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Later life and Death
There is no doubt that Deirdre Kelly lived a determined and persevering life. Throughout the later years of her life, Deirdre Kelly’s strong passion for the preservation of Dublin’s historical and architectural heritage continued. Deirdre was constantly known for being a powerful force within Dublin and despite a few setbacks she faced, such as the battles against urban development, she still managed to continue to fight for the soul of Dublin city. Following the Wood Quay crisis in 1978, where Deirdre courageously opposed the building of civic offices over the Viking settlements, Kelly continued to use her voice in regards to contemporary planning policies through the years.

In 1986, Kelly’s passion for protesting to save Dublin's cultural roots led her to organise the Dublin Crisis Conference, which involved 100 groups. This forum was made up of civic-interest groups varying from environmentalists to civil right campaigners fighting for a community centred local government. The ‘Dublin Millennium’ celebration in 1988 provided the official response to the concerns. Urban renewal and a belated celebration of the city's heritage were addressed which therefore marked a partial vindication of Kelly’s vigorous campaigns. Improved environmental protection and community housing gradually seemed to reverse the decay she fought against which led to securing some of the aspects of  Dublin she had hoped to protect.

In 1995, Kelly took a more relaxed approach to her work and published the book ‘Four roads to Dublin’ which was a history of Ranelagh, Rathmines and Leeson street. This book offered us a different insight into Deirdre than what we were used to as it showcases a peaceful contrast to her earlier militant endeavours.

Sadly Deirdre's fulfilled life came to an early end, on the 16th of February 2000 as she passed away at the age of 61 due to her battle with cancer. She was buried at Mount Jerome cemetery, leaving behind her legacy of dedication and passion to Dublin's cultural heritage. In May of the following year, Frank McDonald from Irish Times commemorated her in his book ‘The construction of Dublin’.

Reference list:


 * Fallon, D. (2020). Retrieved from https://comeheretome.com/2019/10/18/deirdre-kelly-and-the-battle-for-dublin/


 * Haughey, N. (2000). Retrieved from https://www.irishtimes.com/news/death-of-staunch-defender-of-dublin-s-heritage-1.245964
 * Long, P. (2009). Retrieved from https://www.dib.ie/index.php/biography/kelly-deirdre-a4441


 * (2000). Retrieved from https://www.irishtimes.com/news/fighting-the-good-fight-to-keep-dublin-fair-1.249501