Joe Kelly

Joe Kelly (13 March 1913 - 28 November 1993): Joseph Michael Kelly was an Irish racing driver and businessman from Dublin who holds the distinction of being the first Irishman to race in the Formula One World Championship. Kelly's journey to motorsport was unconventional, beginning when he left school at thirteen to work at the Henry Street Market before becoming an apprentice fitter on steam trains for the railways. He later drove trams and buses around Dublin with an old school friend named Jimmy Golden, racing each other at the end of night shifts until Kelly had a crash and left in a hurry. In approximately 1937 or 1938, just before World War II, Kelly moved to England and worked in London for Pickfords and Carter Pattersons, becoming foreman of a factory near Wimbledon where he lived with his girlfriend Maureen, whom he married during the Blitz.

Following the war, Kelly returned to Ireland around 1947 and started a garage and petrol station called The Red Cow, which became the foundation of his business empire. Kelly was first a businessman whose racing took second place to making money. His motor dealing and property trading activities were his primary focus, and he owned many famous homes during his property dealing days in the 1970s and 80s in both Ireland and England. In 1950, Kelly used his own Alta GP car, the last Alta GP built, to participate in the British rounds of the Formula One World Championship.

He competed in both the 1950 and 1951 British Grands Prix, driving a privately entered Alta, though he did not score any championship points. His participation made him a pioneer for Irish motorsport on the world stage. Following his Formula One appearances, Kelly continued racing in national events. After a crash at Oulton Park in 1955, he largely withdrew from competitive driving to focus on his expanding business interests, which included the Irish Ferrari concession.

In 1969, Kelly sold his car showrooms in England and moved back to Athy, Ireland, where he began building an impressive property portfolio that resulted in his ownership of some of the country's most impressive estates, including Old Conna Hill near Dublin. Joe Kelly passed away on 28 November 1993 at age 80, having successfully combined his passion for motorsport with exceptional business acumen, leaving behind a legacy as Ireland's Formula One pioneer and a shrewd entrepreneur who built a substantial fortune through motor trading and property investment.