John Kelly 1848-1894 : The Curragh, Co. Kildare

Family oral tradition reports that John Kelly died as a result of a riding accident in 1894. I know that the year date is accurate. He lived in various locations around The Curragh Racecourse (Kildare, Ballysax, Sallins etc). Despite extensive searches of deaths recorded in civil records for the Naas registration district in the 1890s, no record of his death has been found. I would be grateful if anyone can provide any information about the date or circumstances of his death. Many thanks in advance.

John Kelly was my great grandfather. He and many of his relatives were into horses, as jockeys and trainers. One of his sons, Charlie Kelly, won the Irish Grand National in 1905 on a horse called Red Lad. The pair came second in the Aintree Grand National in 1906. John's brother, Thomas Kelly, was champion jockey in Ireland in 1865 and died whilst riding a horse called Citron in a race at Baldoyle race course in 1884. The horse was awarded third place because he carried his (apparently dead) rider the full distance. Thomas was seen lose a stirrup; to hit his head on an upright fence post; and to fall off after the finishing post. Folk present thought that the blow from the fencepost had killed him until a post mortem revealed that he died of a heart attack.

Again, many thanks.

Peter