Remembering John Kelly
by Eileen M. Flanagan

I sit here thinking - How does one write the Memorial of an Icon ?

Let me start at the beginning. Some 45 years ago I visited Nutstown for the first time. I was made to feel so welcome, I felt like a relative being welcomed home after a long absence. John & Kathleen were so kind and gracious. All through the years the genuine hospitality continued and it was as if I were returning home each time.

At that time John was farming and had a huge herd of dairy cattle. He gave me a tour of the farm and we were escorted by all the wolfhounds. To my surprise the cows were not bothered by the dogs presence and the dogs moved among them quite readily as if they were part of the herd.

The cows evoke one memory of John that I have treasured for years. The milking parlor was a distance from the house and set up on a hill. John was going up to milk the cows and invited me to come along. I accompanied him and we were escorted by 20 some odd Irish Wolfhounds. At the milking parlor the cows were put on the milking machines but John explained there are always a few that must be milked by hand. So John began the hand milking on his little stool. When I turned around I saw all the Wolfhounds sitting in a line behind John just to his left. Then John pulled a teat and shot a stream of milk right into the 1st dogs mouth (dead aim). This continued until every dog had received his ration of milk. What amazed me was that they never crowded each other or tried to get more than their share. They just opened their mouth when it was their turn and John shot a direct stream right into their mouths.

That experience taught me what a great relationship John shared with his dogs. They all adored him and wanted nothing else but to be with him.

John Kelly was a kind and gentle person, always willing to help anyone along the way. He was a true gentleman in every sense of the word. He knew and loved his dogs first and foremost. The Nutstown line were and are a very distinct type. They are beautiful breed typical specimens of our beloved breed. They are healthy and long lived with excellent temperament and above average intelligence. John and Kathleen created and maintained their line with the exemplary characteristics I describe above all through their breeding years. Nutstown will always remain one of the truly great Irish Kennels.

As a breeder, John was as much a role model for all other breeders as his wolfhounds were for the rest of the breed. So in conclusion, let me remind you how very deeply John will be missed all over the world especially by those who were lucky enough to have a Nutstown dog in their lives.

Slan Abhaile John !