As an author and filmmaker, Mary Pat Kelly has told various stories connected to Ireland. Her award-winning PBS documentaries and accompanying books include To Live for Ireland, a portrait of Nobel Peace Prize winner John Hume and the political party he led; Home Away from Home: The Yanks in Ireland, a history of U.S. forces in Northern Ireland during World War II; and Proudly We Served: The Men of the USS Mason, a portrayal of the only African-American sailors to take a World War II warship into combat, whose first foreign port was Belfast. She wrote and directed the dramatic feature film Proud, starring Ossie Davis and Stephen Rea, based on the USS Mason story.
She’s written Martin Scorsese: The First Decade and Martin Scorsese: A Journey; Good to Go: The Rescue of Scott O’Grady from Bosnia; and a novel, Special Intentions. She is a frequent contributor to Irish America Magazine.
Mary Pat Kelly worked in Hollywood as a screenwriter for Paramount and Columbia Pictures and in New York City as an associate producer with Good Morning America and Saturday Night Live, and wrote the book and lyrics for the musical Abby’s Song. She received her PhD from the City University of New York.
Born and raised in Chicago, she lives on Manhattan’s Upper West Side with her husband, Web designer Martin Sheerin from County Tyrone.
nice job on the panel yesterday!
Hello Mary Pat, Welcome to Ireland, great interview this morning with Ryan. I wrote an article some time ago about the people from Connemara that were taken out to Minnesota by Arch Bishop John Ireland in the early 1800s, over 300 in all. I have been to MN and researched some of the areas they went to, very interesting. I will post the article to you if you email me your office address please. I live in Athenry and if your in Galway again I would to meet you for a chat.
My name is, Alfie Deehan, Raheen, Athenry, Co.Glway. Mob., 087 9694870. Kind Regards,
Alfie.
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