His league and championship career at senior level with the Cork county team spanned nine seasons from 2008 to 2016.
Born in Cork, Kelly first played competitive Gaelic football during his schooling at Coláiste Choilm.
[1] Kelly first appeared for the Ballincollig club at underage levels, winning divisional minor and under-21 championship medals.
Kelly made his debut on the inter-county scene at the age of seventeen when he was selected for the Cork minor team.
[2][3][4] After being chosen on the Munster inter-provincial team for the first time in 2005, Kelly made a number of appearances over the following years.