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

Author: listowelconnection Page 54 of 194

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

Dick Spring’s Favourite Poem

By

On April 25, 2024

In Listowel, Poem

Bunting at St. Mary’s to welcome the bishop and the young people who were confirmed on Friday last

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Redevelopment of the Neodata Site

Jimmy Moloney sent us this letter…

Dear Cllr.,

Thank you for attending the briefing today on this project. As discussed, please find attached plans and particulars for the proposed Trailhead Facility at the Neo-Data site.

This project is going out for Part 8 public consultation tomorrow 24th of April 2024 – with a closing date of submissions on the 5th of June 2024.  The plans will be available online and on display at the Council Offices in Listowel.

The Project is for the development of fully accessible ‘Trailhead Facilities’ at the former Neo-Data site at Bridge Road Listowel to service members of the public,  users of the North Kerry Greenway and users of the Childer’s Park amenities. The construction of the Trailhead Facilities is funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development under the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) and Kerry County Council (€550k). In summary the proposed facilities will provide vital infrastructure for people of all ages and abilities who enjoy walking, cycling, fishing, nature and spending time outdoors. 

Alongside this project, Kerry County Council is currently developing a masterplan for the larger riverside sites including the remainder of the Neo Data site, the Ball Alley and the Town Council Depot (see figure below). The masterplan shall examine and propose the potential other uses of the area as possible location for other outdoor recreation and sporting facilities which will add to the existing offering of sporting facilities in the surrounding area. These further sporting facilities will include for a hub building including showers and changing facilities which could also service users of the proposed Blueway on the River Feale. The development of the masterplan for the area is funded Under the Department of Rural and Community Development under Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) and Kerry County Council. 

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Regards

Micheál Lyons

SE

Capital Development Unit North

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Gaeilge ar na Sráideanna

More photos from a 2007 TY project

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Lifelines

This book was compiled by students at a Dublin secondary school. They wrote to well known people and asked them to nominate their favourite poem for inclusion in a fundraising book.

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Flowers of the Fairest

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Maurice Walsh

I’ve told you before that discovering treasures in the swap box at the library has become a delightful occurrence in my life .

(N.B. If you are a Maurice Walsh fan you won’t want to miss this;

Public lecture on the Listowel literary tradition by Dr Deirdre Serjeantson: ‘Landscape and Memory in the Novels of Maurice Walsh’. on Sunday June 2 at 3.00 p.m…part of the Writers Week programme)

Look what I found last week. Thank you to the donor.

More tomorrow

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Sad Tale from the Newspaper Archives

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Today’s Fact

In April 1843 William Wordsworth was appointed Poet Laureate to Queen Victoria.

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In Dublin

By

On April 24, 2024

In History, Listowel, Poem, Schools

Easter 2024 altar in St. Mary’s Church

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It all Happened Again, and Again and Again

From Pres. Secondary School yearbook 2004/05

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Knocknagoshel Phoenix 2006

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The Big Smoke

I took the train from Farranfore with my friend, Peggy, on a mission to see our old friends who usually travel in the other direction to meet us.

This sign is at the entrance to the station. Take a half a look at the translation of Live train/ platform information.

Did no one check it before it went up?

Who signed off on it?

We visited The National Gallery. It’s a beautiful place, so much more worthwhile than the shops.

The only shopping we did was in the National Gallery. There I spotted a Listowel connection, two displays of Anna Guerin’s Sock Co op souvenir socks.

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More Flowers

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We have a Champion

Schools 5- a -side soccer is like World Cup when you are 11.

Cora and her Gaelscoil Uí Riordáin team are Cork champions and Cora got the award for “Player of the Tournament”. On now to Munster in May.

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A Fact

The most difficult tongue twister in the world is

“The sixth sick sheik’s sixth sheep’s sick.”

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Changes

By

On April 23, 2024

In Listowel

Charles Street junction with Mill Lane

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Great plans for Listowel Community Centre

Photos from Listowel Community Centre on Facebook.

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A Black Diamond

Image and story from Folklore.ie

Black Diamond – Funeral Custom 

Here are some original black diamonds given to me by an undertaker from Kilmuckridge, Co. Wexford a few years which he had left over from the 1960s. 

For those of you who don’t know, there was once a tradition of wearing black diamonds on your left arm for a year after someone close to you died. This was to show you were in mourning and people claimed that it had to be on your left arm as it was closest to your heart. These were sewn onto you jacket and given to you by the undertaker at the time of the funeral.

I was showing a group of older people these today in a day care centre and they brought back many memories and naturally many did it. Interestingly there was one older man from Herefordshire in England and he remembered it too from his youth. It appears to have lasted longer here in Ireland but was mostly gone by the 1970s. You’ll still see the diamond on peoples arms in old photos and many people will still have the diamond in with the their memory (memorial) cards.

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Flowers in Town

One of the first signs of summer is the return of flowers to our streets.

Here are a few from last week.

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From My Yearbook Archive

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A Fact

When humans first set foot in Iceland the only native land mammal they encountered was the Arctic fox.

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Signs of Summer

By

On April 22, 2024

In Listowel

Upper William Street

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Gaeilge ar na Sráideanna

In 2007 some TY students in Pres. photographed instances of Gaeilge visible in town. Here are a few of their photos.

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A Poem from a Modern US Activist Poet

Poem shared on the internet.

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Knocknagoshel Phoenix 2006

Doggie Days

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Volunteers and a Donator/ Customer in Vincent’s

Mary, Hannah and Mary were the lovely shop assistants in the Vincent de Paul shop on Friday, April 19 2024. Brenda was bringing a donation but agreed to pose with an item of stock for my photograph.

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No Words

Irish Times, Saturday April 20 2024

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A Fact

The science of kissing is called philematology

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Arise, Knocknagoshel

By

On April 19, 2024

In Listowel, Poem, Tarbert

Upper William Street on an April Sunday in 2024.

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Another Story from my Knocknagoshel Phoenix

“Meetings” were election rallies, Trump style, but on a much smaller scale.

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Tarbert Ferry 2006

Some of my old pictures of the Tarbert Ferry

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Michael Hartnett’s Last Aisling

James Kenny found a copy of handwritten poem and David O’Sullivan found a print copy.

Now Vincent Carmody has been in touch.

Mary, 

Both hand written and printed Aislings are credited as written by Michael Hartnett, both dated 10 June 1991, one has John B’s name,  however, looking at the newspaper copy, dated Sunday, June 9th 2002, the poet has dedicated it to John B.,, in a line of the Aisling, it is not John B’s name thats mentioned, rather his brother, Eamon Keane.

I wonder is this due to the fact that John B, had died, 12 days previous, on May 30th 2002.

It would be nice to see the published version, Book of Strays, which was due to be brought out by The Gallery Press in September 2002.

Vincent.

If someone has Book of Strays, would you please look up the poem and see to which Keane brother it is dedicated.

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A Fact

Pedestrian crossings have gone from Zebra to Panda to Pelican. Zebra crossings allow pedestrians the right of way. They can cross when ever they want as soon as the traffic stops. Panda crossings are controlled by lights which stop the traffic at regular intervals to allow the build up of pedestrians to cross. Pelican crossings are the on-demand ones we are familiar with. The pedestrian presses a button to stop the traffic.

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