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

Month: May 2013 Page 4 of 5

Lartigue Museum photos, Mums and babies and a potential Rose

By

On May 10, 2013

In Uncategorized

Official opening of The Lartigue Museum

McKennas with the French ambassador and Minister Deenihan

Noelle Hegarty, Bert Griffin and Paula

Norella Moriarty and Bridget Curtin

Oliver O’Neill and Mr. Brodbin.

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From The Irish Independent May 6 2013

Members of the Listowel Family Resource Centre Mums and Babies Group at their Wednesday meeting. Front from left: Aisling and Aoibhinn Stack, Stacey and Tommy Murphy, Michelle and Sive Nolan, Marguerite and Seán Wixted-Nolan and Treasa and Ria…

The names of the back row are not printed. Sorry girls!

LISA SALMON– 06
MAY 2013

New research suggests having a baby can
widen your social circle. So why are ‘baby mates’ so important – and do such
friendships last?

If you’re finding it hard looking after a
new baby, seek comfort from your new ‘baby mates’ – chances are you’ll have a
lot of them.

Research has found that new mums make an
average of nine new friends in the year after giving birth, with those new
chums usually living nearby and having a new baby themselves.

The study, by organic cotton children’s
products company Natures Purest, showed strong bonds are created almost
instantly amid exchanges of views and tips on subjects such as childcare plans,
illness and how to get baby sleeping through the night.

Indeed, half of the 2,000 women questioned
said its easier to bond with other women after having a baby.

Nearly half of the new mums made friends
with other women at mother and toddler groups, 31% in antenatal classes, and a
fifth through other friends.

And almost a third of mums in the survey
said they were worried about boring old friends with constant baby talk, which
was one of the reasons they formed new friendships with women going through the
same experience.

As well as antenatal classes, many
mothers-to-be or new mums meet at social gatherings such as Bumps and Babies
groups.

Belinda Phipps, chief executive of the NCT
parenting charity, says: “What often happens is that when women get
pregnant and their old friends aren’t going through the same life change, they
may find they move apart.

“Women who haven’t been through a
pregnancy can find it very hard to understand what it’s like – they might not
be able to share your world, so it’s easier to talk to people who’ve got that
shared experience with you.”

The survey found that sharing birth
experiences was by far the most popular topic of conversation for new mums –
73% would happily regale new friends with stories about their labour.

<<<<<

Some unexpected visitors to Saturday’s opening were this year’s Kerry contestants in the Kerry Rose of Tralee competition.

We ran into one of the girls again as we made our way to the Square. Our friend, Lorraine Kennedy will be representing Perfect Pairs.

Two of the chief engineers of Saturday’s entertainment were Damien Stack and Christy Walshe.

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Dublin port on Wednesday night

More from the May weekend and some old Ballybunion photos

By

On May 9, 2013

In Uncategorized

Some more from the official opening of the Lartigue Museum

Two well known local historians were in attendance.

The minister acted as MC

Christy and Norita Killeen

These volunteers had a busy day helping with the catering.

>>>>>>

Ballybunion Sea angling has been looking through The Kennelly Archive and he found these interesting pictures from the 1950s

Golf Club Dress Dance

Catching salmon in The Cashen

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Men in uniform, photographed on Saturday May 4 2013

After the ceremony on Saturday, John Kelliher was just lining up his friends in the Fire Service for a photo so I asked him to join them. This photo is especially for John. John is in the middle at the back and for you who so not know him, he is the photographer who provides us with such stunning photos of our native town.

My homeward journey took me in the same direction as the fireman. Here they are, homeward bound.

These Gardai were really on duty, not part of the ceremony.

<<<<<

Interesting photo

[Hours before death: This newly-uncovered image is the last
one taken of IRA leader Michael Collins (in the back of the car, left) before
he was shot dead]

A photo of Michael Collins, taken just hours before his
assassination rocked the country, has turned up after more than 90 years.

Killed in an ambush later that evening, Collins is seen in
the back of a touring car outside a hotel in Bandon, Co. Cork.

The remarkable photograph taken on August 22, 1922 by
18-year-old Agnes Hurley, has only come to light after being discovered in the
attic of a Dublin house.

Until now, the last photograph of ‘The Big Fellow’, as IRA
leader Collins was known, had been assumed to be one taken in Bandon the day
before, on August 21.

Hurley also captured the scene of the shoot-out near Béal na
Bláth the next day, showing a scrap of cloth on the ground believed to be
Collins’s shirt collar.

<<<<<<

Every so often Discover Kerry posts a little “Where in Kerry?” quiz.

 I think I might know the answer to this one of today’s photos.

<<<<<

In case you missed this on Kerry Radio, here is some good news

Free morning parking in Tralee for the summer falls short of what town centre traders wanted, but is all the council can do. That’s according to the Mayor of Tralee Johnnie Wall. He was speaking after last night’s Tralee Town Council meeting, where it was agreed that there will be free parking in council’s car parks between 9 and 11am every day for May, June, and July. Cllr Johnnie Wall says while a lot of new businesses are opening, many are closing; he hopes there’ll be an improvement in the town’s economy. Cllr Wall adds that while the council would like to do more for the retailers, free morning parking for the summer is all it can afford now. 

Lartigue Museum official opening and Military Tattoo 2013

By

On May 8, 2013

In Uncategorized

Some more photos of local people at the official opening of The Lartigue Museum on Saturday May 4 2013

Brendan Kenny whose family were railway people in Listowel for generations and Eileen O’Sullivan, retired librarian. Both Eileen and Brendan volunteer in the Lartigue Visitor Centre.

Cousins, Canon Declan O’Connor and Kay Caball with Mick Roche, a key figure in the restoration work.

Among the well known faces in the crowd are Christy Holyoake whose family were Lartigue people and Darren Enright who made the plaque which was unveiled.

Helen and Eddie Moylan.

The Griffin Family were out in force

Jack McKenna, whose generous donation was, according to Jimmy Deenihan, the main reason that the museum went ahead.  Jimmy himself donated all the proceeds from his book to the project.

Jack McKenna, as a child, was permitted to “drive” the old Lartigue. He is thought to be the only living person to have done so.

I shot a little snippet of video showing the large crowd who attended he opening;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lk8nj73s7GA&feature=youtu.be

>>>>>>>

Below is a link to Jer’s video from the Military Tattoo. He videod lots of the war materials, and other of the re enactors props.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qq8WqDG3VJs&feature=youtu.be

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Some photos from Saturday’s wreath laying in The Square. It was a very moving impressive ceremony…a first for Listowel. I dont know who everyone was but there were representatives of The British  Legion, some US veterans, FCA, Fire Service personell and local volunteer first responders.

Local army reservists

Seán McKenna an army reservist at The Curragh meets Michael Guerin.

Tom Fitzgerald was taking photographs. Jimmy and the ambassador were every nice and co operative. No Billy Connolly tactics here!

Official opening of the Lartigue Museum

By

On May 7, 2013

In Uncategorized

Ballybunion Sea Angling’s gorgeous photo of Ballybunion Castle at night taken last week.

<<<<<<

I am suffering from photo overload but in the interests of variety I’ll drip feed them to you for the next while. I’ll start with the official opening of The Lartigue Monorail Museum by the French Ambassador on Saturday, May 4 2013. I snapped a goodly few of the attendees.

This is a section of the large crowd who attended

The ambassador is a lovely lady. At one stage when a little boy appeared tired of standing, she just took him on to her lap.

Here she is with Jimmy Deenihan signing the visitors book

Unveiling the plaque

Last year’s Kerry Rose, Anne Marie Hayes was there.

Cathal Fitzgerald and Anne were there.

Anne Keane was there accompanied by her sister Laura and Anne’s boyfriend.

<<<<<<<

This is one of the treasures that Máire MacMahon has shared with us.

Máire writes:

“As a former teacher, I thought you might be interested in the copy of the teaching dipolma obtained on the 30th April 1903 (almost 110 years to the day), from the Marlborough Street teaching College (which I now think is the headquarters of the Department of Education)  by my great grandmother Johanna Coughlin  McMahon. She qualifed as a teacher and then went to teach in Tormorden in the UK, and I have her original photograph album from that time period. She married my great grandfather Patrick McMahon in 1906 and taught in Clounmacon National School for the rest of her teaching career. “


Johanna Coughlin was Bryan MacMahon’s mother.

>>>>>>>

 Máire also found this old postcard. It shows children in the River Feale. The river is almost completely dried up.

I am making slow progress in identifying people in the other 3 photos that Máire found. Rosarie Buckley is on the case and I am reliably informed that she has nearly got them all. 

All will be revealed!

Military Tattoo, Lartigue Museum, Lyre school and some more Garden Fete

By

On May 6, 2013

In Uncategorized

What a great weekend in Listowel!

Listowel Militart Tattoo
2013 organising Committee,

Back, Padraig Nolan, Jim
Halpin, Ger Greaney, Denis Carroll,

Front, Patrice O Callaghan
and Damian Stack

Listowel Military Tattoo
Official opening of the Lartigue Museum

Photos by John Kelliher

When I recover, I will post many of the hundreds of photos I took.

Today’s photos were  taken by other, better photographers.

Denis Carroll took this one of Damien Stack, one of the organisers of the Military Tattoo with the French Ambassador and Jimmy Deenihan.

Listowel’s War Memorial which was unveiled on Saturday May 5 2013

Some of the large attendance at the Lyreacrompane School Reunion.

Meanwhile Limerick held a Riverfest 

And Rory McIlroy tweeted a photo from his birthday party.

********************************************************************

Lovely cheery display by Listowel Garden Centre. Methinks, summer may be here at last.

<<<<<<

Some more from the Garden Fete

Anne was taking a break from knitting to serve some tea and cakes.

These lovely ladies were serving these lovely goodies

I met Máire and Judy MacMahon and we had a chat about old times. Máire was as good as her word and she has sent me some fascinating old photos for the blog. You will see them in due course. Presently I’m showing them to  few people in the hope of gleaning a few names before I put them up.

<<<<

These two boys were enjoying an al fresco meal of homemade burger and chips.

This warmly clad lady in seventies headscarf was looking after the book stall.

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