Kelly is second only to Murphy as the most populous Irish name, and it is therefore logical to find it often in Ireland's songs. According to Father Woulfe's Irish Names and Surnames, Kelly derives from Ceallac meaning Warlike, and it seems that Kelly's have lived up to that meaning not only in Ireland, but wherever they went. In the wars of the United States, the name Kelly appears frequently among those decorated for bravery. The first American hero of WWI was Colin Kelly who received the Congressional Medal of Honor; and Joseph Clarke wrote a famous poem about a trio of Irish Heros in the … [Read more...] about Kelly, the Boy from Killane