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

Somethings Restore my Faith in the World

The Square in May 2025

Poppies

Another Business Gone

Quilter’s Veterinary shop closed earlier in the year.

Nature is Amazing

Photo and text from Mike Louison on David Attenborough  fans Facebook page

In the glowing heat of the Kalahari desert in South Africa, you can discover something very amazing on electricity pylons: huge nests, which at first glance look like collapsed straws. But behind it is pure intelligence – built by a small, native bird: the sociable weaving blink (sociable Weaver).

These birds build the biggest bird nests in the world with united forces. A single nest can accommodate more than 100 breeding pairs – like a multi-storey apartment house made of branches and grass.

Even more impressive: some of these nest buildings are inhabited over generations, some for over 100 years. They not only offer protection against predators and weather, but also symbolize cooperation and adaptability in one of the roughest regions on earth.

A silent miracle of nature – high up, built with team spirit

A Lovely Thank You E Mail

Dear Ms. Cogan,

Good morning from Baltimore, Maryland, USA.

I wanted to thank you for Listowel Connection. It has been so helpful as I endeavor to learn more about north Kerry.

I have family connections to the Cahirsiveen area on my Dad’s side (Griffins and Sheas). On my Mom’s side, my connections are in the greater Listowel area. The first several children of my fourth great grandparents Patrick O’Rielly (Reily in most Irish records) and Mary Scanlan were baptised in the Asdee Catholic church in the 1830s and 1840s. The family–and likely Patrick’s brother William–fled to North America in 1849. Patrick, Mary and family went to Quebec and William likely went to New York, then New Orleans.

Patrick and Mary stayed in Quebec for some 15 years. After having several more children and living in near Smith Falls, Ontario, the couple moved several times in a short number of years–to Franklin, Pennsylvania, in the United States; Jamestown, New York; and Akron, Iowa. By 1873, they and several of their children settled in Union County, then part of Dakota Territory. They helped build the town of Beresford, South Dakota, and are buried in nearby Emmet, South Dakota, now a ghost town. The town of Emmet was named, of course, after the Irish orator and rebel leader.

I was lucky enough to know my great grandmother, who was born Nellie O’Rielly; Nellie was one of Patrick and Mary O’Rielly’s great grandchildren.

My husband and I were in the Listowel area in April. We stayed in Ballylongford, visited Asdee, Ballybunion and Listowel (including Teampall Ban). We have benefited from kind helpers at Ancstry.com, Irelandxo and many others as we search for the Irish roots of our South Dakota relatives and have been poring through John Pierce’s invaluable book on aspects of the famine in north Kerry, which we bought at the Kerry Writers’ Museum. 

I write simply to say thank you for what you do. It makes a difference!

With appreciation,

Leah Glasheen

A Fact

In 1975, Junko Tabei entered the record books as the first woman to conquer Everest.

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A Few Catholic Things and More

Across the Square May 2025

Clarification

This house which will be knocked down to make way for the new Lidl store was indeed occupied by a Dowd family. They were not gatekeepers.

There was another house at the nearer side of the railway track which was knocked down when the John B. Keane Road was developed.

Tom O’Connell lived in this house. He used to grow vegetables and flowers all along the banks by the railway track.

Vincent Carmody had another little bit of history about the field behind Dowd’s House for us. When fierce rivalry raged between teams in the Town League in the 1950s, the late John Molyneaux used to train the Boro team in the field behind Dowd’s house.

Vincent also told me that there were several gates along the railway line. A Scanlan family were gatekeepers at Ballygologue.

Martin Griffin shared these happy memories…Eugene Dowd lived in that house with his mother and he died aged 42 in 1963. He was a regular caller after a few pints with my father to our house in O’Connell Ave.

Eugene and my father Andrew Griffin enjoyed many a day fishing together.

Pope Leo’s family

A very young Pope Leo on the far left with his mother and brother and sister on their way to mass. (source: the internet)

Caps for a Cap Gun?

You have to be around my age to know what these are. They are rolls of caps that you could buy for a gun that had a hammer that made a loud noise and gave off smoke when you pulled the trigger. They were an essential piece of kit for every young lad playing Cowboys and Indians. Cowboys were armed with hand guns kept in holsters on a belt at the boys waist. Indians had bows and arrows kept in a quiver over the non dominant hand’s shoulder.

Lovely Old Tradition

A group gathered at the grotto in O’Connell’s Avenue for the weekly May recitation of The Rosary.

Bring Flowers of the Rarest

This song will be forever associated with Canon Sydney McEwan whose recording of this hymn is played widely during the month of May.

The song was written by an American composer, Mary E. Walsh and the lyrics were first published in the 1880s.

Bring flow’rs of the fairest,
Bring flow’rs of the rarest,
From garden and woodland
And hillside and vale;
Our full hearts are swelling,
Our Glad voices telling
The praise of the loveliest
Rose of the vale.

O Mary! we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May,
O Mary! we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May.

A Rose by any other Name….

It’s called Listowel but it is not the Listowel home of this man. Bernard O’Connell grew up in Listowel and loves to return to the town of his birth as often as he can.

He now lives in Canada. He sent us this picture of his visit to the Canadian town of the same name.

A Fact

A ship abandoned off the coast of Alaska in 1931 was spotted, still adrift in the Arctic in 1969.

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Bits of Listowel News

In The Square in May 2025

Facade Upgrade

The shopfront at Maguire’s Pharmacy, Main Street entrance is having a lovely makeover to bring it in line with the rest of the shopfront.

Dowd’s Road

The work of expansion and building is going on apace at the top of Dowd’s Road. When I came to town in 1975, the gate here led on to the railway track. I’m presuming a family called Dowd lived in this house sand that they were the gate keepers.

I looked up Listowel and its Vicinity but could find no reference to any Dowds. Mybe someone will fill me in.

Book Launch

Paul Byrne launched his For the Love of Kerry, a beautiful book of poems and photographs in Kerry Writers Museum on Saturday May 10 2025.

Poet and photographer Paul Byrne and Mary Cogan before the launch.

Paul poses for a photo with Anne Donegan who helped launch the book.

Music at the event was provided by Ian and Hannah O’Shea.

In St. Mary’s

The ambo on First Holy Communion Day 2025

An Easter resurrection display

Everywhere I go there seem to be reminders of the late Donal Walsh. This icon in tribute to Listowel born Michael Morrison who served as a chaplain in Bergen Belsen concentration camp was presented to St. Mary’s by Donal’s family.

A Fact

In 1920 women were admitted to degree programmes at Oxford for the first time.

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Dowd’s Road

St. Mary’s with communion day flags in May 2025

That was then….

This photo of the meadow beside Lidl is in my 2009 Listowel Through a Lens

This is the same field on May 13 2025, The field is now owned by Lidl and is being developed as part of their Listowel store revamp.

Patrick Godfrey on Facebook remembers when things were different.

Forever Childhood Memories in this field & photo!!! Spent my entire Childhood in this one field. The stories this field could tell growing up at the back of Ballygologue Park!!! Lots of fun times mischief tears devilment & craic!!!Hard to believe it’s all built up now with houses!!!It used take us to town down through Dowds Road/Old Road. And Now with the works happening on Dowds Roads / Old Road it’s gonna change forever one of the days!! love to go back just one more time.

 (photo taken in the late 80s)

Scoil Realta na Maidine Food and Craft Fair

Sunday May 11 2025 was the first day of the new Sunday attraction.

The venture got off to a slow start. Starting something new is always a challenge and on this particular sunny Sunday there were lots of competing attractions to draw the crowds.

Brew and Banter were there with refreshments.

The Keanes were out supporting their old school. Billy remembered all his old teachers as he tripped down memory lane in the schoolyard.

It’s a week later and I’m back in the schoolyard.

I have Clíona and Aoife for the weekend.

There are more stalls. There is music. Brew and Banter are doing a steady trade. News of the Market is spreading and people are adding it to their Sunday schedule.

I met lovely people.

Kerry was manning the stall for her craft group. They are raising money for a trip to Belfast for the knitting and craft show.

Clíona and Aoife met Anne Marie and Keith.

Invitation from Kerry Writers’ Museum

Join us in Kerry Writers’ Museum on Wednesday 28th May at 6pm for the official opening of Kerry Women in Literature—a bold new exhibition honouring the trailblazing women who shaped Ireland’s literary heritage through the lens of Kerry’s unique cultural landscape.

Kerry Writers’ Museum proudly launches Kerry Women in Literature, a new permanent exhibition supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport & Media.

From Peig Sayers to Eibhlín Dubh Ní Chonaill, discover the stories of thirteen remarkable women whose writing reshaped Irish cultural life.

Featuring newly commissioned artworks by five contemporary artists, this exhibition bridges past and present through visual storytelling.

The exhibition will be officially opened by Dr. Fiona Brennan, a leading expert on Kerry’s literary women and long-time supporter of the Museum.

Curated by Louise Lynch, with thanks to Executive Director Cara Trant, this is a landmark moment for Kerry’s cultural legacy.

Because it’s Silly Season

A Fact

President Donald Trump is a teetotaler. He has said that he decided to abstain from drinking alcohol after seeing its effects on his older brother Freddy, whose alcoholism led to his early death at the age of 43.

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Tricycles, Horses and Memories

Ballybunion in May 2025

George Fitzmaurice

Last week Warren Buckley brought us news of the George Fitzmaurice commemorative plaque which has been removed from his former home in 3 Harcourt Street Dublin. Jimmy Deenihan organised a hooley for Kerry people living in Dublin to mark the unveiling of the plaque. I wondered if anyone had a record of that evening and sure enough someone had.

Eamon ÓMurchú realised that it was an occasion that should be captured for posterity. He unearthed his photo of the attendance on that night and sent it to us.

I recognise only a few of these people but I’m sure someone will help us with names.

Photos bring back Memories

This exhibition of old photographs will be a great hit in Kanturk Library. Danny O’Sullivan took hundreds of photos of Kanturk events in the 1950s and 60s. He took his camera with him everywhere. He had his own dark room. His family with the help of Duhallow Heritage Society is now sharing his valuable legacy with us all.

This is just one of the charming pictures in Danny O’Sullivan’s archive. It’s carnival time in town and this is the start of the children’s tricycle race.

When I was in Kanturk last week I saw that one of the tricycles is parked outside Kelly’s in The Square.

It looks a bit the worst for wear but it is definitely one of the bicycles in the O’Sullivan photo.

The National Stud

If you are going to visit the stud be sure to take the guided tour. If, like me, you are lucky and the day is fine, you are in for a treat.

This is my tour group on a May Sunday in 2025

Ross was our very knowledgeable guide. Here he is telling us about the stallions standing at the National Stud.

This is one of the newer stallions so his children havent raced yet. A date with him is a bit cheaper than one of the proven boyos. Because we had children in our group, the language of mating and covering was couched in romantic terms. There was lots of “dating”, often 3 times per day every day.

There is no artificial insemination used and horses are not cloned. It’s a hugely regulated industry.

These flags represent all the countries from which students of equine science have come to Ireland to work and study at the stud.

There is a huge workforce in a wide number of disciplines employed at the stud and the students help with the work as well.

Handling the stallions is a very skilled job and each stallion has his own dedicated handlers.

We were allowed to get up close and personal with some of the retired horses. They love mints. Ross had a supply on hand.

New foals are being born here every day. We saw some who were only hours old. Did you know that mares nearly always foal in the nighttime?

The setting is beautiful. The animals are stunning. There is much to learn. The National Stud comes highly recommended for a summer visit.

Respect for a Fallen Comrade

National flag at half mast at Listowel Garda Station

Books of Condolence for the family of Garda Kevin Flatley R.I.P. have been openend at many Garda stations.

A Fact

Canada has more lakes than all of the rest of the world’s lakes combined.

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