Listowel Connection

This blog is a personal take on Listowel, Co. Kerry. I am writing for anyone anywhere with a Listowel connection but especially for sons and daughters of Listowel who find themselves far from home. Contact me at listowelconnection@gmail.com

Milk Market Lane

Chris Grayson’s photo of a robin in The National Park, Killarney

Milk Market Lane, Tralee

This unusual lane has a mixture of real shops and facades painted to look like old shops.

Deserters

Kerry Evening Post, Wednesday, 11 July, 1855

THE KERRY REGIMENT

Some of the deserters from the Kerry Regiment have been at length arrested, and will be tried by district court martial this week.; The hiding places of several others have become known to the regimental authorities. This will, we hope, check the practice of desertion, which had grown in two or three weeks to a fearful extent in our county corps.  A recruiting party under the command of a non-commissioned officer, has just been sent to Listowel, there to be stationed till further orders.

Comings and Goings

New Thai eatery for Church Street

Tattoo has ceased trading

Some People at the Launch of Moments of Reflection

Helena and Teresa Molyneaux

Mary McGrath and Cathríona O’Neill

Judy MacMahon

Marie Moriarty

Martin Chute

In the Town Park

I was in Childers’ Park on Sunday taking a few pictures when this lovely lady insisted that I allow her to take my picture. She said that I am always behind the camera. She thought it was time I was in front. Here is her photo;

A Fact

An average person produces about 25,00 quarts of saliva in a lifetime, enough to fill two swimming pools.

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Stags, Horses and Style

Waiting in the long grass…Chris Grayson’s image of stags in The National Park before the commencement of the rut.

Tackling a Horse

This photo of a workhorse in Jim Dunn’s great Athea mural led me to boast that I once could name every piece of tack on that horse. Mattie Lennon helped me out.

There is a winkers on the horses head and a bit in his mouth. The reins is attached to the bit.

Around the horse’s neck is the collar and hames. The reins goes through this.

On his back is the straddle and britchen.

If the horse was attached to a cart, a bellyband under the horse and attached to the shafts prevented the cart from tipping up.

The brass attached to the winkers was an optional piece of horse jewellery.

Gortaglanna Memorial

Gortaglanna
Gortaglanna Celtic Cross

I thought that the white commemorative steps on the roadside were the memorial to those who fell at Gortaglanna, but I was wrong. Kathleen Griffin sent us these pictures which she took on a rainy day in 2016 of the bigger monument. This memorial is in the field where the men died.

There’s Always Hope

Some of the local Style on Ladies Day at Listowel Races 2024

A gravity defying creating from milliner, Cathy Troth

One for the Diary

Signwriter at Work

Martin Chute was on his scaffold painting Listowel Garden Centre sign as I was going to Thyme Out for a cuppa and a chat.

Martin is used to immersing himself in his work and ignoring distractions.

But when he spots me, he is always willing to chat.

On this occasion he descended the ladder to pose with Barry McAuliffe and his son who are home on a visit from the U.S. Barry is one of my oldest internet friends, from the days when we were all on Boards.ie. He reminded me that he won Vincent’s nearly impossible quiz and he has the placemats to prove it.

A Fact

Albert Einstein’s brain had a parietal lobe that was 15% larger than the average human brain

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Trains and Style and Bogs

The Lartigue replica train on Sunday September 2024

A Tea Caddy

The younger generation never heard of a tea caddy. Ones just like this were in many houses in Ireland fadó, fadó. This was in the day before tea bags and all tea was ‘loose”.

Stylish Local Ladies at Ladies’ Day 2024

Helen and Breda

Eilish living up to her nickname, “Stylish Eilish”

Kathleen O’Flaherty

A Pipe Dream of Days in the Amusements Perhaps

The Book Tour Hit Duagh

The lovely Mary in Watsons agreed to stock Moments of Reflection.

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Turf Wars in the Papers

Daily Post

July 10 1909  •  Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

SHOOTING OUTRAGE. An outrage is reported to have taken place at Tullamore, near Listowel, county Kerry, recently. Up to a short time ago a number of tenants were allowed to cut turf in a bog on Lord Ormathwaite’s property. Recently the entire bog was transferred to a farmer in the district, who sent 20 men to cut the turf. Shortly afterwards six armed and disguised men appeared and opened fire on the turf cutters, who fled in terror. Some of them, in endeavouring to save themselves, fell into the bog hole and were rescued by their companions with difficulty. The firing party are stated to have ” skirmished around the place ” until they had satisfied themselves that there was little likelihood of the turf cutters returning.

Lartigue Open Day

Despite the inclement weather on the day, the volunteers at The Lartigue Monorail and Museum had a great open day event on Sunday September 29 2024. I have a few photos but they will have to wait ’til next week.

I have an abundance of content after my week off.

Three Lartigue men, Martin, Leo and Seamus

A Fact

Giraffes are 30 times more likely to be hit by lightning than humans

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Some Local Lore

Kanturk, my hometown. was looking good when I visited last week.

A Few More from the Launch of Moments of Reflection

Billy and Owen having a chat

The McKenna family from Newbridge made the trip to be part of the event.

My old knitting club friends, Mary and Maria

Liz and Jim Dunn with their page from the book

Remember this?

I found this on the internet and there was no location given. Queues like this were once a familiar sight at every creamery in the country.

At the bookclub in Kanturk Library

I called in to tell my Kanturk friends that I will be launching my book in The Temperance Hall in Kanturk on October 24 at 7.30

A Treasure from Jer Kennelly’s Knockanure blog

HISTORY OF THE HILLS AND VALLEYS THAT SURROUND KNOCKANURE CHURCH YARD

                          By John Murphy.

The churchyard on Knockanure hill encircled by a large field affords a commanding view of the surrounding countryside. Rich in natural beauty history and local lore.

Here is a roofless church where people prayed over 400 years ago. Down by the side of the hill is friars field in Barretts land where some Dominican monks found shelter after the Cromwellian wars and lived there up to around 1804. Just a few fields away is the memorial to the three men who died at Gortaglanna. Pat Dalton, Paddy Wash and Lyons from Duagh the white cross marking where Mick Galvin was killed in the Kilmorna ambush of 1921 can be seen a short distance away.

The broad wooded valley of the Feale. ..The wood is the only thing that is left of the beautiful oO’Mahony Estate. The great house went up in smoke. Its resident at the time, Sir Arthur Vicars, was shot dead. The river Feale flows in a graceful curve before it seems to lose itself forever in the woods of Ballinruddery, the home of the knight of Kerry. The castle still stands proudly in all its ruined glory. One old manuscript relates that the river got its name from Princess Fial. Out of modesty she went into deep water to avoid a gaze of a man and was drowned. Her husband, a prince, decided to name the river in her memory.

On the hill of Duagh can be seen a grove surrounded by a ditch. This is a Killeen, a burial place of unbaptised infants. Gorge Fitzmaurice, the playwright, lived near Duagh village. His plays portray the life style of the north Kerry rural scene a hundred years ago.

In the hill beyond Duagh the river Smerla has its source. It flows down to meet the river Feale near Listowel. In 8 miles of its fertile valley, some 40 young men answered the call to the priesthood mostly in the 1920s to the 1950s period. In their youth they fished the Smerla. They became fishers of souls all over the world.

On their farm in Ballyduhig on Smearla hill lived a leader of the Wexford insurgents of 1798. His wife was Jane Foulks. She eloped with McKenna. One of their daughters married William Leahy of Benanaspug. Jane Foulks is believed to be buried in Kilsinan cemetery.

Looking east, a ring of hills enclose the valley of the Infant River Gale the village of Athea is hidden from view by Knockbawn . The Limerick border is just two miles from Knockanure Churchyard. Names such as Mullanes, Histons, Sheahons and many others from Athea townlands are engraved on headstones within the cemetery.

Pages of History could be filled of the exploits of Con Colbert who died in 1916, Paddy Dalton who was killed at Gortaglanna, the Ahern brothers of Direen who beat all comers at the Olympic games nearly one hundred years ago.  Professor Danaher an authority on antiquity, Fr Tim Leahy whose book beyond tomorrow gives a colourful account of his youth in Athea and his many adventures as a priest in China.  According to historical records the hills of Glenagraga, Knocknaclogga, Knockfinisk, Rooska must have been devastated during the Desmond rebellion of 1580. One account states that in a wood near Clounlehard three hundred men women and children were killed.  Looking towards the north we have a good view of all that was left of the O Connor heritage at the time of Cromwell from being the chief of all north Kerry the were reduced to the lands of Ballylongford Tarbert, Moyvane and Knockanure.  The remaining O Connor land was confiscated and given to Trinity College.  John O Connor was hanged in Tralee.  Teig O Connor was hanged in Killarney along with Fr Moriarty.

The Sandes were appointed land agents for Trinity College.  Outlined near the bright waters of the Shannon the battered castle of the O Connors can be seen.  When it surrendered in 1580 its garrison of about sixty were hanged. 

In the Abbey of Lislaughtin nearby three aged monks were murdered.  A tragedy of a different nature accrued here in 1830 when the Colleen Bawn was taken in a boat trip to her death on the waters of the Shannon.  On a clear day the ruins can be seen on Scattery Island.  The tallest skyscrapers in Ireland pierce the sky on the Clare coast, the chimneys of Moneypoint also the lesser ones of Tarbert. 

Ballylongford can claim one of the men of 1916 the O Rahilly.  In a low-lying part of Moyvane where floods once almost submerged his home lived Eddy Carmody he was shot by the tans in Ballylongford in 1921. His nephew is a bishop in the U.S.A. Another Moyvane bishop Collins in Brazil.  One of those green fields brings back memories of the many great football matches played there. Moyvane was the homeland of all Ireland players Con Brosnan son Jim, John Flavin, Tom Mahony and the O Sullivan’s.                                                                                            

There where the Anomaly flows to meet the Gale half mile from Moyvane village was born the father of Tom Moore, Ireland best known poet of the last century.  Having attended local hedge schools, he settled down in Dublin.  One of Tom Moore’s poems, by the Feales waves was said to be composed at Kilmorna on a visit to Pierce O Mahony. It relates the tale of romantic love, when the young Earl of Desmond having lost his way, entered the home of a man called McCormack he fell in love with his daughter. When they married, they were forced to immigrate to France.

“Love came and brought sorrow with ruin in its train,

But so deep that tomorrow I’d face it again.”

All the Moore’s are said to be related. The white Boys were active in the district during the early 1800 a suspected Whiteboy was arrested at Keylod he was hanged at Knockanure village. The upturned shafts of a car was the Scaffold. Blake lived where Lyons Funeral Home now stands. In fact, he gave his name to the cross. He was singled out to be shot.  He was usually seen through the window at nightfall reading in the parlour. It was decided to shoot him while he read. Lucky for him an informer told him of the plot. He dressed a dummy, placed it in the parlour, hid himself in a bush outside the window and waited for the Whiteboy. It is claimed that Blake shot the man who attempted to shoot the dummy in the parlour. Blake is buried here in Knockanure, no trace of the tomb now remains.

A relative of his, the most famous Kerryman of all time Field Marshall Lord Horatio Kitchener was born at Gunsboro, grew up at Crotta near Lixnaw. He was a remarkable man. One of the great generals of his time. He died at sea after his ship was torpedoed in 1916.

On crossing the fort Lisafarran the veiw westwards opens up. This fort was planted with oak in days gone by. Other forts in the area Lisnabro, Lisapuca, Lisheendonal and Lisroe. Many more forts have disappeared  over the years the large fertile land that surround the church yard was the Glebe or church lands.

Just a mile a way  spreading far and wide is the bog of Moinveanlaig.The story goes like this a troup of solders were lured into the bog by a piper hidden in a deep hole. The soldiers were attacked and most of them were killed the crying of the wounded and the dying who were left to die for days gave the name to the bog, The bog of the crying, in Irish moinveanlaig..It was thought that was to this bog that Con Dee ran for his life. He had already jumped several ditches, ran across half a dozen fields. picked up a bullet wound in the leg, ran in the front door of a house in the bog lane and ran out the back, asked for a cup of water but did not wait.When he reached Coilbee he was rescued by Donal Bil Sullivan.

A month later Jack Sheahan of Coilbee ran into the bog when he saw a lorry of solders, several shots were fired at him but missed. Finally at five hundred yards he was shot. Today a cross marked the spot Knockanore hill shut off the view of the mouth of the river Shannon. Close by in Asdee lived the ancestors of the famous American outlaw, Jesse James. Jesse finally met a violent death shot by one of his own.

THE POET SAYS:

Breathe there a man with soul so dead.

Who never to himself hath said

This is my own my native land

The pleasure of standing on a hill such as this

The pleasure of projecting associations that surround us

The events tho sad they’re of the past.

John Murphy

http://www.geocities.ws/dalyskennelly_2000/churchyard.ht

A Fact

The Lartigue monorail between Listowel and Ballybunion ceased its run 100 years ago.

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Athea, Listowel and Abbeyfeale

Athea Footbridge

Culture Night, Friday September 20 2024

Clíona and Aoife McKenna in The Square

Aoife in St. John’s for her first ever experience of a live performance

Mr. Bubbles was brilliant and held his young audience enthralled.

We met Sinead Bunyan and family in The Square

David Browne and Jimmy Hickey

From the Schools Folklore Collection

School: Cnoc an Iubhair (C.)

Location:  Kealid, Co. Kerry Teacher: Máire Ní Cheallacháin

A True Story

There lived in Carrueragh at one time a man by the name of Costello with his two children.

He lived in a farm out of which another family had been evicted by the Landlord Blacker Douglas.

The White Boys had determined to murder everybody that had anything to do with the Landlord and so they came to the house of the poor man who was a widower. They took him a little distance from the house and killed him.

The two children cried until they were hoarse and the hoarseness never left them.

As the man was dying his blood spattered on a stone beside him, and the stone is still there bearing the name of “The blood stained stone”.

A Few Friday Racegoers

These three ladies should have been in the final shake up for Best dressed. Imelda Murphy, Faith Almond and Maria Stack all know a thing or two about styling, tailoring and millinery.

Niamh Kenny was accompanied by her lovely daughter. Niamh wore a hat in the shape of a quill as a nod to Listowel’s literary heritage.

This hat was chosen by the judges as the most creative headgear. It was created by Cathríona King of Galway.

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Legendary Football Teams

Launch of Moments of Reflection

Me with Mary Fagan who was the special guest on the night

Me with my good friend, Margo Anglim

Miriam, who loves Listowel and comes back as often as she can. Dulce, who loves Listowel and has come to Listowel to live.

Robert and Eileen Bunyan

Promoting my Book

I was in Abbeyfeale on a wet afternoon last week.

An Siopa Milseán is like taking a step back in time….lovely shop, lovely stuff, lovely people

If you live in Abbeyfeale and you’d like to buy a copy of Moments of Reflection, this is the shop for you.

A Fact

Coffee consumed in large doses can be lethal. 10 grams or 100 cups in four hours can kill the average human being.

Health Warning; This fact was sourced in a book of trivia. Under no circumstances should anyone put this “fact” to the test.

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