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

Category: Festivals Page 3 of 18

Listowel, World Centre of Modern Celtic Art

June 2024

Listowel Centre Stage at the Day of Celebration of Celtic Art

International Day of Celtic ArtIDCA Online Conference

SPEAKER: Stephen Rynne

TOPIC: Celtic Arts Podcast Discussion & Launch

TOPIC: Listowel, The World Capital of Modern Celtic Art

Stephen lives in the West of Ireland where he raises his three children after being widowed in 2012. He has an Honours BSc. from Oxford Brookes University in England and he has been caring for his son who has Epidermolysis Bullosa and Autism since his birth.

In 2019 he discovered, fell in love and picked up all he can to do with the Celtic Arts, in particular Modern Celtic Art from the late 1800s onward. Having spent years discovering the joys of Celtic Art he has decided to put his discoveries to good use in a podcast called ‘Celtic Arts Podcast’ that launches at the International Day of Celtic Art Conference, 2024

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BE SURE TO REGISTER:

https://us06web.zoom.us/…/tZMkf-uurjgpGdHR242SJQQvtc0R…

EVENT CALENDAR {According to your own time zone}: 

https://teamup.com/ksh7rbwbu4otdgusji

CELTIC FRAME CREDIT: Shelby Whitesell

These presentations by Stephen are well worth attending. We are lucky in that they are now available in a livestream online.

Michael O’Connor formerly of No. 24 The Square Listowel is, without doubt, Listowel’s greatest visual artist. Some of his work is displayed in Kerry Writers’ Museum, his former home.

Stephen in his presentation to this year’s international conference will present the work, not only of O’Connor, but also the incomparable work of Listowel artists like Pat Mc Aulliffe and the inimitable Paddy Fitzgibbon.

There is nothing remotely like this anywhere in the world. Listowel is grateful to Stephen for bringing world attention to this under appreciated genius.

Opening Night LWW 2024

Here are a few photos I took on May 29 2024

Matt and Mary are regulars at Arts events in town, particularly if such events are as Gaeilge and involve two of Matt’s passions, music and poetry.

Dick is another amateur poet. Eileen and Dick discovered a connection with me through this blog recently. I posted a picture of Castlemagner church. Dick recognised the beautiful exposed stonework of a church he and Eileen had seen when they attended a wedding in the late 1960s. Fact is often stranger than fiction. Eileen is a great friend of one of my Kanturk cousins and she and Dick attended the wedding of Julie O’Callaghan, who was Eileen’s pal in nurse training, to the late Flor Sullivan (Tourist).

There really are only three degrees of separation.

Friends, Ena, Jean and Áine

Mary Frances and Helena

Jim and Mrs. MacMahon

Con, Catherine and Seán were there to enjoy the occasion.

A Poem

Brian Bilston is an extraordinary poet. He hits the nail on the head every time.

A Fact

Laughing 100 times is equal to 15 minutes of exercise on a stationary bicycle.

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After Writers Week 2024

Listowel Arms Hotel, scene of much of the action last weekend.

Listowel Printing works in Tannavalla

I’ll be a frequent visitor here for the next while. Watch this space.

June Weekend 2024

As predicted, there was way too much on last weekend. I got to see a small fraction of Writers’ Week and I never got to The Races.

May 29 2024 started out with an early morning trip to the hospital. This trip took a little longer than planned.

When you’re in a hurry there is always roadworks.

Muskerry Golf Club to the right. My late father in law was once president here.

Pastureland and grazing cattle to the left of me.

Home at last in time to see Uachtarán na hEireann in The Listowel Arms.

When your Friend goes to The Chelsea Flower Show

and the whole village is a flower show.

A Fact

New York city keeps train tracks free of ice by setting them n fire.

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An Old Song by a Listowel Man

Fitzpatrick’s, Church Street

A Listowel Balladeer

Tim McCrohan’s grandfather kept faith with his literary roots and penned this ballad.

Tim wrote;

Thought I’d pass along this Irish Ballad which was written by my grandfather, James McCrohan, in 1904. He was born in Coolkeragh township in 1865 to Edmund and Mary (Buckley) McCrohan. The family later lived in Listowel.

We’re not sure if there was a young woman at the time who was his inspiration for the song (because he didn’t marry for the first time until many years later.)

Timothy McCrohan

Tim sent me the sheet music and Dave O’Sullivan extracted the lyrics for us.

My true Irish Maiden

1

In a lovely thatched cot lives a sweet Irish maid.

In far away Ireland which wide branches shade.

Where the robin sings gaily and mad waters roar

The fond spot I met you my darling, ‘astore’

Oh Kathleen Mavourneen

My own ‘Coleen Rhu’

Your sweet sunny smiles love and bright eyes of blue.

And your golden ringlets I fondled with care

My true Irish maiden there’s none half as fair.

Chorus:

For she is my own Irish maid

With smiles so charming and rare

And bright eyes of blue so faithful and true

I love you my own

My own, I love you.

2

In the mossy green dell where the woodbines entwine

I looked in your eyes love so true and divine.

And I kissed your fond lips like dew drops so bright

My true Irish maiden my fond heart’s delight.

Oh Cushla mavourneen, my sweet Irish bride

Sure happy I’ll be love with you by my side.

And true as the stars love in heaven’s fair sky

My true Irish maiden I will love till I die.

Róisín Meaney in the library

Make a window in your packed schedule to bring the smallies to the library for this popular local writer’s event.

A Lament

I took this from Maurice O’Mahony’s great book, A History of Coolard National School.

The poem is addressed to Dolly Dowling, who died in the US and whose remains were brought home by air. She is buried in Galey Cemetery. Dolly, whose real name was Nora, was a pupil of Coolard in 1904. Her grandfather, John Neligan, was a principal of the school.

A Kerry Journalist

A Poem

Opening Night

Tonight is opening night of Listowel Writers’ Week 2024. I’ll be there. I read in the programme that there is ban on recording, but I’ll see if I can grab a few pictures for you.

A Fact

There is a satirical publication called The Devil’s Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce. I picked up a copy in the swap box in the library. It is hilarious.

Here is an example of a definition;

Clairvoyant; A person, commonly a woman, who has the power of seeing that which is invisible to her patron – namely, that he is a blockhead.

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Vote for Ard Chúram

David Kissane’s picture of The Hill in Lacca, Lisselton in May 2024

Tim McCrohan’s Visit

Tim McCrohan visited Listowel on his honeymoon in 1983 and he got a Céad Mile Fáilte from Dr. Johnny Walsh.

He writes;

Hello Mary, 

Yes…so THANKFUL you were able to forward my message on to her (Eleanor). As I previously wrote, when we visited Listowel to search for some family gravesites during our honeymoon back in 1983, we met with Dr. Walsh (who had cared for my uncle when he resided at a local nursing home in 1955.) Because we were in the U.S. and had no other family there to bury him when he passed, my dad had sent Dr. Walsh monies to bury his uncle after he passed away in 1955. My dad had never been able to visit the town where his own father was born, so when we honeymooned in Ireland, we took a day trip to see if we could locate the gravesite or even the Dr who took care of my uncle.  It was a long shot, as the last contact our family had with the Dr was almost 30 years previous. To our surprise, we did locate Dr. Walsh’s office who, when we introduced ourselves, closed his practice and took us around the town. (I share my uncle’s (who he cared for and buried) same name (Timothy McCrohan), so he immediately recognized it when I introduced myself.)  During the visit throughout the town, he said our family home was at 15 Main Street. They would have lived there in the late 1850s/1870s. At the time of our visit, it was then the DJ Larkin Building, next to the Spinning Wheel Restaurant.  He also took us by the Kennedy Nursing Home (or what was formerly known as, “Greenlawn” Nursing home back in the late 1940’s/1950’s.) which was owned/operated by Dr. Walsh. According to his daughter, Eleanor (Walsh) Belcher, (who we subsequently connected with via your site) he set up the nursing home in 1948.  She would, on occasion, visit there with him when she was a young girl, so she felt it was likely she may have even met my uncle during one of those visits when he resided there in 1955. I’ve attached a few pics of our visit back then of the Kennedy Nursing Home (Church Street), Dr. John Walsh’s office (26, The Square) and the DJ Larkin Building (15 Main Street) (upper loft would have been our family’s residence back in the 1850/60’s). As I previously relayed to you, Dr. Walsh knew exactly where my uncle had been laid to rest (because he took care of the entire burial for our family) so he took us to see it.  What a wonderful surprise it was to meet Dr. Walsh, visit my Uncle’s gravesite, and to see and learn about the town of Listowel.  We were so grateful! 

I’ve been thoroughly enjoying reading all the various blogs from your site, which gives me great insight to the town my family was from. 

Thank you again!

(Another McCrohan story tomorrow)

Forget Bilocation. You’ll need Trilocation

There is so much on in Listowel on the June Holiday Weekend 2024 that visitors will be spoilt for choice.

Of course there is The Races.

Then this;

St. John’s has a packed programme of events for young and old.

And, of course, Writers’ Week

Your Vital Vote

AIB is giving away big money to local charities all over Ireland. Charities get a one off chance to apply so it is important that we pull out all the stops to get them as much as we can on the first (and only) time of asking.

Ard Churam is a vital local service, keeping our valued older people cared for. Because many of the older people who use the service were born before the digital age, it is really important that we, who are more tech savvy, get them this sorely needed cash.

The charity number is really important. The name of the charity, Ard Churam is in Irish so be careful auto correct doesn’t change it to Are Charm.

Registered Charity Number| 20068417

Here is the link:

Ard Churam

Very Proud Nana

This is Cora in her Munster kit for her trip to The Aviva in Dublin for the All Ireland final of the schools’ soccer 5’s on Wednesday.

Last week she won Sciath na Scol camogie with her school, Gaelscoil Uí Riordáin.

A Fact

Mount Everest sank one inch due to the 2015 earthquake in Nepal.

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Signs and Wonders

Red Sky at Night, taken from my front door

Wrong in so many Ways

This is Mick Wallace’s lone poster in a town where every other candidate has respected the agreement to keep Listowel free of posters.

The poster is big and the image is sinister looking. It arrogantly presumes that everyone will recognise the surname.

This particular corner of town has a lovely little wildflower bed.

There amidst the poppies, the daisies and the marsh marigolds is this.

I have recently visited Ballincollig where they don’t have a no postering agreement and every possible vantage point is polluted with images of candidates.

Cora under one of the poles on Carriganarra Road. Every pole has two, three or even four posters.

An Old Sign

This old sign was shared on a Newmarket Memories Group on Facebook. The distances measured in miles and half miles are a throwback to another era.

Local People lead Great Free Walking Tours at Writers’ Week 2024

More from Monday’s Schools’ Show

The talent on the stage at the two Listowel themed concerts on Monday, May 20 2024 was exceptional and heart warming.

Here are just a few of the talented artists from the participating schools.

These girls introduced the show and set the tone for a spectacular variety of entertainment.

It was lovely to hear the young people singing all the local songs. This young girl gave us a superb rendition of Bryan MacMahon’s My Silver River Feale.

These are just a few of the many talented singers who regaled us.

A Fact

“Lucy Lockett lost her pocket

Kitty Fisher found it….”

How could someone lose her pocket?

Answer; In the 17th and 18th century, a pocket was actually a piece of material fashioned into a pouch that ladies wore tied with cords around their waists. These ‘pockets’ were accessed through slits in skirts and petticoats. Because they carried everything in them, the strings sometimes came undone and the pocket was mislaid.

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