As Far as Turn Back

A Listowel Backway

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Learning the Lessons of History

Those who don’t learn from the mistakes of history are destined to repeat them.

The debate in Castleisland was short lived. They didn’t even have to resort to the Listowel solution to a Listowel problem. They are going to leave well enough alone. This time the people spoke in today’s forum for people who are unhappy with a proposal to let rip. Let rip they did. Some people wanted no change. Some people were okay with change but not to O’Connell. Various names were suggested until the whole debate descended into chaos. So Main Street Castleisland will remain Main Street for the foreseeable future. In Irish it is simply An Phríomhshráid, a direct translation.

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Kerry Women in Literature at Kerry Writers’ Museum

There was a big imbalance in the representation of Kerry writers in the KWM. The exhibition which opened on May 28 2025 set out to right that wrong.

On opening night Owen MacMahon told me of a conversation he heard reported when the question of gender balance was being debated in the golf club. The wise man in this conversation said that any lady who sought equality with men lacked ambition.

I don’t think many would argue that the women in this exhibition were the equal or superior to household names in Irish writing such as Bryan MacMahon, John B. Keane or Brendan Kennelly. They still deserve some recognition.

Maureen Beasley’s daughter reads what the museum has to say about her mother.

The Beasley family with the Chair of KWM, David Browne

Artist and model…The work of the writers is “reimagined through contemporary art.” Artist, Damien Daly, chose Beatrice Mannix to represent the themes in Sonja Broderick’s poem, The Best of Times.

They posed for me by the artwork. My picture does not do the piece justice.

Eamon ÓMurchú, Seán MacCarthy and Gabriel Fitzmaurice at the opening.

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Listowel Literary Festival 2025

Old friends, Ned O’Sullivan, Chair of Listowel Writers’ Week and Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Patrick O’Donovan. The minister endowed Listowel Writers’ Week with a grant of €25k.

(Photo: Dominick Walsh)

Some of the widespread coverage in the media. Listowel Literary Festival 2025 was a welcome PR boost for tourism in Listowel.

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A Poem

This Pat Boran poem was the unseen poem in this year’s Leaving Cert .English paper.

As Far as Turn Back

After we’ve walked for long enough

the conversation peters out,

and grunts, sniffs and the occasional cough

are all that punctuate the quiet.

Now and then, there’s a heel-burst

slipstream of shingle; a see-saw

slate-flat rock taps and trembles

its morse code underfoot;

a crow caws, a sheep responds

from a clump of grass a field away.

But that’s about the size of it.

No path agreed in advance,

we’re just out walking on this lockdown day,

taking the air and, taken by it,

leaving the road for animal tracks,

heading, as my father’s phrase would have it,

‘as far as turn back’.

And who knew that not knowing

where that turn would turn out to be

would turn out to be

the thing we’d miss the most.

Pat Boran

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Sunday Market

Every Sunday from now ’til October from 11.00a.m. to 3.00p.m. you can buy crafts, baked goods, vegetables, strawberries, knick knacks and more. Brew and Banter had a previous commitment last Sunday but they’ll be back.

The school principal was on hand to support the stall holders.

Lovely hand made toys and gifts

These are to lads I told you about yesterday. From their base in Tralee they are selling popular 3D printer made items.

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A Fact from Ireland’s Own

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