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: September 2018 Page 4 of 5

Emigration, Raceweek in the 1950s and Pickle Ball

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On September 10, 2018

In Uncategorized

A robin in Killarney National Park photographed by Chris Grayson

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The Races

Bernard O’Connell, himself an emigrant on a visit home to Listowel, took this photo at the emigration memorial in Killorglin.

I receive many emails and comments from emigrants who testify to the truth of this sentiment. So many people reading this during Listowel Raceweek will feel that little tug on the heartstrings. They are settled and happy in the land that has welcomed them in and is now home to them and their families. Listowel race week and Harvest Festival is a gala week in town and every North Kerry person has memories of previous festivals that are awakened at this time every September.

This is a shout out to everyone worldwide with a Listowel connection, especially those who would love to be home for The Races.

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The Week of The Races

Vincent Carmody shared these old photos with us. They were taken by Seamus Buckley during race week in the 1950s or 60s. I have no names for the people but someone might recognise them. In those days the town used to be decorated with bunting on poles especially erected on the kerbs and there was a radio station broadcasting to the town.

The Super Ballroom had some big attractions that year

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Anyone for Pickleball?

Never heard of Pickleball? it may surprise you to hear that it is America’s fastest growing racquet sport.

As I understand it, it is ideally suited to people who used to love tennis, squash, badminton or any sport that involves running to the ball in order to strike it. If you feel you could still pack a good belt of the ball if you could only get to it fast enough, Pickleball might just be the sport for you. The game is slower. The racquet is a bat. The court is about half the size of a tennis court. There is no overhead shot involved. American retirees are loving it and it is now a regular feature in retirement villages.

It’s only a matter of time ’til we it catches on here.

Shop Windows for Listowel Races 2018, Kerry camino and some old races Photos

By

On September 7, 2018

In Uncategorized


Photo by Ita Hannon

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Violet Dalton’s dolls at NCBI shop

Violet has a gifted pair of hands. She loves designing and making outfits for her dolls. For Listowel Races 2018 she has made a super jockey’s silks for her boy doll and two gorgeous Ladies Day outfits for her little ladies . They are part of the window displays at NCBI Shop in Church St.


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The Races in the old days


Photos by Junior Griffin





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Kerry Camino




St. John’s Tralee



The Kerry camino starts at St. John’s Church Tralee.


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New Public Phone Box


An old post box on Denny Street, Tralee. Volumes of mail have decreased enormously. How long before An Post takes away the kerbside postboxes too?

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Listowel Florist’ Window for  Raceweek 2018



Betty McGrath’s window incorporates all the elements of Listowel Raceweek



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Sounds like a Brilliant Idea




Have you heard of hotdesking?

Here is the Wiki definition:     Hot desking (sometimes called “non-reservation-based hoteling“) is an office organization system which involves multiple workers using a single physical work station or surface during different time periods.[1] The “desk” in the name refers to an office desk being shared by multiple office workers on different shifts as opposed to each staff member having their own personal desk.

Now HQ Listowel is taking hotdesking to the next level. When this office space opens in Market Street shortly, it will mean that someone who needs a temporary office space in Listowel can have a hot desk or office with everything laid on. It’s kind of like the concession shop idea but with offices.



“Bright & spacious business suites & hotdesks on Market St.Listowel.
All running Costs, Rent, Rates, Elec, Meeting Room, Broadband & Free Parking!#Coworking– Enquiries to Tom info@hqtralee.com”

InSomnia, Listowel Harvest Festival 1994 and Tralee’s Christie Hennessey

By

On September 6, 2018

In Uncategorized

Photo by Ita Hannon

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Sleepless in Seattle


Seattle’s Best Coffee in Market Street has rebranded as Insomnia.



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1994 Harvest Festival Brochure


Junior Griffin found this old brochure among his treasures.

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Christie Hennessey


This is the Christie Hennessey memorial in Tralee. Plans are in train to put a voice element to these memorials. In time, visitors will be able to access a spoken biography of the singer at this spot.



The words of Christie’s greatest hit song, Roll Back the Clouds are printed in full  in the memorial. Wouldn’t it be great if the voice element included Christie singing his moving song?

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Kerry Football, is it in the blood or in the DNA



All the way from San Diego came this missive on Monday.

Message from Richard Moriarty, from Lisselton-Ballydonoghue, now living in San Diego,California, USA:

I wrote a poem commemorating the “Five Games in a Row” (attached)

I hope you will share it with your bloggers.

Thank you for your consideration.

Richard Moriarty

FIVE GAMES IN A ROW

I remember back when just a kid I’d climb on Grandad’s knee

And while I perched there 

With an eagle stare

He’d tell these tales to me

How in this land there’s a noble band of men who plan and dream

Who cannot be beat

Who will not retreat

And they’re called the Kerry Team

Like giants he said they forge ahead a wave of green and gold

Who in the history book

If you care to look

With passion there it’s told

As plain as day I can hear him say those boys are smooth as foam

They glide they swoop

They slide and scoop

To bring that trophy home

He’d call out each game each date and name until it was all done

And when he shed tears

For the losing years

I dried them one by one

Yes that was many years ago but some things are still the same

With my grandson Lee

There on my knee

Today we watched the game

And Grandpaw I knew you were here too but in case you didn’t know

In headlines bold

The tale was told

“Tis FIVEgames in a row

Richard Moriarty

Ballydonoghue/Lisselton

San Diego, California

Young Scene, Cycling in Ireland in Edwardian Times and an old Race card

By

On September 5, 2018

In Uncategorized

In Listowel Town Park August 2018

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William Street Facelift


This huge premises now looks resplendant.

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Hospital shop


I posted a photo of this house a while back. Marie Shaw tells me that it used to be the home of the Horgan family. At one time they ran a shop from the front window. People visiting patients in the hospital could buy sweets or drinks to bring with them to the hospital.

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Trials of Cycling in Ireland in the early 1900s




Source; Patrick O’Sullivan, A Year in Kerry

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Listowel Racecards have Changed a Lot


Junior Griffin showed me a card from 1964 side by side with one from last year.

The Races was a three day meeting in 1964 and the race card cost one shilling.


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Looking Forward to my Favourite Event at Listowel Races



Nano Nagle Place, Old Piseogs and Carrigkerry

By

On September 4, 2018

In Uncategorized

 Chris Grayson

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Old Cork

This photo was not taken today or yesterday. I think it’s the 1960s and these are tourist caravans on the Western Road outside the Ear Nose and Throat hospital. The street is now one way.

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The Legacy of Nano Angle and The Presentation Sisters



In Listowel we have a memorial to the work of the nuns centralised in our town square. We were lucky to have both Presentation and Mercy sisters helping to educate and care for generations of Listowel people.

The mission of the Presentation sisters was to educate the young ladies of North Kerry and I was privileged to work with them for many years.

Nano Nagle, who founded the Presentation sisters was a Cork woman. The order now has converted their South Presentation school and convent into a magnificent heritage centre. I was there with my daughter, Cliona, a Pres girl,  on Heritage Day 2018

Impressive, isn’t it?

 The nuns’ burial ground with its uniform headstones reminded me of the graves I’ve seen in pictures of a battlefield.

It was a bit of a shock to see a grave with a family name. I don’t know if she was any relation.

 This was a surprise. I can’t imagine how she came to be buried here in South Pres.

 The convent garden is wonderful with borders of lavender on which bees were at work.


In the museum there were artefacts and photos from Presentation communities around the world.There was a stamp from Listowel and a roll book from South Pres.

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Some Little Known Superstitions






From Patrick O’Sullivan’s excellent Country Diary



Times were different back then!

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Carrigkerry



Just over the border in Co. Limerick is the lovely little village of Carrigkerry.

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