Preceded by Brid Rodgers Children 4 Education Ulster University Spouse(s) Eamon Kelly Role Politician | Political party SDLP Name Dolores Kelly Nationality Irish Residence Lurgan, County Armagh | |
 | ||
Born 3 September 1959 (age 64)
Aghalee, Northern Ireland ( 1959-09-03 ) Party Social Democratic and Labour Party Similar People John Hume, Gerry Fitt, Paddy Devlin | ||
Child poverty dolores kelly mla at tedxstormont
Mary Dolores Kelly MLA (born 3 September 1959) is a Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) politician and Member of the Legislative Assembly for Upper Bann from 2003 until 2016, and again from 2017.
Kelly attended the University of Ulster, Jordanstown. In May 1993 she was first elected to Craigavon Borough Council for the Loughside District. She served on all committees, and was chair of Technical Services and Environmental Services. In 1996 she was an unsuccessful candidate in the Northern Ireland Forum election in Upper Bann.
In May 1997 she was re-elected to Craigavon Borough. She was elected Deputy Mayor in 1998 and from 1999 to 2000 was the first Nationalist Mayor of Craigavon. Kelly was also deputy leader of the SDLP from 2011–15.
In 2003 Kelly was elected to Northern Ireland Assembly for Upper Bann. She was a member of the Northern Ireland Policing Board. She lost her seat in the 2016 Assembly Election. but regained it in 2017, at the expense of Sinn Féin.