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Seumas O’Kelly (1881 – 14 November 1918) was an Irish journalist, fiction writer, and playwright.
Born in Loughrea, County Galway, O’Kelly was educated locally and began his career as a journalist with the Cork newspaper Southern Star.
He moved from The Southern Star to the Leinster Leader in Naas where he remained as Editor until he went to work in 1916 for Nationality, the Sinn Féin party newspaper.
Michael O’Kelly more militant brother took over at the Leader in 1912, but was interned after the April 1916 Easter Rising. Seumas returned to the Leader for a brief stint. There is a plaque in his honour outside the Leader’s offices which reads “Seumas O’Kelly – a gentle revolutionary”.
He wrote numerous plays, short stories, and novels.
One of O’Kelly short stories, “The Weaver’s Grave,” a tale set in rural Ireland that delves into the customs and superstitions of the community. “The Weaver’s Grave” is among the most acclaimed of Irish short stories. A radio version of this, adapted and produced by Mícheál Ó hAodha, won the Prix Italia for Radio Drama in 1961.
One of his well-known works is the play “The Shuiler’s Child,” which was first performed in 1904. This play explores themes of poverty and social injustice in Ireland.
O’Kelly was a friend of the Irish nationalist Arthur Griffith, founder of both the political party Sinn Féin and its newspaper Nationality.
He died prematurely of a heart attack following a raid at the paper’s headquarters at Harcourt St
Seumas O’Kelly’s death occurred during a tumultuous period in Irish history, with the end of World War I and the approaching Irish War of Independence. His contributions to Irish literature are remembered as part of the broader cultural and artistic movements that shaped the nation’s identity during this era.