2026-10-04: The Irish Times (obituary)

Query: Google "Pioneering engineer who helped transform the ESB" Kelly Irish Times; Google "Irish Times" 1996 Kelly Einstein relativity Sagnac letters engineer "Institution of Engineers" (the second found no letters, only the wiki and the bio PDF). URL: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/pioneering-engineer-who-helped-transform-the-esb-1.482657 (20 Aug 2005). Result: positive (obituary); the 1996 letters were not found (archive search not tried; the Irish Times archive is a subscription service).

Found [web]

• A 43-year ESB career; director of generation and transmission (Poolbeg and Moneypoint stations); the first commercial CCGT plant in Europe at Marina, Cork (early 1970s); first chairman of ESBI (1988); Saudi Arabia consultancy.
• "In retirement ... he studied the work of Einstein, Faraday and other famous scientists. He published a number of significant papers and in the process generated much academic debate, some of it acrimonious."
• Born Brownstown ("Brownstone"), Co. Meath, 6 Jan 1926; father James Kelly, Fianna Fáil TD 1932-43. Book "How to Make Your Life Easier at Work", seven languages; Life Fellow of ASME and IMechE. Died 30 July 2005.

Bearing on the claims

• Historical record: an independent newspaper confirms the biography and the "acrimonious" debate. It says nothing about the merits of his physics.