiction writers from Northern Ireland
Category:Irish newspaper editors
Category:Journalists from Northern Ireland
Category:Magill people
Category:Media coverage of Catholic Church sexual abuse scandals
Category:Sunday Independent (Ireland) people
Category:Critics of the European Union
Category:The Sunday Business Post people
Category:1968 births
Category:Alumni of St Patrick's College, Maynooth
Category:People educated at St Columb's College