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: November 2018 Page 3 of 5

Doors, Nash’s Well and Billy MacSweeney and the Christmas Goose.

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On November 16, 2018

In Uncategorized

Garden of Europe, Listowel

Photo: Charlie Nolan

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Some Listowel Doors


“We have our exits and our entrances…..”

These doors are off the beaten track and so not as aesthetically pleasing as doors on the street.

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Another Holy Well



(Story from the Dúchas folklore collection)


There is a holy well in the farm of Ml Nash, Rossmore, Tahilla. This well is there hundreds of years & may still be seen. There is the following folk tale told of it still.

Long ago, when priests were not allowed to say Mass, a priest was going to say Mass across the bay (Kenmare Bay, which is here three miles wide). He saw a crowd of Protestant soldiers coming after him. He got on his horse & struck him with the whip & jumped him over the three miles of water which flows between Tuosist (in Ivera) and Rossmore Island (in Iveragh.

When the horse “landed” he struck his hooves on the rock & the sign of the cross appeared.

Rossmore Island County Kerry from Mrs Ml Nash.

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A Face to a Name




My daughter, Cliona and I went to Café Hanna in John R’s for brunch on Saturday November 10 2018. Eggs Benedict for breakfast on a Saturday morning is not our usual repast but it was the weekend of Listowel Food Fair (The Food Fair was brilliant but my report on that will have to wait til next week.)



There we met Billy MacSweeney. Cliona took the photo of me with him. She is not so good with the zoom button. I took him with his friend and former neighbour Pierse Walsh.



Billy is a great supporter of Listowel Connection. Recently he wrote entertainingly of his wanderings around the town and trips to the bog with Jack Leahy. I knew there were many more stories where they came from and sure enough, Billy proved to be a very entertaining breakfast companion.



He told us the story of a mad Christmas goose who nearly never made it to the dinner table. She broke a window in Church Street on her way home to be fattened for the Christmas dinner and the owner of the window threatened to confiscate her as payment for the damage to his property.



Billy told us about the turf shed concerts with some of the finest Church Street talent on show, and he told me a great story of a Knocknagoshel lady who played a vital role in World War 2. All will be revealed next week.



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Flora Sandes




I mentioned this lady last week and wondered if she were related to the Sandes of Collis Sandes fame or the notorious landlord who gave his name to Newtownsandes. I have been informed by several people that she is indeed from the same family and she is related to Elise Sandes who set up the Soldiers’ Homes as well.



Flora is descended from the Sandes of Sallow Glen. She led a life of service and adventure and she is the subject of tea biographies.

A Holy Well, Doors, Dingle men and More Photos from Armistice Day Centenary in Listowel

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On November 15, 2018

In Uncategorized

Beautiful Holly Tree


Photo: Charlie Nolan

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Doors


Recently a man who is a great friend of this blog suggested that I should photograph some Listowel doors. He has been struck by the huge variety of doors in our town so, on his suggestion I’ve photographed a few.

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Dingle Farmers

This great photo is in the Dublin City Library collection

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Holy Well


Holy wells are often associated with cures. Our local St. Batts well is also thought to cure ailments of the eyes.

(From the Dúchas folklore collection)

Tobar na nAmhrán

“Tobar na n-amhrán is situated in the Ballinagarde Estate Co. Limerick”

Informant- Thomas Sheehan, Occupation farmer

Tobar na nAmhrán

curing many ailments but it is specially dedicated to the curing of sore eyes.

It is said that a blind monk in France dreamt of this well in Ballinagarde and that if he rubbed the waters of the well to his eyes he would be cured.

He made his way to Ballinagarde Well and when he bathed his eyes there his sight was restored.

A blind tramp was also restored his sight at this well. He too had travelled a long distance to the well.

The Monk and the tramp when they found that their eyesight was restored sang songs on thanksgiving to Our Blessed Lady.

Hence the well is known as Tobar na n-Amhrán or the Well of the Songs. 

Thomas Sheehan (Farmer)

Ballinagarde, Ballyneety.

Co. Limerick.

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More from Armistice Day 2018 in Listowel


The opening part of the commemorative ceremony was the memorial mass in St. Mary’s.

 The flag bearers musicians and dignitaries crossed the Square to the memorial plaque by St. John’s

Here the wreath laying part of the ceremony took place.

A good crowd had gathered in the cold and wet to be part of the remembering.


Some faces in the crowd.



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Another Beauty Parlour on Church Street



Church Street, Listowel where there once were so many public houses now has more hairdressers, beauticians and pharmacies than any other street in town. 

What does that say about us?



Listowel Children in the 1960s, A Holy Well and Armistice Day Centenary Commemorations in Listowel

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On November 14, 2018

In Uncategorized






The River Feale behind the Listowel Arms; Photo: Charlie Nolan

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Old Pals

“Fond memory brings the light of other days around me.”

Bernard O’Connell who lived in Upper William Street Listowel and now lives in Canada posted to Facebook this picture of his childhood friends.

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A Holy Well



From the schools folklore collection at Dúchas


Tarbert School collection. Nora Scanlon, Dooncaha.

Our Holy Wells

There is a well in Tarmons known as St. Senan’s. It is in the corner of Buckley’s field in Ballintubber.

This well is not deep and a stream flows out of it. Always in the month of May people pay rounds at this well on every Saturday of the month.

This is how people pay rounds. People pick up seven pebbles out of the stream and then kneel down at the well and start reciting the Rosary. Then they start at the right hand side of the well and walk slowly all round reciting a decade of the Rosary while going round. At the end of each decade they throw one pebble away. Then when the seventh round is paid they kneel down and finish the Rosary. Then they take three drinks out of the well and wash their faces at the stream. Then they usually tie a piece of cloth on an overhanging bush. It is said that according as the cloth wears away the disease wears off the patient.

It is called St. Senan’s well because it was St. Senan who blessed its waters. From the well you can see the ruins of seven churches and round tower in Scattery built by St. Senan.

There are no fish in the well and the water is not used for household purposes. Once a woman went to fill her kettle at the well. She forgot to bring a vessel with which to fill her kettle. She left her kettle at the well and went back for a saucepan. When she returned the well had disappeared and the bush with it. It went from the top of the hill to the side where it is now.

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A Thought


As Asphalt and concrete

 Replace bushes and trees,

As highways and buildings 

Replace marshes and woods

What will replace the song of the birds?

Tony Chen

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Only in Ireland


Photo; Random Cork Stuff

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People at the Armistice Day Centenary Commemoration in Listowel




On a cold showery Sunday a good crowd turned up to commemorate the men who endured appalling hardship in the most awful of wars. Cold and rain were nothing compared to weeks spent in wet trenches with rats for company.

Carmel Gornall was there with her brother and two sisters in law.

Carmel’s sisters in law had grandfathers who served in The Great war.

Great to see Jim Halpin brave the cold to be part of it. Jim has done more than most in North Kerry to make sure that the names of the brave men who fought will be remembered.




Local history lovers and retired military men turned out in numbers to remember.

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One to Watch

 Bánú nó Slánú:  Thursday TG4  9.30p.m.

This documentary looks at the small town way of life that is dying a death in Ireland, as illustrated by a visit to once thriving towns in Kerry and Leitrim. Ballylongford in north Kerry has seen its mill, creamery and many businesses close over the last 30 years. In 2017, no new children started in the national school for the first time in living memory and its post office is now under threat.  One of the last small farmers in the village, Donal O’Connor, who’s in his 70s, sums things up: “I’m the last of the family. There are no small farmers anymore.”  Kiltyclogher in north Leitrim made the headlines when it launched a media campaign to attract people to move to the village. Six  families made the move, helping to save the local school  – but one year on, how does the future look? Did the newcomers stay? And have they done enough?

(Photo and text from Irish Times TV Guide)

Feale, Childhood Friends, Rose of Tralee 2019, a holy well and Armistice Day Ceremony in Listowel

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On November 13, 2018

In Uncategorized

River Feale, November 3 2018

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Childhood Friends on Facebook


Bernard O’Connell of Listowel and Canada posted this great old picture on Facebook.

far left Mary Brosnan, Katrina Lyons, Myself, Noreen Holyoake, Mary Lyons, Mary Carmody, Maura Moriarity

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Big Year next year for the Rose Festival



(Photo and text from Traleetoday.ie)



NEXT year is a very special one for the Rose of Tralee International Festival as it celebrates its 60th anniversary.

It’s already been announced that there will be no regional finals and centres will put forward a Rose every two years (apart from Kerry, Cork and Dublin) resulting in just 32 Roses coming to Tralee next year for the festival.

Now, in another change, it’s been decided that the Festival will move back a few days. It will start on Friday, August 23 and the  2019 Rose of Tralee will be announced on Tuesday, August 27.

For the past number of years the Festival has started slightly later than mid-August (this year it began on August 17), but next year will bring it closer to what it used to be years ago, with the winner announced closer to the end of the month.

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Holy Well in Tarbert



from the Dúchas folklore collection

There was a blessed well in Jim Woulfe’s field and one day they washed clothes in it and that night the well changed out to Tom O’Connor field which was two fields away. People used go there on Sundays and especially Sundays of May. Some people used go there to get cured from some disease they had and they would leave a piece of cloth of the bushes round the well. There used also around the well three times to every rosary they would say. It is called Sundays Well. If you were to be cured at some wells you would see a fish.
Eileen Shine
Address
Gortdromasillahy, Co. Kerry

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Armistice Day Centenary in Listowel



On Sunday Nov. 11 2018 the Listowel History Society organised a moving commemorative ceremony to honour all the North Kerry men who served in WW1. In the church, after an evocative memorial mass, local school children read out the names of men from their area who had died in the Great War.

I dont know if other people saw something very poignant in the sight of this drummer boy. 

Drummer boys were part of armies as far back as history goes. They were originally tasked with ensuring soldiers marched in time. By the time of WW1 these young boys (they were not actually soldiers as they were usually under 18) were more like regimental mascots. But young and all as they were, they went into battle alongside their regiment and many of them died.

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Wreath laying Ceremony at the war memorial stone.



Sunday November 11 2018

Wreaths were laid.

The tricolour was lowered and then raised again.

The bugler played the last post.  We stood for two minutes silence and we played the National Anthem.

And we remembered.

John Stack shared with us this photo of those who were part of the Armistice Day Ceremony in Listowel on Sunday, November 11 2018

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The Ball Alley Today




A blank canvas

Killarney House, the ball alley , Pilgrim Hill and Armistice Day 2018 in Listowel

By

On November 12, 2018

In Uncategorized

Dahlia blooming in October

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Beautiful Killarney House and Gardens


If you haven’t already visited Killarney House, do put it on your bucket list. it’s a really excellent visitor attraction with something for the historian, the gardener, the art lover and now for the children as well.


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Upgrading the Ballalley


Charlie Nolan was in the area when they started work on the ball alley. He took this photo before they plastered over the last of the graffiti.

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Holy Well near Pilgrim Hill


From the Dúchas folklore collection

Old Ruins, Kilmorna . Collector- Máire Bean Uí Catháin,

Informant Kathleen Brosnan(1) Gallán standing alone 3 1/2″ by 3″ by 1 1/2″ situated in the property of Mrs. Nora Brosnan, Lacca East, east of Kilmorna. It was an old burial-place.

Folklore.
The hill, on which this stone is situated, is called Pilgrim Hill.
According to the old people engineers, who visited the place fifty years ago, said it was the second oldest Church yard registered in Rome.
There is a well in the recently called an tobar mór and it was regarded by the old people as being a “blessed well”.
Beside the well there was a big mound of earth.


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North Kerry’s WW1 dead remembered



After a very moving mass of remembrance this wreath (crafted by Amazing Blooms, Listowel) was laid at the memorial stone in Listowel Town Square.

Listowel’s memorial plaque to the fallen is located at the rear of St. John’s Arts Centre in The Square.

Colour Party leaving St. Mary’s church after mass prior to marching across The Square for the wreath laying ceremony.

Pipers and drummer lead the dignitaries across The Square.

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