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: December 2020 Page 3 of 4

Christmas, Maura Griffin Remembers Convent Street and an Old Friends Meeting

Listowel Christmas Tree 2020

I took this photo on the day the tree arrived. The tree now has a barrier around it to keep it safe.

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Christmas in Rathea a few years ago

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Childhood Memories


I asked Maura Griffin to give us a flavour of her childhood in Listowel in the 1950s

I remember going round the corner to Thornton’s in Ballybunion Road with my Saturday penny for sweets.  Guerin’s in Market Street for ice cream cut off a block in wafers.  Mackessey’s shop across the road from us where the car wash is now.  The lovely Bunyans Eileen, Peggy and Delia at Ballybunion Cross.  It was always a joy to visit them on our trips home. McElligotts where we bought our milk in a jug.  The Doyle family next door.  Hairdressers then and amazing that it still is to this day. Walking across to the Feale and picking wild garlic flowers to take to school. I am sure the nuns weren’t too pleased with the smell.  Also the lovely yellow lily type flowers in the field opposite where the racecourse car park is now.  My good friend Helena O’Connor who lived opposite us before moving to St. Brendan’s Terrace.  We had great fun in the summer sitting on the back of haycarts dangling our legs off the back and ending up way into the countryside and walking home. I can’t remember many school friend’s names but one that I do is Angela Breen, her parents had the pub which I believe is now called ‘The Pure Drop’.  The nuns that I can remember are Sisters Francis, Patricia and Therese.   For my First Communion I was given the choice of white or black patent shoes.  I choose the black patent and was disappointed that I couldn’t strew the rose petals in the procession around the convent garden unless I had white shoes. Oh, the lovely smell from those roses.  What great fun we had at race week, the town was buzzing.  Family came to stay from Limerick and I remember winning a few bob.  (Lost some as well though). Loved our days in Ballybunion, what excitement when we got off the coach, ran down the cliffs to the beach.  (Still my favourite beach of all time).

We lived with our grandparents but unfortunately I was a year old when my grandfather, Andrew Robert Griffin, died, so cannot remember him.  My grandmother Hannah Griffin who had 10 children ran the shop with my mother Norah. I remember the large square tins of biscuits which were weighed out by the pound on the counter.  When we were over a few years ago I was lucky enough to be able to go into our old house.  The now owner very kindly arranged it.   She gave me a a framed picture ‘Consecration to the Sacred Heart’ with family names (my grandparents, aunts and uncles) that unbelieveably had been in the house since 1926.  It is such a lovely thing to have and hopefully I will get it restored soon.  My parents were Tony and Norah Griffin (nee Quaid).  My mother was from Limerick and she met my father when she worked in Ryan’s shop in Ballybunion.  Four of us were born in the ‘Griffin’ house between 1943 and 1950.  Donal, Tony, myself (Maura) and Charles,  Tony sadly died in 1991.

Donal, Tony and Charles. Helena, Edward and P.J O’Connor. Top right is a cousin on the Shine side of our family and myself.  Holy Communion day 


My schoolfriend Helena O’Connor

Helena and friend in the 1960’s probably outside her house in St. Brendan’s Terrace.

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Old Friends

Joan and the late Eileen Fitzgibbon with Maurice MacMahon a few years ago.

Galvins, The Square and a Few Writers Week Friends

This lovely display is at Elizabelle, a very stylish shop on Church Street.

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Coolahan’s Arch, Church Street

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Bob’s Aunt


Our friend, Bob has written again with a bit more information about his great aunt who lived in Listowel up to the 1980s

My Great Aunt’s name was Kathleen Galvin, 2 The Square, Listowel. The picture I sent is labeled ( Hand written) “Mrs Galvin”.  I honestly didn’t know her last name until I looked in the papers. 

I believe my Uncle said that she had an apartment over the bar. She would have been there through the 80s I believe. 

My Grandmother’s name was Stack. Her father was Robert Stack and had a farm in Skehenerin in the early 1900s. 

I don’t know when that changed hands, I know my Grandmother was there until the 20s. I Also know that it was inherited by a “cousin Ned” but not sure if that was my fathers, or my Grandmothers cousin. 

Also not sure if he retained it or sold it. I do know that one or two of my Cousins and my sister met him when they were young, but that would have been in the 70s or 80s.

There were also some Dillons that we’re cousins, but I’m drawing a blank on that right now.

This picture of a busy fair day in The Square taken from the door of Listowel Arms Hotel is the one his family kept to remind them of their Listowel roots.

No.  2 The Square is now Brendan Mahony’s.

No. 2 and 3 were once the Brendan Hotel

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Writers Week, Children’s Committee 2012


Lisa, Bridget, Maria, Tena and Siobhán were some of my co workers when I rejoined Listowel Writers’ Week on The Children’s Committee in 2011. Happy days!

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Carmel Guiney to Glin Historical Society

Ford Model T outside Guiney’s in Ballybunion

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Christmas Memories


Marie Shaw has suggested that it would be a good idea if blog followers were to share memories of Christmas. In our Listowel  Connection community we have many people who remember a very different Christmas to what we know today.

We’d love to have our memories jogged with reminders of old days and old ways.  Did you collect holly? Had your house paper chains and garlands for decoration? Do you remember Christmas mottos?  Did the youngest light the real candle? We’d be grateful even for a few sentences and, as always, photographs are more than welcome.

Altar Boys in Listowel 1955 and Memories of The Square,

Upper Church Street on Sunday morning Dec 6 2020

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Winter in Cleveland and Ballincollig

My nephew and  family in Ohio are snowed in.

Helios, at home in Ballincollig is enjoying walks in wintry sunshine.

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 Some Local Altar Boys

Éamon ÓMurchú sent us these lovely old photos which were taken by his late father.

Jim Flaherty, Breandán ÓMurchú, Éamon ÓMurchú and Michael Loobey

Éamon  ÓMurchú, John Keane, Ciarán  ÓMurchú, Fr.  Moore CC, Breandán ÓMurchú, Caoimhín  ÓMurchú and Paddy Keane

 

Aodán  ÓMurchú and Pierce Walsh

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A Hedge School and a Teaching Legacy

From Bertie O’Connor, Dec. 1st; Today 177 years The Ardoughter Hedge School closed. Established in the Spring of 1714 during the Penal Laws by Thomas Laidir Ua hAnnrachain (Strong Thomas Hanrahan) a spoilt cleric from Murhur in Moyvane. Over the entrance he wrote ‘ mol an oige agus tiocfaidh siad’. He taught reading, writing, mathematics, astronomy and latin for which he charged a fee. The Principles of Freedom ‘Preserve the Glory of thy Race Die or Live Free’ he taught gratis. Today 10 generations later many of his descendants continue in his profession to name but four Brid Ni hAnnrachain Dublin; Kelly Rose Hanrahan London; Sinead Ni Chonnchubhair Japan and Niamh Ni Chonnchubhair Ukraine.

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Mystery Battle

Bob wrote to us a while ago about an old battle remembered by his Irish ancestors.

“During the disturbance and the introduction of British troops at Ballybunion

 my mother and yours acted as nurses for the wounded, Skirian 

( his spelling – perhaps mis-spelling ) was used as a hospital for both sides. 

When we were in Ireland ( they visited when they were young ) 

I would run every morning to the Dairy where the road bends to the right 

and the river is behind you, that’s where the “Machine Guns” were set up on the hills

 on the left, the British troops “in enfilade” ( lined up with defensive position )

 it must have been horrendous there was no way out, 

My Mother said “the firing lasted all night” .”
Parentheses are my comments, quotation marks are his.

Do you know anything about this incident? It really is not that important, just one thing in a million in my family history

 I don’t know and no longer have anyone to ask.

We didn’t solve the mystery for him. I think the battle might be one of the many

 skirmishes between the Auxiliaries or Black and Tans and the IRA around

 100 years ago.

Bob wrote again to say thanks for trying


Hi
I wanted to thank you for trying to find an answer to my question before.
I don’t know if you would find this interesting.
My understanding is it belonged to my Great Aunt Kit who had a bar and apartment

 in the square. 

It passed to my Grandmother, then Hung in my Uncles until recently.  
Sadly as one of few of my cousins who never made it there to visit

 it sometimes seems

 to represent Listowel when my Grandmother was young. 

Although it may be well older than that, 

or somewhere else for all I know but that’s what I was told.
I hope that you and yours are well and safe there. 

Bob




Tae Lane Store, A Poem of Gratitude and Saving the hay in 1950

Wintry Brandon


Martin Moore was on Mount Brandon

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A Stylish Christmas Window

This charming little fellow is part of Clodagh’s Christmas decor at the Tae Lane Store. I don’r know about you but I can be quite attached to little decorations that come out year after year. This fellow is part of Christmasses past and offers hope for Christmasses future.

 It’s hard to photograph through glass but you get the idea. Tae Lane window is one of the most artistic creative displays always.

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A  Word of Thanks


Éamon OMurchú


This poem was included in a lovely book, 

Reflections of Contemporary Irish Men  by Valerie O’Sullivan


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In the Meadow

This photo and caption was posted on the Vanishing Ireland page by Bertie O’Connor.

Ardoughter, County Kerry 1950 brothers Pat & Tom Hanrahan with their grand nephews Thomas & Michael O’ Connor after a hard days work in the meadow.

( The machine in the foreground was called a wheel rake)

Listowel Improvements and Some Accounts of Old Days and Old Ways

The Hospice Tree is up outside St. John’s. You can buy the yellow remembrance ribbons in local shops and attach them to the tree in memory of loved ones who wont be with us this Christmas.

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Our Water improvement Works Continue

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Reroofing Work on Church Street

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Griffin and Griffin N.T.s

On  November 27 2020 I posted the following. 

New York NY Irish American Advocate 

April 1917 

On Wednesday at the Cathedral, Killarney. Miss Ellie Aimes Griffin the daughter of Mr. Daniel Griffin, Dingle, was married to Mr. Michael Griffin. N.T., Listowel. The ceremony was performed by the Revd. James Kennedy, first cousin of the bride, assisted by the Revd. J. Griffin, Dingle. The bride is a first cousin of the late Thomas Ashe.

The date of the wedding seems to be incorrect in this newspaper account.

Michael and Nell Griffin years later with their two children. Here is how i got the photo and the whole story in a letter from my right hand man, Dave O’Sullivan.

Hi Mary,

 

Nice to see Michael and Nell Griffin remembered in your blog today.

Nell was my 1st cousin 3 times removed. Her father Daniel was my 3rd great uncle.

 

I have attached some photos that I have collected as part of my family research. Note their wedding was Jan 30th 1918.

 

There is a photo of them most likely taken at the rear of their house on Church St. You can see the GAA pitch and stand in the background. St Michael’s cemetery is in the foreground and the Old Stand is in the background. I believe the Old Stand was burnt and knocked down during the civil war.

 

Best wishes,

 

Dave

(The Griffin family lived at 95 Church Street, a stones throw from Nell’s workplace. The house is now the one occupied by Aidí Mac Dáibhí)

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Vanishing Ireland



Ardoughter, Co. Kerry 1962 Thomas O’ Connor with Paddy the horse grubbing turnips.

This photo and caption by Bertie O’Connor was posted on a Facebook group called Vanishing Ireland.

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