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: August 2015 Page 3 of 5

Shortis of Ballybunion, Fleadh 1987, Holy Trinity Church, Adare and Hay and Tae in Bromore

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On August 17, 2015

In Uncategorized

Another great Then and Now from Time Travel Kerry

-Shortis bar Ballybunion-

Located in the middle of the village at the corner of Main St. and Cliff Road, it was a shop in the original picture and is a public house called the ‘Bunker bar’ today. It’s great to see that almost all of it’s original exterior plasterwork has survived in good condition.

William Shortis, owner of the shop at the time of the original photograph was also the manager of the Ballybunion station of the famed Lartigue monorail. He died in 1905. The Lartigue closed down in 1924.

The building was built around 1890 with a renovation in the 1930s which included building the pub and changing the facade slightly to accommodate this. The rear extention and dormer roof lights were added in later years. There is a cut-stone plaque on the building inscribed: “To the memory of Lr Patrick Shortis(Son of William)born here in 1895 killed in action in the Easter Rising, Dublin 1916 erected by The No. 7 Kerry Republican Soldiers Memorial Committee 1966′

The houses to the left of the modern picture were also added after the original picture was taken.

(Original photo – Lawrence early 1900s)

(Modern photo April ’15)

Historical ref – Listowel blogspot, Buildings of Ireland)

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Church of the Holy Trinity, Adare, Co. Limerick


This is a copy of a Trinity icon by Andrei Rubiev of Moscow. This ancient Russian icon represents the Trinity as three angels. “The church chose this icon as it most fully expresses the dogma of the Holy Trinity; the three angels are depicted in equal dignity, symbolizing the triunity and equality of all three Persons.”


This beautiful church in Adare has an old fashioned look to it. It still has statues, a pulpit and a railed off sanctuary. It has some beautiful stained glass windows but many very plain ones too. Call in and have a look for yourself if you are passing through Adare.


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August 28 1987



Photo of The Fleadh committee 1987 in two halves        (photo from Betty Stack)

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The more things change, the more they stay the same.  I found this on the internet. I have no idea of the year referred to but there is clue in that the recruiting agent is Lieut. Charles Friend, His Majesty’s agent for Emigration.

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Two postscripts


Adrian McCarron wrote to me about this one. Betty Stack identified most of the people in this photo but Adrian’s name eluded her. So, for the record, the little boy in the blue jumper, third from left in the front row is Adrian McCarron and Adrian reckons the year is 1978 and not 1976 as I stated. He remembers the fleadh in Buncrana in 1976 and this is definitely Listowel.

Adrian, like so many others was delighted to see this old photo and we owe a debt of gratitude to Betty Stack for sharing it. So let me take this opportunity to ask other readers of Listowel Connection to take the time to seek out and share more old photos, a small thing to brighten someone’s day.



Ethel Murphy took the time to email me to tell me that Pearse Street is in fact, William Street. Thereby hangs a tale which I must investigate further.



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Hay and Tae in Bromore



On Friday evening, Mike Flahive organized his now annual Hay and Tae festival. This could be called the Meitheal in the Meadow because that is what it is…a group gathered together along Bromore Cliffs to save a meadow of hay the old fashioned way.



Ah, the memories!


The hay in the meadow is cut into swarths, these are long rows of mown hay. Here Mike is gathering the hay into cocks with the wooden tumbling paddy.

There is a huge skill in tumbling this much hay without injuring yourself. I remember my father operating this implement but then he also had a horse to control. This way the tractor can stop dead still and there is no fear from that quarter.

This is an old fashion wynnd.

This is a new one! Spectators on chairs! In my young day there were no spectators in a meadow. Everyone had a job to do.

What a lovely setting for an evening of haymaking.

The man on top of the wynnd had a very hard job to do because he had to distribute the hay evenly to give the wynnd its cone shape.

Once the wynnd is made the man on top is helped down.

The loose bits of hay are raked down.  later these bits will be made into another wynnd.

Every farm has to have a young fellow on a tractor. Looks like this young lad wasn’t even born when this tractor first saw the light of day.


Ah,  tea in the meadow, the taste of yesterdays.

(photos; Ballybunion Prints, Beautiful setting ,hay and tae; Bromore Cliffs)

What a beautiful setting for such a simple yet great event. Well done all!

Music in Finuge n 1974 and Sonny Bill at the RDS

By

On August 14, 2015

In Uncategorized

August 13 2015


(Photo: Ballybunion Prints)

The good times returned to Ballybunion yesterday, dare I say, for one day only!

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My Trip to the Dublin Horse Show 2015



When I heard that my family’s horse, Sonny Bill was entered for the RDS in August 2015, I resolved to go to support him and to see for myself what all the hype is about.

Health Warning; If you have no interest in my day at the show look away now, cos the next bit is all about the RDS Dublin horseshow on Wednesday August 5 2015.

I got to the RDS bright and early and the place was deserted. The vendors and stall holders were just setting up shop. I was the first to enter every competition for a spa day, numerous holidays and god knows what else. There were free sweets, free samples of stuff etc, in short a child’s paradise. You could spend the whole day shopping and never see a horse.

I met Ireland’s leading equine artist; Tony O’Connor from Tarbert. His magnificent works are a tad out of my price range.

These horse sculptures were made out of driftwood.  Aren’t they lovely? Why didn’t Kildare Co. Council buy these instead of those dreadful new stainless steel horses on the roundabout by The Kildare Village Outlet Centre?

There was a craft exhibition too. These fellows were knitted!

I did buy something, a Dyson cordless vacuum cleaner from this lovely young lady. It was home before me, delivered free as a perk of buying it at the show.

In the stable area I found my brother sitting guard over Sonny Bill. The washing and plaiting is done.   Showing is a beauty pageant for horses and, like all beauty queens, Sonny Bill has to suffer for his art. He is ponced up with his tail wrapped and curls in his hair and soon he will have his designer dress tweaked and his nails painted.

This is the decorating part. Felicity, who will ride Sonny Bill in the competition, is making patterns on his back with  baby oil, a sponge and a brush.

Noreen, another of the horse beauticians, is painting his hoofs.

His number on, his rider gone for her beauty treatment, and Pat gives him a little bit of last minute advice, “Head up, ears foreword, smile and behave for the judges and absolutely no bucking.”

“As if…”, thinks Sonny Bill

We’re a long way from Kanturk now, in Ring 1 at the RDS Horse Show 2015. Sonny Bill began his showing career in a soggy boggy field in Tralee at the Kingdom County Fair 2015. It was the only day he didn’t win a rosette. Since then he has got used to victory so hopes are high for his first foray into the big time.

Felicity and Sonny are well used to one another by now and they look as at ease here in the big arena as  if they were riding down the Glen Road at home.

Now this is where the equine beauty contest diverges from the human one. Each judge in turn rides each of the horses. Sonny Bill knows that this is where he is being tested and he behaves impeccably.

Next comes the nerve wracking bit. The judges call in the horses in order of merit as they rated them after their ride. Sonny Bill is second. It would be foolhardy to count any chickens at this stage because at any time along the line the judges can change this order. The first could be last and the last first.

This is the equivalent of the swimwear section. Sonny Bill has to strip off down to the bare essentials and allow the judges to look him over and he has to do a little trot to show how he can move when nobody is on his back giving him orders.

Phew! the order of the first three remains the same.

Sonny Bill is second. He is given his blue rosette. Everyone is delighted.

You might think that we would be a little disappointed that he didn’t win. Not at all! there were 10 other disappointed 4 year old hunters in that ring whose owners would have given an arm and a leg for any colour rosette from The RDS.

Like all beautiful creatures he has to learn to put up with the groupies.

All the titivating has to be undone and he has to be given loads of praise and hay as a reward.

Sonny Bill and Felicity congratulate one another on a job well done.

My friend, Margo, who, like myself, is not fully at ease around horses gets close enough to give him a little pat. Elizabeth can’t keep the beam from her face and Sonny has a little sniff of the latest ribbon.

I went as well to the main arena where the show jumping was coming to an end for the day.

Leo Varadcar was presenting the prizes in this competition. In answer to your question I have no idea why.


My friend, Margo’s, grandnephew, Tommy Harty was jumping in this arena.

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And now for something completely different…..





Finuge, 1974


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Lee Strand U16 County League




(Photo: Ita Hannon)

Beale U16s who defeated Duagh to win the U16 Football County League 2015

Listowel Town Square, Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann and an up and coming hairdresser,

By

On August 13, 2015

In Uncategorized

Lovely Listowel in Summer 2015

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Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann in Listowel


At its height, the fleadhin Listowel was organized by a local committee of fifty people. Here is another of Betty Stack’s press photos from that time. I photographed the cutting in two halves. When she has a chance Betty can probably name them all for us.

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RSVP Magazine’s One to Watch




Below is the first paragraph of an article in this weeks RSVP magazine about listowel’s Tracey Grimes. You can read the full article  HERE

My Name is Tracey Grimes, I’m 24 and I’m from and Listowel, Co Kerry.  I began learning my trade working part time in a local salon at 14, where I spent 4 years prior to enrolling in FAS Hair Dressing Course in Limerick.  From there I continued to work in the salon for 2 more years where I continued to educate and upskill in other training.  At this stage of my career I wanted to challenge myself and i made the decision do the Great Lengths Hair Extensions Course. I left the salon and began working freelance and I was pleasantly surprised by the interest in hair extension in Kerry and my client list soon began to rapidly grow and span counties throughout country. After a little over a year as a Great Lengths Stylist i was given the opportunity to become an Educator for Great Lengths which involved me training staff from salons all over the country.  In 2014 I was given the opportunity to work with another brand of hair extensions Gold Fever which i am now a Global Educator for the brand. This involves training salons in Dublin and all over the world. During the years being educator for Great Lengths and Gold Fever  I continued to grow my business in all aspects of hairdressing and I currently employ a stylist on a part time basis. 


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More Titivating going on in St. Mary’s




Cleaning, I think.

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Only in Ireland….






This photo from Pundit Arena GAA. was posted with this caption

 “The only house in Balla, Co.Mayo with Sky Sports last Saturday… Brilliant! “



The arguments in favour of selling the broadcast rights to SKY are that this way the diaspora can see the games and the GAA has to get its funds from somewhere. But this is the reality at home. The GAA is turning away from having alcohol vending companies sponsoring teams and on the other hand it is driving people into pubs to watch the games.



I bet these people in Mayo had a great time anyway. Thank God the day was fine!

Listowel in the 1950s, Church Street, Hannah Keane and Ronan Wilmot in St. John’s

By

On August 12, 2015

In Uncategorized

Main Street, Listowel 2015

The Small Square; looking good in summer 2015

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The Advertiser

The Advertiser is running a great series on old Listowel and North Kerry. Denis Walsh is doing a great job and his free publication is flying out of the shops as soon as it hits the shelves on Fridays. Here are a few photos from an issue on Church St. You can read the full magazine by clicking the link above.


This is taken in front of Larry’s butcher’s. The house was then owned by Mr. Keane.


Like Flavins, this business is still trading on Church Street.

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Hannah Keane of Church Street








On August 2 2015, Conor Keane posted this photo and tribute to his grandmother.



Today, the Keane, Klaben, O’Connor, Schuster and Purtill families celebrate the memory of the late Hannah Keane, nee Purtill, who died on this day in 1989, aged 88. 

Hannah Keane was a remarkable Kerry woman who was threatened with summary execution by the Black and Tans for the daring role she played with her late brothers in Ireland’s successful battle for independence from 1919 to 1921. Like many of her generation she rarely spoke about those days, instead preferring to look to the future.

She raised an exceptional family with her school teacher husband Bill (William) who pre-deceased her in 1963; their offspring in turn raised some amazing children who I am proud to call friends first, but cousins also.

And now another generation of Keanes, Klabens, O’Connors and Schusters are on the go – all great friends and great grandchildren of Bill and Hannah Keane of 45 Church Street, Listowel, County Kerry.

Here’s to my grandmother Hannah Keane late of Listowel and Ballydonoghue, affectionally know as ‘Hanny honours’ by her numerous grandchildren who loved her dearly.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a h-anam



>>>>>>



Liz Chute shared this Church Street memory

 Church Street was a wonderful Street filled with interesting people . Over thirty years ago Mr Lawlee got a heart attack and was obviously in hospital . A few days later my own wonderful mother had a heart attack herself and believe it or not within a few days Michael Quille had one .  These houses were within 500 yards of each other . One evening whilst all three were in hospital a client of Allos hopped the ball that he had better watch out but Allo quick as ever responded ” not at all lads ‘ tis going in the other direction !!


And from Maurice O’Sullivan



I agree with Liz. Church St. was a wonderous place to grow up with so many characters or oddballs. Molly Flaherty shared Hannah Keane’s interest in leaving cert results or “d’onours”. Hannah had a massive opposition in the McMahons across the road. It didn’t matter that she had such successful children Eamon and John B. d’onours were still paramount. I suppose never in history had so many characters lived in such close proximity. Moll Troy, Dillon (who hated dogs) Lina Mullally, Ginny with the lame step, Nora O’ Grady, Short Pants the harness maker, John Joe Dillon, captain Shanahan, Mickey and Delia Kearney, Ina Collins. This is only a fraction.





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Summer Walk 2015



Bobby Cogan and his sons, Killian and Sean walking on William Street, August 2015.

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Ronan Wilmot in St. John’s


(photo:Flickr images)

Ronan Wilmot is the son of a Listowel man. He was back in his father’s hometown to give us three nights of excellent theatre in The Tailor and Ansty.

For people who don’t know the story, the tailor was Timothy Buckley of Guagane Barra in Co. Cork. He was a well known seanchaí and with his gentle wife, Anastasia, held open house for all who wanted to come to listen to his stories.  Tim was a well travelled Kerryman and he had married in to the Buckley holding; a cottage with the grass of one cow. He was a very witty man and had a way of turning a phrase that made him much sought after in the 1940’s as a colorful character and storyteller.

The acclaimed Cork stone sculptor, Seamus Murphy. made a bust of him  and Eric Cross a Cork journalist, wrote a book about him, full of stories and anecdotes he had collected from him.

It was this book that brought ruination down on the heads of Tim and his wife. The book was banned by the Censorship of Publications Board because of its ribald content. A delegation of 4 priests came to the tailor’s house and forced him to burn his copy of the book.

The poor couple were devastated, disgraced in the community…”read from the altar”. Their neighbours shunned them. No one came to hear Tim’s stories any more. They were ruined.

This is the story that was brought to life for us by Ronan Wilmot and Ena May of the Dublin Theatre Company. It was a great night’s theatre. Both actors had their subjects to a T. The tailor was lazy but eminently entertaining, a witty, larger than life presence who had an abundant store of stories and observations which made him great company. Ansty, his long suffering wife, clearly loved him and took pride in his great store of learning. Their uncomprehending acceptance of the injustice visited on them was poignantly portrayed in the final scene where they close the door as they realize that their usual nightly visitors are not coming and they settle down to their other nightly ritual, The Rosary.

1942 Ireland is hardly recognizable to today’s young people. The closest we come to it today is the Taliban of Afghanistan. Important plays like this make sure we never forget.

Irish College 2015 style, some ads and memories of a fleadh cheoil long ago.

By

On August 11, 2015

In Uncategorized


Coláiste Bhréanainn, Baile an Buineánaigh


All’s changed, changed utterly from the Irish college experience of old. There are still claisceadail and ceilithe but now the young people get to go surfing, Tae kwando, zumba, limbo, crazy golf and a historical tour of Ballybunion. Judging by Coláiste Bhréanainn’s Facebook page learning Irish has never before been such fun.



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New Playground in Fitzgerald’s Park, Cork



Well worth a visit if you are lucky enough to spend some time in the real capital of Ireland.



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Listowel businesses in 1960






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More of Betty Stack’s old cuttings

This picture accompanied a story about Listowel’s introducing a Seachtain Cheoil in the week of Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann. The idea was taken on board and is now an integral part of the Fleadh. In the photo are Muriel Dowling, Geraldine Dowling and Gerard Buckley.

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Lovely Day for a Wedding






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+ Tragic Death of Benny Collins +





“The death has taken place of Benny Collins, son of Mary Ellen and Denis Collins, Templeathea.  He was living in Swansea, Wales and died on the 28th of July 2015. Survived by his wife Mel, son Harry, parents and brothers Denis, John, and Leo, sisters Catherine and Helena.”

The story behind the news 

“A brave dad drowned while saving his son after he was caught in a rip tide at a holiday beach.

Physiotherapist Benny managed to save Harry, nine, from drowning at popular beach – which has no lifeguard cover.

But he was pronounced dead following the seaside tragedy at Three Cliffs Bay in Gower, South Wales on Tuesday.

Irish-born Benny had been the captain of Gowerton rugby club in his home city of Swansea, South Wales.

The team played tribute to their former player.

A spokesman said: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of our former captain Benny Collins.

“A true gent in every sense, will be missed by all.”

The dad and son were pulled from the sea by fellow-swimmers at on Tuesday afternoon and flown to hospital.

Benny was pronounced dead while Harry was treated at Morriston Hospital, Swansea, where his father worked, and was later released.

Benny’s friend John Knox paid tribute to him, saying: “A wonderful husband and father. Benny Collins will be with the angels.”

Another friend, Chris Mason, said: “Devastating news about Benny Collins. Loved playing with him for Gowerton RFC, such a great bloke will be missed by so many people.”

His wife Melanie, 42, was being supported by specially trained police officers.

Brave Benny is the latest fatality at the beach which is part of the Gower Peninsula – designated as the UK’s first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

(Irish Mirror online)

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