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

Category: Festivals Page 4 of 18

Sticks and Stones-and Teabags

By

On May 15, 2024

In Listowel Writers Week

Three Cornered Leek, May 2024

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Gabhlóg

If you’ve ever wondered what the gabhlóg in Baile Gabhlóg (Ballygologue) was. Here is your answer from Folklore.ie

Gabhlóg/Gabhaileog – A Forked Stick

Here’s another little Irish word still found in the rural speech of many older people in Wexford (and other counties too). It’s a handy little thing called a gabhlóg/gabhaileog which would be used for holding down briars when cutting them with a billhook or also used to prop up a clothes line. Pronounced ‘goulyogue’ I once heard a story of it being used by a man to describe a PYE TV. He didn’t know the brand of the TV but remembered it was a P, a “Gabhlóg’ and an E. 

I heard it used in other counties too and the image here is of my nighbour Ken Hemmingway showing me this one day. Interesting to point out, here in Wexford many of these old Gaelic words are found right across the rural communities, native Gaelic, Anglo-Normans and Plantation families and everything in between. In fact I find many of the 16th/17th century Plantation families hung onto these old words and sayings more than their Gaelic neighbours. Just an observation as sometimes you get purists with notions about language and who “owns it” and I always like to knock them on their head a bit. Great little word.

Text: Michael Fortune

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Remembering Seán McCarthy

Remember Christian and her Ph.D on Thade ‘s hen. Well back home in the U.S Christan is looking through the treasures she bought on her recent trip to Ireland. This is one such gem.

She photographed the reference to Listowel for us.

Seán MacCarthy’s song is included.

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You have to Laugh

Mary McAulliffe shared this one on Facebook. I know he is running as an independent but surely someone would have told him before he put them up.

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The Marathon

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A Fact

A New York tea merchant invented the tea bag …by accident. His name was Thomas Sullivan (Irish? Don’t know)

This is how it came about.

Thomas sent tea samples to his customers in little silk bags. His customers thought that they were to immerse bag and all into the pot to make the tea. When Sullivan heard this, smart boy that he was, he realised he was on to something. He replaced the silk with the cheaper gauze and went into commercial production of teabags in the 1920s. They didn’t become really popular until the 1950s.

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In Praise of The Library

By

On March 29, 2024

In Festivals, Listowel

Looking down Courthouse Road from the library in March 2024

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The Marvellous Facility that is the Public Library

If you haven’t been to the library in ages, don’t leave it any longer. Go today.

Once you have joined and got your membership number a whole world of free entertainment is open to you.

You can download a few apps to your computer, tablet or phone and the library is in your home.

On Borrowbox you can read or listen to any one of thousands of books available free.

On PressReader, you can read newspapers from all over the world. There are magazines catering for every kind of interest there and even comics…all free.

Libby has loads of magazines.

If you prefer to read an actual book or newspaper, these are also available in the library. There are computers, printing facilities, reference books and the marvellous Swap Box where you could pick up a book to take home and keep or where you could donate books you are finished with.

I forgot to mention the free wifi and the friendly helpful staff. The local library is one of my favourite places in Listowel.

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Colloquialisms

From Stephen Twohig

There are many phrases and expressions that are both colourful and unique to us. As time goes by I suppose you will hear them less and I am sure they would be circled in red on your English essay, but so be it. They are just another linguistic and oral tradition we must remember and not forget. 

           If ever there were a people for sayings, proverbs and blessings then it is the Irish. There is hardly a house of someone of Irish origin that hasn’t got some Irish Blessing or other hanging on the wall. Our blessings I suppose are only a match for our curses, but that’s another story. Again the blessings and sayings come from very simple rural origins, natural but perfectly matching the metaphor of their intent. There are, as you would expect proverbs in lrish and those translated into English. It seems that there is a proverb for any topic on life. As many as old wives tales. Or I suppose as stories by the fire. The number and variety indicative of a past richness in spoken and conversational wit and banter. Let’s first look at some of my favourite sayings in lrish. These old sayings are referred to as “seanfhocail'” or old words or wisdom. The one over my own fireplace is a good one: “Nil aon tintean mar do thintean fein”, There’s no hearth like your own hearth.

 Everyone has heard in school “‘Aithníonn ciaróg,ciaróg eile”, or every cockroach recognises another. The following is a list of my favourites. 

“Má tá tu ag lorg cara gan locht  beidh tú gan cara go deo”. (If you are looking for a friend without fault you will be without a friend forever.)

“Trí ní is deacair a thuiscint; intleacht na mban, obair na mbeach, teacht agus imeacht na taoide. (Three things hardest to understand; the mind of women, the work of bees and the comings and goings of tides. At least the tides are predictable! Ouch!!)

 Giorraíonn beirt bothar. (Two shorten the road.)  

“Obair gan chríoch, obair bean tí. (Work without end is housewives work) No comment !

“ Is fearr glas ná amhras. (A lock is better than suspicion.) 

“Nil aon leigheas ar an ngrá ach pósadh. The only cure for love is marriage.

 And the emigrant’s proverb; ”Bíonn súil le muir ach ni bhíonn súil ón uaigh”. (There’s hope from the ocean but not from the grave.) 

“Is maith an scáthan súil charad.” (A friend’s eye is a good mirror.)

 And lastly; “An áit a bhfuil do chroí is ann a thabharfas do chosa thú”.

(Your feet will bring you to where your heart is.) 

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My family climbed a Mountain

Killarney held a great festival, Wander Wild, last weekend. There were all kinds of outdoor activities on offer.

Bobby and Killian opted to climb Carrantuohill.

Sunday, March 24 2024, was one of the wettest, dirtiest, foggiest, coldest days so far this year (or any year !)

Drenched to the skin (literally) and frozen to the bone, they soldiered on, encouraged all the way by their lovely guides.

Finally they reached the summit. They could see nothing through the dense fog. They could barely stand on the top, battling against an Arctic wind. But they were glad they did it.

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Micro Mosaics

Some beautiful pieces in Olive Stack’s window.

Remember tonight’s the night for the reception and exhibition at the gallery. The event starts at 5.00p.m.

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A Fact

Apart from the fact that it is smaller, the biggest difference between the brain of an ape and the brain of a human is that the ape’s brain is symmetrical.

Our brains have evolved into an asymmetrical shape as we have assigned different skills to different areas of the brain.

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St. Patrick’s Day cards

By

On March 13, 2024

In Festivals, Listowel

Listowel Fire Station in March 2024

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St. Patrick’s Day Cards from An Post

A Post have come up with a scheme that seemed to me like a great idea when I heard about it on the radio.

You go to the An Post website and you choose to send a St. Patrick’s Day card. You are given a choice of categories and then you will be given an AI generated image for your card. You write your greeting, the name and address of the recipients. Then you pay €4 and An Post will print and deliver the card anywhere in the world.

Brilliant!

I have these lovely friends whom you met here before. They are Wolfgang and Anita Mertens. They live in Germany. They love Ireland. Since I met them for the first time last year they have kept in touch and send me greetings, cards, photos and stuff.

So I set to make my greeting card for them.

Wolfgang is a scholar in the field of Anglo Irish literature. His special field of interest is the work of Listowel’s Bryan MacMahon. So the first category I chose was “literature” and the above card is what AI generated. Not so much literature. Lots of Paddywhackerry…rainbow, pots of gold, four leaved clovers masquerading as shamrocks. It was just short the leprechauns. I was definitely not choosing that one.

So next I chose the category St. Bridget’s Cross. The AI bot who made the above didn’t know too much about Saint Brigid since she numbered a pot of gold, a guitar and tricolour among her assorted artefacts at the foot of her very elaborate high cross. I rejected this one too.

I settled for my third and final choice, green landscape. Not very Irish but very very green. I thought I detected a few camels at the foot of those pyramids but who am I to question AI?

An Post had better up its game or I won’t be going there for my Easter cards.

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I met Two Famous Men

At lunch in Behan’s last Thursday I ran into Billy Keane and Michael Healy Rae having a chat. I disturbed them to bring you this.

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From Pres. Yearbook 1988

1987/88 was a great year for sport in the school. There were many exceptionally talented basketballers and footballers among the pupils.

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A Very Grim Fact

1740 to 1742 was the longest period of extreme cold in modern European history.

With rivers frozen, coal could not be delivered to ports, Animals and fish died. Birds fell dead out of the sky, having been frozen to death in flight. Starvation and hypothermia killed thousands of people.

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An Aviator and a Dunce

By

On November 30, 2023

In Listowel, Listowel Writers Week

Bridge Road

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The Dandy Lodge

November 2023

Martin Chute’s mural on the gable of the Pitch and Putt clubhouse

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Wrong Way Corrigan

From the Capuchin archive

Douglas ‘Wrong Way’ Corrigan, Dublin, 1938

An image of Douglas Corrigan (1907-1995) at a reception in Dublin on 24 July 1938. As noted in the original caption, Corrigan (left) is shown with James Montgomery (1870-1943) who was the Irish film censor from 1923 to 1940.

Corrigan was a pioneering American aviator who earned the nickname ‘Wrong Way’ after ‘accidentally’ flying across the Atlantic when his original intention was to fly a cross-country route from New York to California. He took off from Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn on 17 July 1938 and bizarrely landed on 18 July at Baldonnel Aerodrome in County Dublin after flying for just over twenty-eight hours. His first reported words after stepping off his plane in Dublin were ‘Just got in from New York. Where am I?’ His only provisions were two chocolate bars, two boxes of fig bars, and a small quantity of water.

In the aftermath of his adventure, Corrigan became something of a celebrity with a ticker-tape parade on his return to New York, a meeting with President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the White House, a Hollywood movie about his life and a best-selling book.

Corrigan insisted that his accidental flight was caused by navigational error and a malfunctioning compass, but almost immediately suggestions were made that it was always his intention to undertake the risky transatlantic crossing. Corrigan was a skilled aviation engineer and experienced pilot who had previously worked on Charles Lindbergh’s aircraft in advance of his first solo nonstop transatlantic flight in May 1927. Despite claims to the contrary, never once in public did Corrigan budge from his story that this historic flight was purely accidental.

The photograph forms part of a file of press images assembled by the editors of ‘The Capuchin Annual’.

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The Thomas McAuliffe Window in St. Mary’s

A picture of this generous man from Vincent Carmody’s Snapshots of an Irish Market Town.

(Note to self…If you’re looking for information on any Listowel business from 1850 to 1950, Vincent’s books have a lot more information than Google.)

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Christmas in Abbeyfeale

The book gives no clue to the identity of the author. Maybe someone knows Shane?

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And the Winner is…..

Listowel Writers’ Week sponsor the prize for best poem at the A Post Irish book awards. An established and very well regarded poet, Mary O’Donnell won for this poem called Vectors in Kabul.

Confession here…I have only a vague idea of what it’s about. Once it gets into the nitty gritty of Maths I’m lost but I think it is a very clever poem.

The irony for me is that, while it is about educating girls in Taliban controlled Kabul, it is also about this Western educated woman failing to understand mathematical concepts but understanding freedom only too well.

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A Fact

This is what Christmas was like in rural Ireland in the 1950s and 60s.

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My Favourite Mural

By

On September 28, 2023

In Festivals, Listowel, Listowel Races, Personal, Poem

Childers Park Wildflower Meadow, September 2023

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Contrasting Murals

Creative Walls is a marvellous project by Listowel Community and Business Alliance.

Here is what they have to say about the latest Listowel mural

~ Listowel Characters ~
The latest Listowel Characters mural has been commissioned by the Listowel Business & Community Alliance. With support from Kerry Co Arts and Creative Ireland.

The artist selected for the new typographic mural is the talented Master Signwriter – Martin Chute. As with our previous walls, the artist gets to choose an inspiring quote from a selection of Writers, Poets, Songwriters, and more.  Martin was keen to create a mural featuring John B. Keane.

“Where’er I go I’ll love you sweet Listowel and doff my distant cap each day to you” 
– Sweet Listowel. 

Martin lived and worked in the United States for many years. Now his exquisite lettering enriches the fascias of his native Listowel. The Chute family’s sign writing and artistic painting work are a prominent feature on Listowel’s shopfronts.

Since his return from America, Martin’s unique, handcrafted signs and shopfront designs have transformed the streetscape in Listowel. His work offers an identity and a sense of place that has contributed to the preservation of the town’s character.

Thank you Martin and all involved for this exquisite piece which has attracted massive attention and admiration already. An asset to the town of Listowel. A special thanks to Pat Nolan from Pat Nolan’s Furniture & Carpet Centre for kindly donating this wall space for this project.💙

#listowel #wherestoriesbegin #soundtown #followthegreenway #kingdomofkerrygreenways #discoverthekingdom #listowel4all 

Listowel Business and Community Alliance
Kerry County Arts 
Creative Ireland
John B. Keane’s Pub, Listowel, Co. Kerry

This is the other Charles Street mural. The contrast in styles is striking. Listowel Community and Business Alliance is catering for all tastes.

I particularly love the quotation Martin chose. Listowel is often described as lovely. Sweet is somehow to me more emotive, more tender, The colours, the shape and the timbre of Chute’s mural is reminiscent of an old sweet wrapper, a taste of childhood.

The doffing of the cap suggests to me respect and reverence, an acknowledgement of all that Listowel has given. It’s a gesture of gratitude and loyalty.

My blog has brought me into contact with many Listowel emigrants. This mural speaks to them and for them. I find among the Listowel diaspora, a massive loyalty to the town. I haven’t met a Listowel person yet who was not proud of where he came from.

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Kilbrin

Kilbrin is a very small village in North Cork. It has no shop and no pub now. It has a primary school and preschool and a thriving GAA club.

My family are buried in Kilbrin.

Over the graveyard wall a flock of sheep were investigating a mound of earth. Kilbrin is in the heart of the countryside.

Kilbrin is a very very old burial ground, still in use today . A wonderful restoration job has been done here by the local graveyard committee. All of the graves’ inscriptions which can be read are also online;

Kilbrin Graveyard inscriptions

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My Family

For the first time in years we were all together for race week.

We took walks and they discovered new things about the place where they grew up.

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Death of an Irishwoman

(Michael Hartnett wrote this about his grandmother who was a link to another era in Irish social history.)

Ignorant, in the sense she ate monotonous food 

and thought the world was flat, and pagan, 

in the sense she knew the things that moved at night 

were neither dogs nor cats 

but púcas and darkfaced men 

she nevertheless had fierce pride.

But sentenced in the end to eat thin diminishing porridge 

in a stone-cold kitchen 

she clinched her brittle hands around a world 

she could not understand.

I loved her from the day she died.

She was a summer dance at the crossroads.

She was a cardgame where a nose was broken.

She was a song that nobody sings.

She was a house ransacked by soldiers.

She was a language seldom spoken.

She was a child’s purse, full of useless things.

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Great Idea… but you must book

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A Fact

Be warned: You can overdose on coffee!!!

Ten grammes of coffee or about 100 cups over 4 hours can kill the average human being

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