[1] Born in Kilkenny, Kelly first played competitive hurling with his club O'Loughlin Gaels and holds Roinn A championship medals at u14, u16, minor and senior in recent years.
He arrived on the inter-county scene at the age of seventeen when he first linked up with the Kilkenny minor team before later joining the under-21 side.
He won a Leinster medal that year as a brace of Jonjo Farrell goals helped Kilkenny to a 2–20 to 1–19 defeat of Dublin.
[4] Kelly was added to the senior team in 2012, however, he played no part in Kilkenny's successful All-Ireland campaign.
[5][6] In 2014 Kelly won his first National Hurling League medal as Kilkenny secured a narrow one-point 2–25 to 1–27 extra-time victory over Tipperary.