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
Among all the pomp and regalia of the coronation you may have missed this bit. Each monarch has his own individual cypher/logo.
This is Charles, the Third’s cypher. If he ever writes you a letter it will be at the top. In the unlikely event they ever place another postbox on a street corner in the UK it will be adorned with this cypher which is now the logo of the Royal Mail.
The king chose for the stamp an image without a crown or jewellery.
<<<<<<<<<
Changing of the Guard
Pat Healy has handed over the reins of Listowel Races Company to David Fitzmaurice after his three year stint in charge.
<<<<<<<<<<<
Michael O’Connor Archive update
I’ll begin with an apology. I told you that you could view the work of this extraordinary genius in Listowel. Kerry Writers’ Museum is not quite ready with their exhibition. I am assured it will be there for viewing by the end of May.
Apropos O’Connor’s winning the 1963 competition for design of the Irish Standards logo, David O’Sullivan has been delving in the newspapers and he found accounts of this very significant win.
The logo is still in use today. It is a marvel of perfect design. The photo of the design reproduced in the papers omits the essential fada.
<<<<<<<<<<
Celebrating Friendship
The Choctaw Nation in Oklahoma is the biggest native American Nation. We, in Ireland, have a special relationship with these people forged during one of the darkest periods in our history. They have now erected a memorial to celebrate our friendship.
In 2017 on a visit to friends in East Cork I visited Ireland’s Choctaw memorial just outside Middleton
<<<<<<<<
A Poem
Channelling James Joyce
<<<<<<<<
A Fact
“Sweating like a pig”…
Really?
Strange but true, pigs have no sweat glands so don’t sweat at all.
Molly Twomey is one of the poet’s. Here is a poem of hers
recently published in the newspaper.
Have you ever lied to me? I ask. You reply, that on our fifth date, you said a rock hit the wheel,
but it was a chaffinch. You didn’t turn and hand me that small flame of news but drove into the mango
and gunpowder sunset. Afraid I’d make you pull up to check that there were no quavers stuck in its throat.
That if its pulse didn’t react to my fingers tap-dancing on its keel bone, I’d want to bury it
under heather and moss. You thought I’d make you pray every time we drove from Lismore to Ballynoe, that our date
would become not the boardwalk, chips and the anemones but broken wings and blood wet feathers. I think of your ex
in North Carolina. How she might have perched and looked out to razed earth, waiting for you with your newly shaved beard,
hand luggage of notebooks and craft beer. Only for the fast and brutal machine of my heart to catch you off guard.
Molly Twomey has won the Padraic Colum Poetry Prize, the Waterford Poetry Prize, and has been awarded the Eavan Boland Mentorship Award and an Arts Council Literature Bursary. She is currently working on her debut collection.
<<<<<<<<<
Serendipity
Serendipity is all about making happy discoveries by chance.
Recently I got a demand for more money from Google as I had used up 70% of my storage. You will appreciate that the blog with all its pictures uses up a lot of storage space. I decided to clear out some of the old stuff to free up some space. I started with gmail.
Did you know that gmail has lots of strange folders called names like Promotions and Social? They slot emails into these folders without your spotting.
Long story short, in the folder called Social I found all of the late Fr. Pat Moore’s emails from Caring Bridge which was where he had a blog before he had his own website.
Here is his upbeat post from May 2016 with his individual take on life, complete with his unique appreciation of his home, his friends, and country folk in general.
R.I.P. Fr. Pat.
The bees are busy in the apple blossoms at the side of the house. I prefer apple blossoms to cherry blossoms for they seem to share more with the green leaves. And they seem to last much longer perhaps because they are more native than the Japanese cherry blossom.
Tom Costello lives on the banks of the river Feale. Someone called to him lately collecting for a new swimming pool they are building down in Limerick and asked for a contribution. He was delighted to support the project. He gave them a bucket of water from the river!
Sonny Egan told me of a local happening. A builder he knows was asked to build a two storey house for a rather mean tight man. Would he get enough money to complete the job he thought? ‘Do you know what we will do,’ he suggested. ‘We will build one storey and the second storey might be another story.’
Last night we remembered the wit of the late Jackie Healy as we recalled a different world. Jackie made a career out of being perceived to be lazy. At his 80th birthday party at The Jessie James Pub he was asked if he had any regrets. ‘I think I worked one day in my life,’ he said. ‘ Have you a garden this year,’ he was asked. ‘The only earth turned on my behalf will be the day I’m buried in the grave!’ Other sayings are either too local or wicked!
It’s First Communion season. My god-child, Caoimhe, made her Communion on Saturday and she came to see me on Sunday with her lovely family. My cousin Debbie is with me again.
The young swallows are learning to fly.
And all is well with the world this May evening.
May 16 2016
<<<<<<<<<<<<
Listowel Success at The Kingdom County Fair
Photo and text from The Irish Examiner
Many competing on the weekend said that the Kingdom County Fair was a great start to the season for them.
Michael Laffan from Kilfinny, Adare, Co Limerick, certainly agreed, as in the dairy classes on Sunday, he took home the Senior Champion and Supreme Female Champion titles for 2023 for Everground Hagley Gail 51.
“It’s great to be back,” Mr Laffan said, and the animals may have known they were gearing up for something too because in advance, “you’re washing them, and they would have got a little extra feed, just getting ready for today”.
“For a cow like this, you start with a nice udder that looks like it’s high and wide; good teat placement, from a milking point of view that they’re in the right place; and then we like a high-yielding cow so a cow with the capacity to yield,” he added.
As Mr Laffan was competing, he said he took notice of a lot of young people in attendance at the show – which instills great confidence in him about the future of these competitions, and brought back some memories for him.
“We started showing when our children were small and even though they’ve grown up, myself and my wife Margaret kept showing away,” he explained.
“We enjoy it, it’s nice to do of a Sunday, and it’s nice to take out the cows now and again,” according to Mr Laffan, who said his children continue to help out on the dairy farm and to prepare the cattle for competitions.
In the dairy section on Sunday at the Kingdom County Fair, the Junior Champion, Reserve Junior Champion, and Reserve Senior Champion titles went to Daniel and Emer Curtin from Listowel, Co Kerry.
Meanwhile, in the Young Handlers U-12 dairy class, Stephen Harty came first, Clodagh Kennelly in second, and Nora O’Carroll in third.
Jennifer Harty placed first in the Young Handlers 13-16 class, with Sarah O’Connell and Jacqui O’Connell in second and third.
<<<<<<<<<<
An Artefact
A butter churn…when our forefathers made butter this is what they used. It was a job that required careful attention to timing.
<<<<<<<<
A Fact
The Ancient Romans used to drop a piece of toast into their wine for good health. That is where we got the phrase to raise a toast.
A Well Deserved Tribute from The Kerry Association in Dublin
Photo and text from Traleetoday.ie
NÓRA Relihan has been chosen by the Kerry Association in Dublin as the 2023 recipient of the Kerry Association in Dublin Arts Award in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the Arts.
Nóra was an actor with Listowel Drama Group and Listowel Players, a Director, Adjudicator, Entertainer, Broadcaster, Writer, Nurse, Social Worker, Co-founder of the Listowel Players in 1959, Writers Week in 1971 and St John’s Theatre and Arts Centre in 1987.
A member of the Arts Council she was accorded a Civic Reception in Listowel in 2008 in recognition of her prestigious contribution to the Arts.
Born in Abbeyfeale in 1929, Nóra Ryle, as she was then known, was educated at Killorglin National School, Presentation Convent Milltown and Presentation Convent, Hospital, Co. Limerick.
Nóra was nurtured and encouraged by her exposure to theatre while a student nurse in Guy’s Hospital in London. While there she seized every opportunity to attend and watch plays, operas and musicals. She settled in Listowel in 1952 and there later married Michael Relihan.
It was the late Eamon Kelly who was a woodwork teacher in Listowel, and very involved with Listowel Drama Group with his late friend Bryan MacMahon, who first put Nóra on stage. Nóra became friends with John B. Keane when she returned from London.
In 1958 John B saw Nóra’s prize-winning production of Joseph Tomelty’s play “All Souls Night”. According to Nóra, he was not greatly impressed, and he told her he was going to write a play himself.
John Bs first play – SIVE – emerged. Nóra was cast as Mena Galvin, in her first character part, and Mena was part of her life until the early 1980’s. The play opened in February 1958 at Walsh’s Ballroom in Listowel.
Drama festival after drama festival brought major awards, ending triumphantly with All Ireland honours in Athlone, and the highest recognition of all from the Abbey Theatre.
Listowel Drama Group were invited to present SIVE in the Abbey Theatre in May 1959, an invitation that was extended before the All-Ireland final.
In late 1959 Nóra joined a professional company, which included the late Eamon Keane and J.G. Devlin, for a short season in the Grand Opera House, Belfast. Very shortly after that Nóra, with John B. Keane, founded the Listowel Players and chose SIVE as their first production.
For years afterwards Nóra applied herself to many acting roles with Listowel Players, as well as being producer and stage manager at various times.
In 1970 the then editor of “The Kerryman” Seamus McConville rang and asked Nóra if she could review a forthcoming radio programme, “A Gift of Ink” which was based exclusively around the many facets of Listowel and its environs.
Requests like this were not unusual as Nóra was a general contributor to “The Kerryman” and had a weekly television column. Nóra gave the programme an excellent review and it subsequently became available as a beautifully packaged long-playing record.
“A Gift of Ink” celebrated the work of writers from Listowel and Seamus Wilmot suggested to Tim Danaher that a writing festival be held in his native town. A list of proposals for a festival of the Arts was drafted and circulated to members of the Kerry Association in Dublin and to prominent people in Kerry, including the Secretary of the Listowel Race Week Harvest Festival Committee – Nóra Relihan.
Nóra chaired the meeting to discuss the proposal in Listowel in November 1970. Among the luminaries present were John B Keane, Bryan MacMahon, Luai O Murchú, Michael O Connor and the first Writers Week, under its first Chair, Luai O Murchú, took place from 2nd to 6th June 1971.
A special programme for the younger generation took place and at this Nóra presented a sensitive interpretation of the works of Bryan McMahon and John B. Keane. In 1976, Nóra as programme director of Writers Week, restructured the organising Committee from 11 to 5 subcommittees. She succeeded Luai O Murchú as Chairman in 1977.
The existence of St John’s Theatre and Arts Centre, and its outstanding contribution to the Arts in Listowel for over thirty years is due in no small measure to the vision, courage and single-mindedness of Nóra.
A meeting of Listowel Urban District Council was convened by the Chairman, Robert Pierce, who proposed that an ad-hoc Committee be set up to decide what would be done with St John’s and that Nóra be Chairman of the Committee. St John’s Founding Committee was established in 1987 under Nóra’s Chairmanship.
At this stage Nóra was recognised throughout Ireland and further afield as a woman of extraordinary ability, immense creativity, single minded vision and great courage. These artistic and personal qualities resulted in her being invited to become a member of the Arts Council. She used this position with discretion and wisdom to further her ambitions for St John’s.
Nóra was a regular contributor to “The Kerryman”, writing articles on a weekly basis on matters literary and social. Inevitably, she was invited to broadcast on Radio Kerry, with her first broadcast from O’Carroll’s window in the Square in Listowel. Nóra was such a successful broadcaster that on every Sunday for nine and a half years she aired her regular and informative radio programmes on Radio Kerry.
Writing and presenting for RTE, Lyric FM and Radio Kerry, Nóra was invited in 2001 by Paul Sheehan, General Manager and Programme Controller of Radio Kerry to present her radio programmes in book form, and so “Signposts to Kerry” was born.
Nóra had a varied career throughout her lifetime with solo tours, drama, TV, and film appearances, including “Fair City” and TG4 film “Limbo”.
Jimmy Deenihan, Chairperson of the Selection Committee, said “Nóra Relihan richly deserves this prestigious award in recognition of her immense contribution to the promotion of the Arts during her lifetime. One of her greatest achievements was the establishment of St. John’s Theatre and Arts Centre in Listowel which is regarded as the premier small arts centre in the country. She now joins the pantheon of renowned Kerry Artists who have received the award to date including Pauline Bewick, Brendan Kennelly, Fr Tony Gaughin and Fr Pat Aherne”.
In announcing the award, Mary Shanahan, Chairperson of the Kerry Association in Dublin said “Nóra has made a unique contribution to the promotion of the Arts in Kerry and nationally. She deservedly merits the accolade “Voice of the Kingdom” for her role as Director, entertainer, broadcaster and for her role in the various arts activities in North Kerry”.
In accepting the award Nóra Relihan said; “I am delighted and honoured to receive this award from the Kerry Association; it is a really lovely tribute to my interest and work in the arts over many decades”.
<<<<<<<<<
A Date for the Diary
<<<<<<<<
Another Michael O’Connor artwork
Wasn’t the late Michael O’Connor who was born in No. 24 The Square, Listowel the most versatile and productive of artists?
Every week Stephen Rynne seems to unearth another piece of this extraordinary artist’s work.
The news this time came from Michael’s son, Fr. Brendan O’Connor;
“…My father won a competition for the design of the Irish Standards mark for what was then the Institute for Industrial Research and Standards. It was a celtic eye shape, based on the letters c and é, the initial letters of the Irish words Caighdeán Éireannach (Irish Standard). The logo is still in use today as the Standards Mark for Ireland.” https://www.nsai.ie/certification/product-certification/the-irish-standard-mark/
‘The Irish Standard Mark signifies that a product has been manufactured in compliance with the relevant Irish Standard (I.S.). The symbol assures customers that the item meets certain basic standards and has been produced under a system of quality control supervised by NSAI.’
Michael O’Connor could do ornate intricate colourful illumination to the highest standard. He could do pared back minimalist graphic design to the highest standard as well. This modest Listowel man was, in short, a genius.
<<<<<<<<<
An Artefact
This looks like an old fashioned ash tray of the kind that cigarette smokers used to use in pubs.
Well. it’s not. it is a smoking related artefact alright but its actually a kind of glorified match box.
The outside edge of the receptacle is rough and you used this surface to strike your match which you had taken from the bowl part of this collector’s item.
<<<<<<<<
A Fact
At the first recital of Handel’s Messiah on April 13 1742 in The New Music Room in Fishamble Street Dublin, such was the demand for space that men were requested not to wear their swords and ladies not to wear hooped skirts.
Ballybunion’s MOYA festival on the May bank holiday weekend was a resounding success. I was at the craft and food fair on Sunday…the best ever.
This Ballylongford crafter and her daughter had a wide range of unusual crafts for sale.
Delia was there with her beautiful unique ceramics.
These were just two of the myriad of stall holders
Drumdance Ireland were entertaining the younger ones. Bouncy Castles, treats, animals, food, a great festival going from strength to strength.
<<<<<<<<<
Call Cards
Remember the call card?
Once upon a time these were the nearest we had to mobile phones. I always carried one of these in case of any necessity to make a call from a phonebook.
There were thousands of these issued and they featured all sorts of things, like famous people, festivals, advertising products etc. I used to collect them. Mine have absolutely no value as only ones in mint condition are valuable and even only very few of those. If you have a few still in their cellophane wrapper, you’ll have to hold on for a few hundred years before your descendants cash in
Here are a few to jog your memory;
<<<<<<<<<<<
Bed warmers
I mentioned a hot water jar I spotted in Tankers’ window, and lo and behold, Eddie Moylan, an antiquarian, literally on my doorstep, has a collection of them.
<<<<<<<<<
A Poem
Poetry Ireland published some poems on convenient little cards for World Poetry Day. They are all lovely, touching and accessible.
<<<<<<<<<<<
At Punchestown
Beautiful Mary O’Halloran and her daughter Louise at the recent Punchestown meet.
Mary is living with Motor Neurone Disease, In true best dressed style, Mary gets up, dresses up and shows up. All her Listowel friends are hugely proud of her.
<<<<<<<<<
A Fact
Botanically a strawberry is not a berry but a banana is.
This unusual piece is in St. Patrick’s Hall. It is the work of Micheál Kelliher.
<<<<<<<<<<
Coming to Listowel Writers Week 2023
This is Elaine Feeney whose latest novel, How to be Build a Boat, is reviewed in all of last weekend’s newspapers.
I haven’t read it yet but it sounds like a fairly light summer read so I’m in.
I have only recently read Emilie Pine’s Ruth and Pen. I loved Eleanor Oliphant too. If you are familiar with these, you will know that the protagonists are neurodiverse people. Sounds like Feeney’s hero is too.
<<<<<<<<
In a Listowel Pub Window
I snapped these old artefacts as I passed Tankers recently.
My mother had a sewing machine just like this. Back then sewing machines were either hand operated or treadle. The treadle ones were brilliant as they left both hands free to manoeuvre the material that was being sewn.
This old wireless was once a luxurious item.
This item is a bit before my time. I think it is an early hot water jar used to warm the bed. I could be wrong in that though.
<<<<<<<<<<<
A Different Kind of Concert
<<<<<<<<<
Crowley’s Fest
Here is Raymond O’Sullivan’s introduction to Bealtaine and Crowley’s Fest:
Bealtaine approaches and we move into the light half of the year. Our Celtic ancestors originally divided the year in two, the dark half, and the new year, beginning at Samhain, and the light half at Bealtaine. Similarly, their days began in the darkness, at sunset. An ‘airy’ time of year when the ‘little people’ are moving house, from their winter to their summer lodgings, and also the time when music lovers move to the sunny south west for the annual Crowley’s Fest in Kenmare.
The Cíarraí Theas crowd certainly know how to pick an appropriate and auspicious time and place to throw a party. On Sunday evening, to the sound of music, we’ll SPRING into SUMMER as the golden sun sets in Inbhear Scéine. The exact time and place where, according to mythology, Parthalán led one of the first groups of pioneers to settle in Ireland.
“Samhradh buí ó luí na gréine,
Thugamar féin an samhradh linn.”
I may have strayed a little off the purpose of this post, but here it is, the list of the events for the weekend:-
<<<<<<<<<<
A Ghost Story from Ballybunion
A story recorded by Sheila Sheahan as told by her mother aged 52 in 1937 or 38. The story is preserved in the Schools’ Folklore Collection in the National Archives
About thirty years ago on Christmas night a man in Beale had to leave his own house and he had to take his candle in his hand to a neighbour’s house, because he was hunted by ghosts who asked him to leave as there was to be a fight that night between the Wrens and the Shines who lived in the neighbourhood some year before.
As he and his sister were leaving, a man whom they knew to be dead of years offered to lead them and when they went out in the yard, he had to divide the crowd to allow them pass. The day before the place was covered with magpies and he did not know what was to happen.
The morning after this he was going fishing. The moon had risen. When he got up, he thought it was day. He went to the boathouse and waited under his canoe until it was bright. As he was about to lie under the canoe, the man who told him to leave his house the night before came to the canoe and peeped in. He told him that if they went fishing that morning, someone would be drowned.
When it was bright he and four other men went fishing. They were not far out when a great storm came and overturned the boat and two men were drowned.
<<<<<<<<<
A Fact
The term Honeymoon comes from the Babylonians. They declared mead, which is a honey flavoured wine, as the official wedding drink. The bride’s parents were required to keep the groom supplied with mead for a month after the wedding….the honeymoon period.
Samhradh buí ó luí na gréine,