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
This sign at Listowel courthouse plaza means that older people are welcome to park here.
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Progress at Lidl
They’ve erected a huge barrier so its harder to monitor progress but it is a very busy building site
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On the Camino
My friend Margo is doing a stretch or two of the Camino de Santiago. She is an old hand at walking this pilgrim way. She sent us these pictures.
Margo wore out her walking shoes and had to add several kilometers to her treck to find a shop where she could buy a new pair.
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Remember John Lenehan?
John remembers with great fondness his years in Moyvane. He wrote in response to my piecee on Mickey MacConnell…
Although we would have probably not gotten to see or hear him again, we will miss him and his lovely tunes. I hope YouTube has his music available.
We are keeping as well as two people in their 90s can be expected. Travel back to Ireland is not in our near plans but the memories of 14 years in Dublin and Moyvane still provide “pleasant dreams” for both of us. Your daily blog keeps us current and for that we owe you a word of thanks.
Warmest regards,
John
God Bless
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End of an Era in Ballyduff
From The Kerryman
Nora O’Connor closed the doors of Ballyduff Post Office at lunchtime on Friday bringing to an end 165 years of community service across three generations of her family.
For Nora – or Nodie as she is better known locally – the moment is one of profound sadness as customers give her hugs and thanks for all she has done. Nora began working in the family post office in 1984 during which time she saw the sort of subtle changes in people and place that time often hides.
Many of the people Nora encountered during her 41 years as post mistress have reached out to her in recent days. The pupils she taught during her days as a sub teacher in local schools also returned to wish her well.
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A Fact
In July 1954 Elvis Presley did his first recording session at sun Records, Memphis.
This poster outside St. Conleth’s Park is there since the great stand off of 2018 when Kildare won out against the GAA who wanted Kildare’s game against Mayo to be played in Croke Park. There were fears that St. Conleths Park would not be able to cope with the expected crowd. The rule is the first team out in selection gets home advantage so Kildare forced the powers that be to abide by their own rule.
Everywhere you look in Newbridge there are floral displays. Beautiful!
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Some poems never grow old.
I picked up an old English school book. I photographed the first page so you could see that it was first published in 1931. Some of the poems were familiar to me from my school days.
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Incoming Rats
Getting closer!
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A Fact
Over the last ten years, 257 post offices have closed across Ireland.
I took this photo in Kent train station in Cork on the day I travelled to Newbridge, Friday July 4 2025. At first glance it looked like all the ticket collection machines were out of order.
If you haven’t travelled by train lately you wont be familiar with the present routine. You book your ticket online, you get a collection number to put into this machine to collect your physical ticket at the station. You need a physical ticket to open the barriers to get to the train in some stations. Cork is one.
The machine at which you print your ticket is also the machine where you buy your ticket if you have not booked online. On July 4th 2025 the train was fully booked (travellers to Longitude and the Cork hurling match).There were no tickets for sale but there were a lot of people needing to collect tickets. Iarannrod Eireann had sent me an email the day before asking me to collect my ticket the day before, if possible. Not possible! They did try to help the situation on the day by posting a man at the one open terminal to speed up collection.
I can’t understand why they couldn’t leave all the terminals open and put a sign saying. Train fully booked. This machine is for ticket collection only by passengers with prebooked tickets.
They say that if you are the smartest person in the room, you are in the wrong room. Was I in the wrong train station?
I’ve mentioned this before but there is a chasm between the platform and the train in Cork. You may have seen the ramp they have for wheelchair users. Well, in my opinion, they should put these ramps down at the doors in Kent station as a matter of course. I think I’ll write to the station master and see what he says. I’ll keep you posted.
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Dining in Newbridge
I’m sure there are plenty of places to eat in Newbridge. I went to the one that came highly recommended and I can add my recommendation here.
specials at Lilly and Wild
I had the Feta cheese with fig etc. It was delicious.
If you take my recommendation and go to Lily and Wild, be warned. This marvellous restaurant is in a furniture shop. No body warned me so when I went in I immediately came out again, thinking I was in the wrong place.
This is one bit of the breakfast display in The Keadeen. There was another station with cereals, another with juices, another with breads and pastries and ,of course, a huge hot array of fried food. I didn’t take photos of everything in case people thought I was never left out.
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Two Newbridge Facts
This bar was a favourite stopping off point for John B. Keane on his way to and from Dublin.
The Irish comedian, Hal Roche, was a native of Newbridge.
Hal’s seat is on a flower bedecked corner of the Main Street.
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A Wedding in Australia in 1937
Catholic Freeman’s Journal
June 24 1937 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
WOLLONGONG. CATHOLIC FREEMAN’S JOURNAL WEDDINGS. MORAN – GRIFFIN. At St. Columba’s Church, Bribbaree, on Saturday, June 12, a singular honour was conferred on Miss Agnes M. Griffin, and Mr. John L. Moran, when they began their married life with the blessing of his Lordship Most Rev. John Barry, D.D., Bishop of Goulburn. After he had solemnised the marriage his Lordship celebrated the Nuptial Mass and was assisted by Rev. Father Griffin, Bribbaree, and Rev. Father Butler, B.A., Michelago. Rev. Father Morrison, Young, was also present. In the pretty little rural church, where her brother, the Rev. Father D. J. Griffin, parish priest, and which had been her special care and pride ever since he was appointed to Bribbaree, the bride made a radiant picture of happiness as she knelt at Holy Mass to receive from his Lordship the solemn blessing of Mother Church in the new state she had undertaken. Despite the fact that the ceremony was ranged for the early hour of 6.45 a.m.. the little church was almost filled with well – wishers as the bride – to – be left her brother’s presbytery, where she has been his housekeeper and faithful companion during the busy years in which his spare moments have been devoted to the organisation and service of the Goulburn Diocesan Union of the Holy Name Society. The bride is the daughter of the late James D. Griffin and Mrs. Catherine Griffin, of Listowel, Co. Kerry, Ireland, and she is the baby of a grand old Irish family of eleven. She came upon her to Australia in 1933, and brother’s appointment to the charge of the parish in 1934 she came to Bribbaree. The bridegroom, Mr. John L. Moran, is the son of well – known pioneer family, the late Martin Moran and Mrs. Hanorah Moran, ” Merrylands, ” who came to the Bribbaree district from Victoria almost half a century ago, and during those well – nigh fifty years Mrs. Moran has been one of Bribbaree’s foremost church workers, and her indomitable spirit and material devotedness. were borne witness to a few weeks ago when the whole of her family gathered together to celebrate her seventieth birthday. The bride was given away by Mr. John Davis, Postmaster, Cowra, who has been an intimate friend of her brother ever since his arrival in Australia in 1921. Mr. Kevin Dunn, nephew of the bridegroom, and Miss Kathleen Moran, sister of the bridegroom. were best man and bridesmaid respectively. The immediate relatives were entertained to a wedding breakfast by Mrs. Moran, senr., at Merrylands, where Rev. Father Butler presided. The happy couple were the recipients of many valuable gifts. Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Moran are making their future home at Bribbaree, where a new cottage is being erected for them.
Through summer’s haze the lark sings loud and clear
and soars above the dancing ceannabhán.
Where lines of neat turf-tepees strut and seem
to mock neglected neighbours with disdain,
sad strips of black spaghetti wait in vain
for willing hands. The bog-land trampoline
beneath my feet springs back as I march on,
remembering those summer days long gone
when life was sweet as heather-scented air
and feet were bare and fleet as childrens’ are,
when time endured and even work was play
and skylarks sang the live-long, lark-song day.
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A Summer Laugh
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+Mickey MacConnell R.I.P.+
I had the privilege of photographing Mickey MacConnell often, mostly in John B.s. I am a great admirer of his talent. His legacy is significant and vast.
Mickey MacConnelll could turn a phrase better than most writers I know. He was more than just a super songwriter, he was a consumate master of the English language. He could craft a piece of writing in prose or poetry to evoke any emotion he chose. He was unequalled as a storyteller in song.
Mickey was a great observer of people and he had a unique skill for presenting us with characters we all recognised from our own lives. I know a man who drank the farm. There is one in every second parish in Ireland.
As a balladeer he was superb. He told us stories in such a relateable way that we were there with him. We travelled west on Friday nights with Mickey and we were back in our early twenties drinking supermarket wine and living on our wits.
Mickey had a knack of taking us behind the scenes and showing us the human side of people who we only knew in their warpaint and public personae. He showed us the politician speaking in clichés, the magician’s assistant whom he sawed in half “one time too many”, the clown who died with his painted smile on his lips, the students happy to have The Leaving behind but for them “the leaving’s just begun.”
“Hocus, pocus, focus, folks”
Mickey MacConnell was a gentle satirist. He had first hand knowledge of the Ireland of “The Troubles”, when “follow the flag was a game”. He knew well the boys of the Byline Brigade. He wrote about people he knew and he brought them to life for us. He held the mirror up to us too as we lost the run of ourselves buying into stock from the big German retailers.
As a writer Mickey MacConnell had the ability to evoke every emotion. He could walk in anyone’s shoes, it seemed. We laughed with him and cried with him in equal measure.
Photo taken at the unveiling of the John B. Keane memorial in the Garden of Europe.
As well as writing the songs, Mickey was a great interpreter of a song. His ‘Footsteps of John B.” has become a local anthem. His regular sessions in John B.s and other local hostelries will be greatly missed. Listowel won’t be the same without him. I hope someone writes a Ballad of Mickey MacConnell to keep his memory alive.
with John Sheehan
As well as writing songs. Mickey MacConnell was an accomplished journalist. His regular columns in The Kerryman were a must read for me. I would love if they could republish them as a tribute to his memory.
Photo with Maura taken in Allos where Mickey was posing to have his portrait painted by artists on a residency at the Olive Stack Gallery.
His loss to Listowel is great but far worse is his loss to Maura, Kerry, Claire and their families. May he rest in peace.
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A Fact
The workhouse in Listowel was completed in 1842 but no paupers were admitted until February 1845.
This is the carpark behind the offices of the Revenue Commissioners.
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Joan Mulvihill’s Retirement
Joan Mulvihill and staff of Presentation Primary School, Listowel. The photo was shared on social media. It was taken at a fuction at the school to mark Joan’s retirement a principal.
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A Sad,Sad Poem
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The Famine
The population of Ireland is now around 7 million, the highest it’s been since the Famine.
“This problem may not be yours today but it could be someday.” This used to be the tagline in Frankie Byrne’s radio show but It’s apt for the world we are living in.
Here is an account from the school’s folklore collection. The account was collected in Scoil Realt na Maidine, Listowwel.
The crops grew abundantly the year before the Famine but the people had no meas(respect) on them & they left the crops beside the ditches to rot. The next year the crops failed especially the potato crop. When a person would go into a farmer’s house for a drink of water, if he saw a turnip under the table he would snap it and run his best. The people had nothing to eat but turnips. They weakened with the bad food & died in hundreds on the roadside.
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It’s the Silly Season
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In Kildare
I was in Newbridge for the weekend.
I was helping Tony and Mary McKenna celebrate 40 years of happy marriage.
I stayed in the Keadeen Hotel.
When I share some more of my weekend’s photos with you you will see that Newbridge has flowers everywhere.
These are just some of the floral displays at the hotel.
Once upon a time you opened a drawer in your hotel room and you found bible. In The Keadeen Hotel in Newbridge I found Arthur Gouroulian looking back at me from the Newbridge Silverware Brochure. Shopping is the new religion.
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A Fact
The game of Pitch and Putt was invented by W.A. Collins in Fountainstown in Co. Cork in 1936.
