Mary Kelly has been a columnist with the Irish News since 2019. She’s a former producer of BBC NI’s award-winning political television programme Hearts and Minds, which ran for 16 years. She also produced radio current affairs output on Radio Ulster, including Good Morning Ulster and Evening Extra as well as election programming. Mary was a staff reporter for the Belfast Telegraph and was its local government correspondent until 1994. She also worked for some years as a freelance for The Irish News and Irish Times as well as contributing features to educational and architectural publications. A graduate of Queen’s University, she has a joint hons degree in English and Spanish.