Published: November 03, 2009 09:15 pm         

Magazine names Woods alumna to Global 100 list

Irish America magazine has named St. Mary-of-the-Woods College alumna Mary Pat Kelly, class of 1967, to its Global 100, a list of the most revered and influential Sons and Daughters of Erin, and Irish Voice newspaper has named Kelly one of the 75 Most Influential Women of 2009.

Kelly, a noted writer and filmmaker, is a third-generation Irish American whose roots come from Bearna, County Galway. As an author and filmmaker, 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, and she has written two books about Martin Scorsese, “Martin Scorsese: The First Decade” and “Martin Scorsese: A Journey.”

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 has also written “Good to Go: The Rescue of Scott O’Grady from Bosnia”; a novel, “Special Intentions”; and she is a frequent contributor to “Irish America Magazine.”

For the past year, Kelly has been traveling all over the United States promoting her newly published novel “Galway Bay.” The book describes one family’s epic journey, capturing both the tragedy and triumph of the Irish-American experience — and echoing the myths and legends of Ireland herself.

Born and raised in Chicago, Kelly lives on Manhattan’s Upper West Side with her husband, Web designer Martin Sheerin from County Tyrone. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English and theater from SMWC and a doctorate from the City University of New York. Last spring, she returned to SMWC to give a special book presentation and to receive the 2009 Distinguished Alumna award.

More information about “Galway Bay” is available at www.marypatkelly.com.