
A Listowel backway in June 2025
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A Train Journey

I took this photo in Kent train station in Cork on the day I travelled to Newbridge, Friday July 4 2025. At first glance it looked like all the ticket collection machines were out of order.
If you haven’t travelled by train lately you wont be familiar with the present routine. You book your ticket online, you get a collection number to put into this machine to collect your physical ticket at the station. You need a physical ticket to open the barriers to get to the train in some stations. Cork is one.
The machine at which you print your ticket is also the machine where you buy your ticket if you have not booked online. On July 4th 2025 the train was fully booked (travellers to Longitude and the Cork hurling match).There were no tickets for sale but there were a lot of people needing to collect tickets. Iarannrod Eireann had sent me an email the day before asking me to collect my ticket the day before, if possible. Not possible! They did try to help the situation on the day by posting a man at the one open terminal to speed up collection.
I can’t understand why they couldn’t leave all the terminals open and put a sign saying. Train fully booked. This machine is for ticket collection only by passengers with prebooked tickets.
They say that if you are the smartest person in the room, you are in the wrong room. Was I in the wrong train station?

I’ve mentioned this before but there is a chasm between the platform and the train in Cork. You may have seen the ramp they have for wheelchair users. Well, in my opinion, they should put these ramps down at the doors in Kent station as a matter of course. I think I’ll write to the station master and see what he says. I’ll keep you posted.
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Dining in Newbridge

I’m sure there are plenty of places to eat in Newbridge. I went to the one that came highly recommended and I can add my recommendation here.

specials at Lilly and Wild

I had the Feta cheese with fig etc. It was delicious.
If you take my recommendation and go to Lily and Wild, be warned. This marvellous restaurant is in a furniture shop. No body warned me so when I went in I immediately came out again, thinking I was in the wrong place.

This is one bit of the breakfast display in The Keadeen. There was another station with cereals, another with juices, another with breads and pastries and ,of course, a huge hot array of fried food. I didn’t take photos of everything in case people thought I was never left out.
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Two Newbridge Facts

This bar was a favourite stopping off point for John B. Keane on his way to and from Dublin.

The Irish comedian, Hal Roche, was a native of Newbridge.

Hal’s seat is on a flower bedecked corner of the Main Street.
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A Wedding in Australia in 1937
Catholic Freeman’s Journal
June 24 1937 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
WOLLONGONG. CATHOLIC FREEMAN’S JOURNAL WEDDINGS. MORAN – GRIFFIN. At
St. Columba’s Church, Bribbaree, on Saturday, June 12, a singular
honour was conferred on Miss Agnes M. Griffin, and Mr. John L. Moran,
when they began their married life with the blessing of his Lordship
Most Rev. John Barry, D.D., Bishop of Goulburn. After he had
solemnised the marriage his Lordship celebrated the Nuptial Mass and
was assisted by Rev. Father Griffin, Bribbaree, and Rev. Father
Butler, B.A., Michelago. Rev. Father Morrison, Young, was also
present. In the pretty little rural church, where her brother, the
Rev. Father D. J. Griffin, parish priest, and which had been her
special care and pride ever since he was appointed to Bribbaree, the
bride made a radiant picture of happiness as she knelt at Holy Mass to
receive from his Lordship the solemn blessing of Mother Church in the
new state she had undertaken. Despite the fact that the ceremony was
ranged for the early hour of 6.45 a.m.. the little church was almost
filled with well – wishers as the bride – to – be left her brother’s
presbytery, where she has been his housekeeper and faithful companion
during the busy years in which his spare moments have been devoted to
the organisation and service of the Goulburn Diocesan Union of the
Holy Name Society. The bride is the daughter of the late James D.
Griffin and Mrs. Catherine Griffin, of Listowel, Co. Kerry, Ireland,
and she is the baby of a grand old Irish family of eleven. She came
upon her to Australia in 1933, and brother’s appointment to the charge
of the parish in 1934 she came to Bribbaree. The bridegroom, Mr. John
L. Moran, is the son of well – known pioneer family, the late Martin
Moran and Mrs. Hanorah Moran, ” Merrylands, ” who came to the
Bribbaree district from Victoria almost half a century ago, and during
those well – nigh fifty years Mrs. Moran has been one of Bribbaree’s
foremost church workers, and her indomitable spirit and material
devotedness. were borne witness to a few weeks ago when the whole of
her family gathered together to celebrate her seventieth birthday. The
bride was given away by Mr. John Davis, Postmaster, Cowra, who has
been an intimate friend of her brother ever since his arrival in
Australia in 1921. Mr. Kevin Dunn, nephew of the bridegroom, and Miss
Kathleen Moran, sister of the bridegroom. were best man and bridesmaid
respectively. The immediate relatives were entertained to a wedding
breakfast by Mrs. Moran, senr., at Merrylands, where Rev. Father
Butler presided. The happy couple were the recipients of many valuable
gifts. Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Moran are making their future home at
Bribbaree, where a new cottage is being erected for them.
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True!

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