Issued to mark the centenary of Kelly's birth in 1940, this coin arrived during a year when public commemoration was otherwise impossible — the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled the live events planned around the release. Kelly, who died in 1984, is widely regarded as one of the finest interpreters of traditional Irish ballads of the twentieth century and was a founding member of The Dubliners in 1962.
The €15 denomination is an uncommon face value in Irish commemorative issues, chosen to align with the coin's silver content value at time of striking rather than fit any standard circulation series.
Issued to mark the centenary of Kelly's birth in 1940, this coin arrived during a year when public commemoration was otherwise impossible — the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled the live events planned around the release. Kelly, who died in 1984, is widely regarded as one of the finest interpreters of traditional Irish ballads of the twentieth century and was a founding member of The Dubliners in 1962.
The €15 denomination is an uncommon face value in Irish commemorative issues, chosen to align with the coin's silver content value at time of striking rather than fit any standard circulation series.