History of the Kelly Kettle
Brothers Patrick & Seamus Kelly (company Directors), are proud to be the fourth generation of 'Kelly's' to bring you their popular kettles and camping equipment. Following in the footsteps of their father Padraic, grandfather Jim & great-grandfather Patrick, the Kelly brothers continue to develop the 'Kelly Kettle' Brand and bring you their loyal customers, new and exciting products & gear.
The 1890's
The first kettle dates back to the 1890's to a small farm on the shores of Lough Conn, County Mayo, Ireland, when a young Patrick Kelly (Great grand-father of the current Co. Directors), a small farmer and fisherman, developed his first kettle from Tin after a cold winter of tinkering and experimenting in a shed. The kettle worked extremely well but burned out from regular use on Lough Conn when Patrick was fishing for Trout & Salmon the following summer. After going through a number of Tin kettles, he developed the kettle in copper and this was found to be much more durable. News of his kettle spread among local anglers and it received wonderous looks from anglers visiting from the U.K.
The 1950s & 1960s
Patricks son, Jim (Grandfather of the current Directors of the company) became a famous angler & boatman/ghillie on Lough Conn. Renowned for his speed at boiling water in the kettle, Jim always had a kettle with him when fishing.
The Kelly Kettle was now becoming popular with fishermen in the west of Ireland where the speedy kettle produced boiling water for hot drinks on wet & windy days.
At this time, the business was still only a 'hobby' during the winter and there was only one size kettle (what would now be the 1.6 ltr 'Base Camp' Aluminum Kettle) available and these were only ever made to order.
The 1970s
Faster & cheaper transport brought ever increasing visitor numbers to Ireland throughout the 1970's & 1980's.
As a result, more and more visiting anglers, primarily from the U.K. & Germany, were exposed to the Kelly Kettle for the first time.
With increasing numbers of visiting anglers requesting the kettle to be added to their camping gear, it became apparent that something needed to be done with regard increasing the production of the kettle.
In the 1970s Padraic Kelly (father of the current directors) implemented modern manufacturing techniques but the business was still very much a 'Cottage' type business.
Over time a second size Aluminum kettle was produced (the small 'Trekker' model) and aluminum cook sets were added. It was still a very small family business, but with Padraics reputation as a ghillie and angler on Lough Conn and his regular appearance as a member of the Irish Trout Fly-Fishing team, word of the kettle as started to spread.
Later, with the advent of the Internet, news of the Kelly Kettle would spread intenationally around the globe to the U.S., Canada, S.Africa, Japan, Australia, etc.
The 1980s & 1990s
Prominent Anglers who were fans of the kettle were Jack Charlton (seated middle) and Bob Church (kneeling on the right).
Jack (RIP) was part of the England national team that won the 1966 World Cup (Soccer) and managed the Republic of Ireland national Soccer team from 1986 to 1996 where they enjoyed great success. A keen angler, Jack was a regular visitor to North Mayo, Ireland and fished on Lough Conn & the River Moy as often as his busy schedule would allow.
Bob (RIP) was angling royalty in the U.K. and invented an incredible number of flies, designed to catch reservoir rainbows in both competition and leisure angling as well as the big browns that usually roamed the depths. Bob was a true pioneer of trout angling and ran a highly successful Fishing Distribution business - when he wasn't fishing himself!
In this picture, Padraic Kelly is making the tea. Current directors Seamus & Patrick Kelly were young anglers and boatmen at the time and just out of shot of this picture!
The Present
Patrick and Seamus took over the reins of Kelly Kettle in 2005. As the next generation of a small family business, we were determined to innovate while staying true to the brand's heritage.
One of our first developments was the introduction of the Pot Support and the Medium "Scout" Kettle, both manufactured in aluminium. However, it quickly became clear through customer feedback and market trends that demand for aluminium cookware was declining rapidly, particularly in key international markets such as the UK, Germany, Japan, the USA, and Canada. Stainless steel products were becoming the preferred choice for outdoor enthusiasts worldwide.
This presented us with a major challenge. Kelly Kettle had no tradition of working with stainless steel, no manufacturing expertise in the material, and no tooling to produce it. Faced with the choice of watching the business gradually decline or making a substantial investment in our future, we chose the latter. We remortgaged our homes, invested heavily in the company, and began the difficult journey of developing a stainless steel kettle range.
After extensive research, countless prototypes, and plenty of trial and error, we successfully launched our first Stainless Steel Base Camp Kettle. The response was overwhelming. In many ways, that product revitalised the business and secured the future of the Kelly Kettle brand.
Building on that success, we expanded our stainless steel range to include Cook Sets and a stainless steel version of our Pot Support, reducing our reliance on aluminium accessories. Today, all three sizes of Kelly Kettle are available in both aluminium and stainless steel.
Innovation has continued ever since. In 2014, we launched our popular Hobo Stove, allowing users to cook directly over the kettle fire base. Additional products followed, including our Camping Cup Set, Camp Plates, Value Deal Bundles, the distinctive Kelly Kettle Whistle which alerts users when water has boiled, and a range of practical outdoor accessories such as Sporks.
In 2021, we broadened our outdoor offering with the launch of a carefully selected range of high-quality tents, tarps, sleeping bags, and rucksacks, all designed to meet the needs of campers, hikers, bushcraft enthusiasts, and outdoor adventurers. These products have proven extremely popular and continue to complement the Kelly Kettle experience.
Today, Kelly Kettle products are used and trusted by outdoor enthusiasts, campers, scouts, bushcrafters, emergency preparedness professionals, and adventurers around the world. While much has changed since our beginnings, our commitment remains the same: to create reliable, practical outdoor products built to last.
Some Things Never Change
So the tradition of using the kettle as a method of boiling water at lunchtime, goes back to the 1890's in the West Coast of Ireland and the design has changed little since it was first introduced. Lough Conn was, and still is, famous for its free rising brown trout and fresh run Salmon from the River Moy system. During the fishing season, local angling guides keep watch for the small pillar of smoke on the lake shore which indicated that a fellow ghillie already had a 'brew' on! A hot cup of tea or soup awaits anyone who lands and the Kettle is boiled repeatedly as additional boats laden with anglers arrive. Tradition dictates that both the angling guide and his guests (usually 2 anglers to his boat) together gather dry tinder for the kettle from the lake shore. It's a ritual really! Then, the guide will quickly boil up the kettle providing fresh tea / coffee for the anglers. In return for his hospitality, the boatman/guide received lunch and perhaps a drop of whiskey from the anglers! ;-)
To this day, the Kelly family still provide a Boat Hire & Ghillie service on Lough Conn, Co. Mayo. Visiting anglers are as intrigued today as they were some 130yrs ago with the speed at which the water can be boiled. Through word of mouth, these anglers have spread word about the kettles worldwide.
Today, our Kettles are used around the world by all types of outdoor enthusiasts such as Anglers, Explorers, Kayakers, Hill Walkers, Car Campers, Scouts, Hunters, Gardeners, Festival Goers, Fun family picnics, and is considered a vital item in Emergency Preparedness & Survival Kits.
Now considered an essential piece of camping equipment, the Kelly Kettle is a centerpiece in most campsites and is a guaranteed conversation starter! If you have seen one in action, you will understand why.
Proud of our history, we are always on the look out for interesting stories from the past and present regarding our Kettles and look forward to receiving them from you, our valued customers.