Remembering ‘Vinny’

Biddeford Mayor Marty Grohman and members of the city council set aside some time at the beginning of Tuesday’s council meeting to remember and honor one of the city’s most iconic Irish residents.

Patrick “Vincent” Keely, a former city councilor and the owner of the Wonderbar, died on April 8 this year. He was 90.

According to his obituary, Keely was born on August 20, 1934, in Galway, Ireland, to John and Delia (Walsh) Keely. He moved to Boston, Massachusetts in 1960 and later to Biddeford in the early 1970s, according to his son, Brian.

Grohman described Keely as a bridge builder and community leader who had a special talent for bringing people together to resolve their differences. “He also could pour a perfect pint of Guiness,” Grohman fondly recalled, describing the downtown Wonderbar as a popular gathering spot for people of all backgrounds.

Brian Keely told the council that his father “fell in love with Biddeford,” recalling how his father moved his family to Biddeford more than 50 years ago.

“It was a big change from Boston,” the younger Keely recalled. “There was no mass transit and we all kind of wondered why we were here, but we quickly fell in love with this community, too. My father made us see what Biddeford could become.”

My father made us see what Biddeford
could become.”

— Brian Keely

Brian Keely told the council that his father knew everyone who came into the Wonderbar by name, and everyone — regardless of their political differences — was treated the same by the smiling man behind the bar.

“We could all learn a lot from my father,” Brian told the council. “About being kind to one another, about treating everyone with respect.”

Brian told the council that his father always envisioned Biddeford as a “gem in the rough.” He would be proud of what the city has become today, the younger Keely said.

Keely was also known for doggedly ensuring the annual raising of the Irish flag at City Hall to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day each year.

Grohman asked the council and members of the public to stand for a moment of silence to honor Keely’s legacy of community service in Biddeford.

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