Mary Pat Kelly
Directing
Biography
Mary Pat Kelly weaves historical characters such as Maud Gonne, William Butler Yeats, Countess Markievicz, Michael Collins, and Eamon de Valera, as well as Gabrielle Chanel, Gertrude Stein, James Joyce, and Nora Barnacle, into her new novel Of Irish Blood, a vivid and compelling story inspired by the life of her great-aunt, and the sequel to her best-selling and critically praised novel Galway Bay. 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 also written such books as 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 Ph.D. from the City University of New York. Born and raised in Chicago, she lives on Manhattan’s Upper West Side with her husband, app developer Martin Sheerin from County Tyrone. Source: https://www.irishamerica.com/honoree/mary-pat-kelly-2/
Known For
A late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels. The show's comedy sketches, which parody contemporary culture and politics, are performed by a large and varying cast of repertory and newer cast members. Each episode is hosted by a celebrity guest, who usually delivers an opening monologue and performs in sketches with the cast, and features performances by a musical guest.
Saturday Night Live
The true story of the only African-American crew to take a Navy warship into combat in World War II.
Proud
Bill works in a flower shop. Brian comes in to buy something special, and wants it to be something exotic.
Cut Flowers
Music, myth, and memory mix as one of the last great untold World War II stories unfolds against an Irish landscape. Three hundred thousand American servicemen and women served in Northern Ireland from 1942 to 1945. Soldiers trained for the invasion of North Africa and Normandy, sailors fought the Battle of the Atlantic and U.S. airmen flew coastal patrols from Northern Ireland ports and bases. History has forgotten much of this, but the people still remember. And now GIs themselves return to Northern Ireland to complete the tale. Introduced by Walter Cronkite, who was himself a "Yank in Ireland," the program follows World War II veterans back to their "Home Away From Home." Secrets are revealed and old loves renewed in these moving stories. Rare photographs and archival film help tell the stories.
Home Away From Home: The Yanks in Ireland
This is the thrilling true story of the USS Mason (DE 529) and its crew, the only African-American sailors to take a U.S. Navy warship into battle during World War II. They challenged the segregation of the U.S. Military, fought the Nazi U-boats, and won. Narrated by actor Ossie Davis, the film interweaves the personal stories of individual crew members with archival footage of the ship and crew produced by the Navy. As a result of the media attention created by this documentary and its companion book, the crew members of the USS Mason were finally awarded the Letters of Commendation which they were recommended for in 1944, but had not received for 50 years. Proud, an award-winning dramatic feature film based on this story, stars Ossie Davis in his last movie role. Broadcast on PBS stations nationwide.