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 2024 Page 3 of 5

Ballybunion, Listowel and Kanturk

By

On May 17, 2024

In Ballybunion, Listowel

Ballybunion in early summer 2024

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Memorial Seats in Ballybunion

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A Friday Laugh

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In Kanturk

This premises in Kanturk is now the home of Yumm café but when I was growing up it was the home of Sarah and John O’Connor. This couple were the salt of the earth, Sarah, in particular, was involved in everything in town. She was in the Legion of Mary, Comhaltas, every play and show in the Edel Quinn Hall, the youth club, the bible study group and more.

Importantly, in the days before internet, emails and Zoom, Sarah typed up a twice yearly newsletter that was eagerly anticipated and much appreciated by Kanturk people who lived far from home. England was far in the days before cheap air travel. Sarah gathered all the news of births, marriages and deaths and anything else of interest . She was journalist, typist and post woman.

Whenever I met Sarah away from Kanturk she was always good for the “stand”, a selfless generous saint of a woman. May she rest in peace.

By the way the 1900 over the building signifies that it was a national school, the first in Kanturk.

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From 2007

The Farmers Market was busy on Fridays in 2007

Dillon Boyer R.I.P, Pat and the late Mrs Walsh met up with Junior Griffin.

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Nettle Soup

Yesterday I told you that it is recommended we eat nettle soup twice a day in May. Yesterday too I met up with my friend, Liz Dunn, and she had a story for us about nettle soup.

Liz and Jim watch Clarkson’s Farm. This TV programme which they watch on Amazon Prime follows Jeremy Clarkson’s adventures on his farm.

One of the workers on Jeremy’s farm is Lucca Allen, son of Rachel Allen. Lucca, one day, made nettle soup for Jeremy and it is now a staple on the menu on Clarkson’s Farm.

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A Fact

The San people of southern Africa use a set of tools that dates back 44,000 years.

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In Ballybunion

By

On May 16, 2024

In Ballybunion, Listowel

One of the lovely welcoming park benches in Childers Park Listowel

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Church of St. John, Ballybunion

St. John’s in Ballybunion is one of the most magnificent churches in the Kerry Diocese.

Mary Young, whose seated statue is placed facing the church was one of the main benefactors.

Mary has left us all a spectacular legacy.

This beautiful window is above the main altar.

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Water Safety

I don’;t fully understand it either, but it sounds nice.

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Nettle Soup

Pic and text from Folklore.ie

Here is something that many of you will have heard already – eating nettles in May. My grandmother would always have one feed of them cooked up with the bacon and cabbage. I’ve heard others who say that you were meant to have three feeds of them. Good for the blood apparently – full of iron. I make nettle soup with them and you’d never know they were in it once mixed with other vegetables. 

Text: Michael Fortune

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A Fact

Nelson Mandele’s name at birth wasRolihlahla which means troublemaker.

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Sticks and Stones-and Teabags

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On May 15, 2024

In Listowel Writers Week

Three Cornered Leek, May 2024

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Gabhlóg

If you’ve ever wondered what the gabhlóg in Baile Gabhlóg (Ballygologue) was. Here is your answer from Folklore.ie

Gabhlóg/Gabhaileog – A Forked Stick

Here’s another little Irish word still found in the rural speech of many older people in Wexford (and other counties too). It’s a handy little thing called a gabhlóg/gabhaileog which would be used for holding down briars when cutting them with a billhook or also used to prop up a clothes line. Pronounced ‘goulyogue’ I once heard a story of it being used by a man to describe a PYE TV. He didn’t know the brand of the TV but remembered it was a P, a “Gabhlóg’ and an E. 

I heard it used in other counties too and the image here is of my nighbour Ken Hemmingway showing me this one day. Interesting to point out, here in Wexford many of these old Gaelic words are found right across the rural communities, native Gaelic, Anglo-Normans and Plantation families and everything in between. In fact I find many of the 16th/17th century Plantation families hung onto these old words and sayings more than their Gaelic neighbours. Just an observation as sometimes you get purists with notions about language and who “owns it” and I always like to knock them on their head a bit. Great little word.

Text: Michael Fortune

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Remembering Seán McCarthy

Remember Christian and her Ph.D on Thade ‘s hen. Well back home in the U.S Christan is looking through the treasures she bought on her recent trip to Ireland. This is one such gem.

She photographed the reference to Listowel for us.

Seán MacCarthy’s song is included.

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You have to Laugh

Mary McAulliffe shared this one on Facebook. I know he is running as an independent but surely someone would have told him before he put them up.

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The Marathon

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A Fact

A New York tea merchant invented the tea bag …by accident. His name was Thomas Sullivan (Irish? Don’t know)

This is how it came about.

Thomas sent tea samples to his customers in little silk bags. His customers thought that they were to immerse bag and all into the pot to make the tea. When Sullivan heard this, smart boy that he was, he realised he was on to something. He replaced the silk with the cheaper gauze and went into commercial production of teabags in the 1920s. They didn’t become really popular until the 1950s.

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Celebrating

By

On May 14, 2024

In Listowel

Wild garlic among the trees in Listowel Pitch and Putt course

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Remembered with a seat in the Park

Here is a 2020 Facebook comment from a relative of this lady:

Bibiana Foran was my grand aunt. The OS most probably stands for her initials of her maiden name…she was O’Sullivan. Her home was in Lacca, Ballyhahill. Her brother Patrick was my grandfather. She was an amazingly capable lady….had a huge impact on the lives of many of the underprivileged in Listowel. She befriended many of the political prisoners during the trouble times. She with Lady Aberdeen, established the first sanatorium in Peamount, Dublin. A letter to her from prison from Thomas Ashe is in Tralee library. I gave it to her grand daughter, Grace, ( now sadly deceased) who had it presented to Tralee library. My aunt , Nora O’Sullivan, had that letter among her possessions, as she inherited Auntie Bibbie’s property in Ballybunion. I felt her grand daughter should have it. She & husband Jeremiah, also owned the Horseshoe Bar in Listowel & Cahirdown house in Listowel . Would be happy to give further info if needed. Irene Hynes 

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Sporting Poem

I remember the bus bringing the newspapers in the days when we had morning papers and evening ones. In those far off days “the football pitch, the snooker hall and the handball alley” were the gathering places for men.

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Happy Birthday to You

80 is the new 50. Youthful Nancy Collins has held back time. Unbelievably this lovely lady celebrated her 80th birthday last week.

Nancy celebrated her milestone day with her friends in Vincent’s. Listowel’s Vincent de Paul shop where Nancy regularly volunteers.

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I was at the cinema

This is one of the most heartbreakingly beautiful films I’ve seen. There isn’t a spare word or gesture. The characters are pitch perfect, the scenery breathtaking and the film was very faithful to McGahern’s beautiful writing.

Writers’ Week has organised a showing in The Plaza on May 31th, followed by an interview with director, Pat Collins.

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A Fact

The first electric kettles were sold in the 1890s. The automatic switch off when boiled function wasn’t invented until 1955. Early electric kettles sometimes boiled dry or burned through the housing. They were very dangerous.

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Heroes

By

On May 13, 2024

In Listowel

Wild Garlic and The Dandy Lodge, May 2024

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Brazilian Sports Gods

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More Information on Soldier, E. J Keane

This is what we had last week;

2nd LT. EDWARD JAMES KEANE, 8th BATTALION
Joined the 8th Battalion as a 2nd Lieutenant in France on the 27th of August 1916. Wounded at the Battle of Ginchy, on the Somme, 9th September 1916. We do not hear of him with the Munsters after this but a Lt. E.J. Keane was placed on the Royal Air Force ‘unemployed list’ in December 1919. His home address, on his medal index card, was ‘The Square, Listowel, Co. Kerry.’

Thomas Buckley read this and he is able to tell us a bit more;

Hi Mary,

A connection that you may not be aware of!

E J Keane, Royal Munster Fusiliers, in photograph of issue 26 April 2024, was Edward a son of James Kane, 9 Courthouse Rd. Listowel, retired RIC.  James was working as fisheries inspector when executed for spying for the forces of occupation by the Listowel IRA on 14 June 1921. This was covered by your issue of 4 September 2019.

Reports at time give name as Keane not Kane, and date of execution as 14 June. See Bureau of Military History ref WS 1109

Just to clarify the Kane/ Keane referred to has no known relationship to other families in Kerry. James born in Leitrim, while serving in Cloughjordan, Tipperary, married Catherine Ryan of Silvermines, Tipperary.

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“Poems are made by fools like me

But only God can make a tree.”

Trees in Listowel Pitch and Putt Course.

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Kilcrea Abbey

The ruined Franciscan Abbey of Kilcrea is in Ovens, outside Ballincollig in Co. Cork

The Abbey was built in the 15th century. It was sacked several times but some of its beautiful architecture is still intact.

Kilcrea is a National Monument.

It is still used as a burial ground. The most famous grave is the grave of Art OLaoghaire whose widow wrote him the most famous caoineadh (lament) in Irish literature.

“Mo ghrá go daingean thú

Lá dá bhfaca thú

Ag ceann tí an mhargaidh….

Eibhln Dubh, widów of Art, was wracked with grief when his horse came home riderless, having left Art to die on the roadside. She composes a lament, revisiting her first sighting of him and the sacrifices she made in defiance of her father to marry him.

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Northern Lights

On Friday, May 10 2024, all you needed was the naked eye to see the most spectacular light show ever over Ireland. The following photos were taken by local photographersand shared on social media. Some were taken, using only a phone. No need for filters.

Aisling Shannon was at home in Clare.

Ita Hannon in her beloved Beal

John Kelliher was in his back garden, where the Aurora Borea Allis illuminated his washing line and his shed.

Chris Scott was on top of Knockanore

Pixie O’Gorman captured the feeling of wonder we all felt.

These are just a small sample of the many, many great records of a phenomenal event in our little corner of God’s kingdom.

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A Fact

George Washington’s false teeth were set in a wooden base. He used to soak it every night in port wine in order to preserve it.

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