Working out of the west of Ireland, John Kelly is an evocative and original multi award-winning photographer. As staff photographer with The Clare Champion newspaper for over thirty-three years, he has chronicled the life and times of his native County Clare over that time; his unique photographs scratch beneath the surface of everyday activity within the county. Kelly\'s photographs have appeared in many publications and his work backboned the acclaimed publication, The Scattering. For this project, Kelly travelled to England, Belgium, Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea to record the story of those who left Clare for further fields. Eighteen Press Photographers Association of Ireland (PPAI) awards - 1996 - 2nd People 1997 - 1st Features 2000 - 1st The Arts 2003 - 2nd Picture Story 2005 - 1st People 2007 - Most Humorous Photograph 2008 - 1st Sports Feature & 2nd Picture Essay 2009 - 1st Sports Action 2011 - 3rd Environmental 2013 - 1st News 2014 - 2nd Daily Life & People 2015 - 1st & 3rd in Portrait. Third in Sport Feature also. 2018 - 2nd Daily Life & People. 2nd in Reportage also. 2023 - 2nd daily Life & People. Other Major Awards to date - 1997 & 2006 - GAA Mc Namee Photograph of the Year 1999 - The Photographic Society of Ireland Millennium Award 2006 - WDC - John Healy Photography Award 2018 - Winner of Energy at Any Age exhibition hosted by Trinity College Dublin as part of Trinity Week. 2020 - Local Ireland Photographer Of The Year 2021 - Local Ireland Photographer Of The Year 2023 - Local Ireland Photographer Of The Year Seven National Media Awards for Coverage of Community Games, The latest being Cutest Photograph of the year 2011 Completely self-taught, John is married with three children and resides just outside of Ennis, Clare.
