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
These new murals have replaced the old ones in the lane beside St. Patrick’s Hall. I got my visiting granddaughter to pose with the wall art for us.
These lovely pieces are designed with a gap for you to pose in.,
Aren’t they lovely?
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A Poem
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From the Newspaper
Shared online by Patsy and Frances Kennedy
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Siamsa Tire in the U.S.
From newspaper archives
Irish Advocate NEW YORK, N.Y. SAT. NOV. 13, 1982
Irish Folk Theatre to Perform in U. S.
Siamsa Tire, the National Folk Theatre of Ireland, -will stage performances at nine centres throughout the United States from October 31st through November 15th. Siamsa recaptures in music, song and dance the many facets of rural life in Ireland during the period when Irish was the spoken language. It is performed nightly during the summer months in Tralee, County Kerry.
Directed and devised by Father Pat Ahern, the three-act performance, with cast of twenty-five, skilfully portrays traditional household and farm chores—churning the butter, plying the spinning wheel, threshing the corn, milking the cows—and features Ireland’s many folk customs, blessings and strange superstitions. All ends in a lively harvest festival dance. In bringing to life Ireland’s ancient culture in its many moods and merriment, Siamsa Tire offers the theatre lover unique and spectacular entertainment.
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A Fact
Wild Bill Hickock’s brother, Lorenzo, was nicknamed Tame Bill Hickock.
‘Comma’ butterfly resting on the Rudbeckia Goldstrum flower in the Wexford garden of Mick O’Callaghan who took the photo in August 2024.
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In Kildare Town
When visiting the Kildare branch of the family, I took a few photos in the town.
Cill Dara means the church of the oak. Oaks and acorn symbols abound in the town.
Kildare people are pretty proud of this fellow too. The statue of Bill “Squires” Gannon, the first person to hold “Sam Maguire”, stands in the Square.
“Regarded as one of Kildare’s greatest-ever players, Gannon was a regular member of the starting fifteen during the team’s golden age of the 1920s. During that time he won two All-Ireland medals and four Leinster medals. An All-Ireland runner-up on two occasions, Gannon captained the team to the All-Ireland title in 1928.” (Source; Facebook)
Recent mural of St. Brigid
The community mosaic is on the wall of the Heritage Centre
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Poem
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Music in The Square
Clíona Cogan in The Square on Saturday August 10 2024. Clíona was enjoying the music.
There will be music in Listowel Town Square on the next three Saturdays. Last Saturday the musicians were Ian O’Shea and friends. I don’t know if next Saturday’s musicians will be different. If they are, be warned, lads, you have a very hard act to follow. Last Saturday’s music was top class. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
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Some Olympics Lore
(research by Jer Kennelly)
Edward Barrett of Rahela, Ballyduff:
Edward Barrett was born in Rahela, Ballyduff in 1882 to father Thomas and mother Bridget Whelan. He joined the City of London Police. In 1901 he won an All Ireland Hurling medal as a member of the London Irish Hurling team that beat Cork in the All-ireland final. At the 1908 Olympic Games held in London he won an Olympic Gold medal as a member of the City of London Police Tug- of -War team, he also won an Olympic Bronze medal in the heavyweight freestyle wrestling. He married Julia McCarthy in 1910 in Middlesex. They are on the 1911 Census in High Holborn and I can trace them both in Electoral rolls until 1926 in St Pancras area – Chalk Farm, Regents Street and Kentish Town Road. He died c 1930s.
John James Barrett:
John James was born 1879, represented Britain at the 1908 Olympics and was a brother of Edward Barrett.
Tim Ahearne and his brother, Dan Ahearne from Dirreen, Athea.
They emigrated to the United States, Tim Ahearne had won the 1909 AAA long jump championship, in America Dan Ahearn set the first IAAF-recognized triple jump with 50-11 (15.52) in May 1911. He won the AAU triple jump in 1911 and 1913-1918, mostly defeating Tim, who was runner-up in 1911, 1913-14, and 1916. Tim Ahearne born August 18, 1885 died December 1968. Tim Ahearne won the gold medal in the triple jump at 1908 Olympics held in London. Dan came 6th in the Olympics in 1920 triple jump, he was born in 1888 and died 1942.
LEAHY Family of Creggane
Seven brothers Leahy all atheletes. Pat and Con were the first brothers to win Olympic medals. First brothers to two Olympic medals each. The first family to win olympic medals in all three jumping events.
Martin Sheridan won a total of nine Olympic medals.
Michael Collins of Currans competed in the free style discus at the 1908 London Olympics games.
1900 High Jump Pat Leahy of Creggane won SILVER 1.78m
1900 Long Jump Pat Leahy BRONZE 6.95m
1900 Hammer John Flanagan GOLD 51.01m
1904 3,000m S/C John Daly SILVER 7.40.61
1904 Hammer John Flanagan GOLD 51.23m
1904 Decathlon Tom Kiely GOLD 6,036 pt
1908 High Jump Con Leahy of Creggane won SILVER 1.88m
1908 Triple Jump Tim Ahearne of Athea won GOLD 14.92m
1908 Shot Putt Denis Horgan SILVER 13.62m
1908 Hammer John Flanagan GOLD 51.92m
Jer. tells me that the Ahernes and the Leahys had cousins in Knockanure.
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A Fact
Fidel Castro estimated that he saved 10 working days a year by not bothering to shave,
Photo credit; Paul Madigan, Blackwater Photographic Society
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In Kildare
Recently I spent a lovely few days in Kildare Town. Symbols of Kildare’s heritage are everywhere in The Square.
This building has been repurposed as The Kildare Town Heritage Centre.
St. Brigid presides over everything in Kildare town.
This is one of the many murals dotted all around the town. This one celebrates the town’s long connections with horse racing.
Utility boxes, litter bins, gable walls, it looks like every usable surface has a piece of public artwork on it.
The horse charging into town on this wall is part of there Legends trail.
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A Medieval Poem
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Sportstar with a Listowel Connection
While we are recovering from Paris 2024, here’s this from the archives.
On the left is Helen Lyons whom I photographed a few years ago with her lovely mother. Helen’s mother has passed away now. Her more famous brother passed away in 2018. Here is his Olympic story…
Pat Leane competed at the 1952 and 1956 Olympics, appearing in the decathlon both times, finishing ninth in 1956. He also competed in the high jump and long jump in 1952. Leane won the 1960 Australian Championship in decathlon, and two weeks after that won the Victorian title with a personal best. In all, he won six Victorian decathlon championships, and also finished second at the 1957 Australian Championships in the javelin throw. In 1979 Leane was still competing, finishing 15th in the Victorian decathlon event, while competing alongside his sons, Brendan and Pat Jr.
Below is an article written a few years before his first Olympics. This was sent to me a few years ago by Monica and John Summers who live in Australia.
PAT’ S A STAR ALL-ROUNDER
Rugged PatLeane has impressive records for almost everything on the athletic field. He has hopes of Helsinki
TWENTY – TWO – YEAR – OLD’ six-footer Pat- Leane, of Oakleigh, 13 stone of Irish pluck, must be Victoria’s most versatile amateur athlete.
Australian Olympic selectors have so far overlooked him, but happy-go-lucky, curly-haired Pat hasn’t given up hope yet.
He’s going to make one last do-or-die bid to crash his way into the Helsinki team this month. And rugged Pat can do it if anyone can.
Tomorrow he will be in the last stage of the stiff Victorian decathlon championship – the perfect outlet for his varied and out-standing talents.
Title-holder Leane‘s best total so far has been 5,886points. But he’s training hard daily, and is sure he can reach the Olympic standard of 7,000 points, provided he is not hampered by adverse weather or track conditions.
Talk to the star and you find him almost excessively modest, but his list of best performances easily qualify him as the State’s leading cne-man athletic team.
Here they are:
High Jump: 6ft. 5¿in.
Broad Jump: 24ft. 23in.
Hop, Step, and Jump:
44ft. 6in.
Pole Vault: 10ft. 9in.100 Yards: 10.1sec.220 Yards: 23.3sec.
440 Yards: 51.7sec.
Javelin Throw: 165ft.Shot Put: 38ft.
Discus Throw: 128ft. 6in.120 Yards
Hurdles: 16.9 sec
1,500 Metres: 5.20
Pat has already proved him-self Australia’s best broad and high jumper this season, and recently became the only athlete to better the Olympic standard of 6ft. 4in. for the high jump.
When he’s not concerned with improving his athletic form, schoolteacher Pat is also well up in the football world. A brilliant centre half-forward, he played with Association club Oakleigh in 1947-48-49, and Golden Point, Ballarat, in ’50
For recreation he plays a keen game of tennis, and in his spare time plays the piano!
A natural athlete, Pat began picking up sport trophies as a12-year-old at De La Salle College, Malvern. He was good at football, cricket, and handball,and school champion in the 100and 220 yards, high and broad jumps, and shot put.
He had some early tips from De La Salle honorary coach. BobWright, and now gets a little advice occasionally from “Pop”Gordon, well-known University coach. Mostly, however, he trains by himself, and figures out his own schedules.
“It’s more fun that way,” he says.
Experts believe he has such terrific potential that If he had been coached consistently over the last 10 years he would now be in top international class in any one of his strong events. But Pat, undisturbed, likes to have a go at everything,although he prefers jumping.
For his decathlon training Pat Is building up stamina with two six-minute miles once a week, and improving technique on five other days.
Pat‘s future is uncertain. His burning ambition is to represent Australia at the Olympic Games. But if he doesn’t go to Helsinki, his athletic career may be cut short.
Pat’s engaged to a Ballarat girl, and a tempting offer has been made for him to play professional football with North Melbourne.
He makes no attempt to disguise his love for athletics, but professional football would help him establish a home. It would also immediately disqualify him as an amateur.
Pat’s’ parents hail from County Kerry, and they’re mighty proud of their son.
“But,” says Pat with a smile probably they reckon he’d be a world-beater at the good old Irish game of hurley.
“that’s one game at which I’d draw the line -it’s too tough!”
– Alan Trengove
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A Fact
You can buy cannabis in the U.S. …as birdseed!
The feathers of birds who feed on it have a glossy sheen,
