The use of a Coat of Arms came about as a way to identify knights in battle.  We do this today, we dress our solders the same and they often have flag patches, service patches, patches of rank ensigns on their uniforms.  Irish Knights or Champions as they were known in Ireland would display their coat of arms on their armor or on a banner or flag so it would be possible to tell friend from foe in the heat of battle. It was invented to avoid "friendly fire" and to display rank and nobility and to be used as seals for important documents..

The O'Kelley Coat of Arms is describe by Alethea Jane Macon; "blue Shield upon which is depicted in silver a tower, triple-turreted, supported on each side by a silver lion, rampart.  From the neck of each of the lions hangs a golden chain descending between his legs.  The mantle is blue and silver".   Above the shield appears a double Coronet, the lower the helmet of a Champion*, the upper a crown of nobility; the King of Ui Maine.  On top appears a mythical beast called an Enfield describe as vert or green and said to have come from the Irish sea near Dublin to stand over and protect the body of Teige O'Kelly who fell in the Battle of Clontart good Friday 1014. 

O’Kelley of Ui Maine, Ireland Clann or Sept.   Arms:  Azure a tower triple-towered supported by two lions rampart argent as many chains descending from the battlements between the lions’ legs.  Crest: On a ducal coronet or an Enfield vert**:  Motto: Turris fortis mihi Deus meaning God is my tower of Strength.  

Enfield:  A most extraordinary creature, it is composed as follows; the head of a fox, the chest of an elephant, the mane of a horse, the forelegs of an eagle, the body and hind legs of a hound, and the tail of a lion.  The beast issued (rose) from the sea at the Viking Battle of Clontarf in 1014 AD to protect the fallen body of Tadgh Mór Ó Ceallaigh (O’Kelley) and thus protects members of the Sept to this day. 

There are at least two distinctive Coat of Arms.  In one family line the Enfield has his left front leg raised standing upon a single Coronet and in the O'Kellys of Aughrane Bernard Burkes describes theirs as the same but the crest appears with Enfield's all four legs firmly planted or "statant".  Alethea Jane Macon used the arms to the right for her book about my ancestors, a single Coronet and  where the Enfield had his leg raised. 

English Coat of Arms were issued to individual family members and only they can bear the Arms, the Irish Coat of Arms belong to the Sept and any blood descendent of that O’Kelley Sept was authorized to display the Arms as his own but during the 19th century when the Irish were becoming more acceptable of English ways and customs several different lines of O'Kellys made application and were registered by the Ulster King of Arms.  These O'Kellys appear in Benard Burkes 1884 book titled "The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales".  Today they would make application to the Office of the Chief of Herold.  The O'Kelly Coat of Arms first appeared in the Ulster Kings of Arms 1755 when registered by Denis O'Kelly. 

Denis Henry Kelly	Richard Kelly	Fitz Roy Kelly	Authur Keily
Before Public Libraries, the lords of the manors maintained their own personal libraries and as they would loan books they needed a method that would allow the ownership of the books to be identified and this was accomplished by the use of bookplates which were small labels often 9X6 CM that were pasted either in the front or back of the book.  The above are bookplates that I have obtained.  The first two are bookplates from our Irish ancestors.  Castle Kelly was originally known as the Castle of Aughrane.  The second two is unknown if they are related but because they are very similar to our own Coat of Arms I collected them.  All four bookplates are dated to the 19th Century.