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
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Mary Cogan, retired from teaching in Presentation Secondary School, Listowel, Co. Kerry. I am a native of Kanturk, Co. Cork.
I have published two books; Listowel Through a Lens and A minute of your Time
The music festival was a huge success. A big well done to all the organisers. They brought some world class acts right to our doorstep.
The story of the weekend has to be Sharon Shannon in Áras Mhuire. I got the story and photos on Áras Mhuire Facebook page. They give all the credit for arranging the visit to Aiden O’Connor of Mike the Pies.
Sharon was joined by local musicians, Eamonn and Tom.
Sharon met James Gould
with Breda Moore whom she met first many years ago.
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From the Archives
Unfortunately, there is no year given on the poster.
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Footballers
Paudie Clifford, present Kerry captain and Jimmy Deenihan, former Kerry captain met up in in Garvey’s Super Valu when Paudie brought the Sam Maguire (on loan from Armagh) to the opening of the revamped Listowel store.
A snail in Wexford; Photo credit, Mick O’Callaghan
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What an Athlete!
The great Paul O’Donovan this weekend won his seventh world gold medal, this time rowing alone is the lightweight skull championships. He stayed away from any Olympic celebrations, where, of course, he also won gold in a boat with Fintan MacCarthy. What focus, what dedication? Superman!
AND let’s not forget that Siobhan McCrohan won bronze at the world championships as well. That was a great achievement too against a strong field of oarswomen.
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A Bronze Horse
Several people have talked to me about Tony O’Callaghan’s bronze artworks since I featured the ones I happened upon in The Bons in Cork.
Then Liam ÓHainnín shared this from a Love of History page on Facebook.
“The Jockey of Artemision is a large Hellenistic bronze statue of a young boy riding a horse, dated to around 150–140 BC.
It is a rare surviving original bronze statue from Ancient Greece and a rare example in Greek sculpture of a racehorse. Most ancient bronzes were melted down for their raw materials some time after creation, but this one was saved from destruction when it was lost in a shipwreck in antiquity, before being discovered in 1926.
It may have been dedicated to the gods by a wealthy person to honour victories in horse races, probably in the single-horse race (Greek: κέλης – kēles). The artist is unknown.”
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Budapest
People may remember my grandsons, Sean and Killian, who used to holiday every summer in Listowel. We used to visit Kennedy’s Pet Farm, Coolwood, The Donkey Sanctuary as well as Ballybunion, The Rose of Tralee and the Dog Track. Happy days!
Now the boys are young men and spreading their wings. This summer their travels took then to Portugal, Strasburg and only last week to Budapest. Sean sent me these photos of the world renowned fireworks display for St. Stephen’s Day 2024.
St Stephen’s Day, Hungary’s national holiday, is celebrated on August 20. It commemorates the first king of Hungary. There is a massive fireworks display on The Danube. It is attended by huge crowds.
Getting home on The Metro was “mental”, according to Sean.
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A Monday Kind of Poem
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The Bad Old Days
Dublin, 19 June 1915 – The Fresh Air Association has appealed for funds to allow it continue its work of sending underprivileged children in Dublin for a week in the countryside to relieve them from the troubles of life in the city.
The association estimates the cost of five shillings a week procures board and lodging in healthy surroundings for a child for a week. In a statement this week, the association claimed: ‘None but those who work among the poor have any idea of the happiness it affords the young people to see the green fields, and enjoy the pure air of the country.’
[Editor’s note: This is an article from Century Ireland, a fortnightly online newspaper, written from the perspective of a journalist 100 years ago, based on news reports of the time.]
The above is from The National Archives
Jer found the following in a later 1920s newspaper…
At a public meeting in Cork a Fresh Air Fund was inaugurated for the purpose of giving poor children holidays in the country or at the seaside. The Lord Mayor, Councillor Daly, presided. The project was sponsored by Cork Council of Women, and Miss Long, Secretary of the Dublin Fresh Air Fund, explained the working of the scheme.
Does anyone remember any of these children coming to Kerry?
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A Fact
The Eiffel Tower was originally intended for Barcelona but the project was rejected.
Another snap of the Wexford garden of Mick O’Callaghan
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A Listowel Connection in Ballincollig
The Baker after whom this street is named was connected by marriage to the Gleasure family of The Square, Listowel.
This is the latest housing development on Baker Street.
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The Honan Chapel, UCC
The beautiful national treasure that is the Honan Chapel.
This doorway has featured in many many wedding photographs.
The nave with its iconic river mosaic
The stained glass in this church is among the best there is.
Eleven of the windows are the work of Harry Clarke. I thought this was St. Gobnait. Now I’m not so sure.
The plaque commemorating the Honan family who contributed generously to the establishment of this chapel and the nearby Honan hostel.
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A Poem
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Goodnight Sister
I took this picture of Nell McCafferty at Women in Media in Ballybunion in 2018. Nell passed away on August 21 2024.
Nell was a fearless advocate for women’s rights. She will always be remembered in these parts for her outspoken championing of Joanne Hayes during her ordeal at the hands of men in Tralee courthouse.
Nell was a voice for voiceless women. May she rest in peace.
A Fact
The car manufacturer, Volvo, made the three point seatbelt design patent open and available free of charge to other car manufactures. They did this in the interests of safety.
This seems like terrible discrimination by NY protestants in the 19th century. There are plenty of incidences of similar insularity from Catholics in Ireland. Up to the 1960s we were forbidden to set foot inside a protestant church. During the Dublin Lockout of 1913 when the children of the striking workers were starving, the Catholic clergy of the time refused to allow them to be fostered out to Protestant families who were willing to take them in.
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Nana was Naughty
Nana bought Aoife the dearest lollipop in the shop (or maybe even in any shop) while Mammy was doing the food shopping
Aoife agreed to sing dumb.
It was well worth the money.
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Eclipse, The Pony
This is where Róisín’s pony lives and where she goes to ride him.
This equestrian centre is situated in the rolling hillside of Crookstown, Co. Cork.
I was only the driver. Aimee was the able assistant and videographer for the day.
Aimee took the selfie when Eclipse was all tacked up and ready to go.
In the arena
Eclipse wanted to get up close and personal.
I was on the outside with the dogs.
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A Fact
The driest place on earth is in the Atacama Desert in Chile. Rain has never been recorded in some parts of this desert.
Mick O’Callaghan’s photo of a corner of his garden
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The Curragh Military Museum
I visited here on my Kildare holiday. All my photographs are taken outdoors. Photography is not allowed in the museum.
Frightening looking field guns and tanks are on display.
My son in law, who is a member of the army reserve and is familiar with much of this artillery was my guide. Aoife was there too.
This museum is well worth a visit for anyone interested in military history.
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From The Archive
The gymnasium was in the sportsfield.
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Lessons in Sport
I like to support my family’s sporting endeavours when I can.
That’s Cora, No. 19 waiting with her friends for their turn to go on at their Under 13 developmental match in Bishopstown on Friday August 16 2024.
30 girls turned up for each side and everyone got a chance to play half a game.
Ballincollig, Cora’s team, were playing Bishopstown. This is what happened before the game.
A lovely young lady who was a member of Bishopstown GAA club, Kate Wibbe, had lost her life in a road accident earlier in the week. Kate had just celebrated her 23rd. birthday and was on her way to work at her first job when the tragedy occurred.
On Friday evening, before the game, on a pitch on which Kate had trained and played, 60 young girls and their mentors bowed their heads and observed a minute’s silence. It was very sad, very sobering and very respectful, a valuable life lesson on the solidarity of sport. GAA is family.
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Big Day in Super Valu tomorrow
The official reveal of Garvey’s Listowel store revamp is on tomorrow Thursday August 22 2024.
Special guests, tastings, giveaways and fun in store. The shop is looking fab. when I visited yesterday the pimping was in full swing.
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A Fact
There are at least thirty ways of saying “drunk” in Ireland. Here are twenty to be going on with;
Three sheets in the wind, out of his skull, stocious, in the staggers, scuttered, scundered, polluted, legless, ossified, twisted, rat-arsed, bollixed, jarred, fluthered, paralytic, pissed, half cut, shit-faced, locked, langers etc., etc, etc.
