Thomas Kelly (July 13, 1769–May 14, 1855) was an Irish evangelical preacher, hymn writer, and founder of the Kellyite sect, celebrated as one of Ireland’s most prolific hymnists, often dubbed “the Charles Wesley of Ireland.” Born at Kellyville near Athy, Queen’s County (now County Laois), Ireland, he was the only son of Thomas Kelly, a judge in the Court of Common Pleas, and an unnamed mother. Educated at Trinity College, Dublin (B.A., 1789), he initially pursued law at London’s Middle Temple, but a transformative encounter with William Romaine’s writings convicted him of sin, leading him to abandon law for ministry. Ordained in the Church of Ireland in 1792 at age 23, he married Elizabeth Tighe of Rosanna, County Wicklow, in 1795, a union that brought wealth and produced at least two daughters, Elizabeth and Caroline Theodosia. Kelly’s preaching career began with fervent evangelical sermons on justification by faith, which clashed with the established church’s norms. By 1794, Archbishop Robert Fowler of Dublin barred him from church pulpits, prompting Kelly to become a Dissenter. He built independent chapels in Blackrock, Athy, Portarlington, Wexford, and Waterford, funding them with his inherited fortune and wife’s dowry, and preached wherever he could, often alongside allies like Rowland Hill. In 1802, he formalized his sect, the Kellyites, which emphasized grace and scriptural truth, attracting followers across Ireland. A gifted linguist and musician, he wrote 765 hymns over 51 years, including “Look, ye saints, the sight is glorious” and “We sing the praise of Him who died,” published in works like Hymns on Various Passages of Scripture (1804–1853). His ministry faced opposition from Catholic clergy, sparking pamphlet wars from 1809 to 1833.