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: Listowel Page 73 of 180

Parish Mission

By

On October 16, 2023

In Listowel

Childers Park, October 8 2023

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St. Michael’s College

St. Michael’s has been steadily growing and developing over the years.

This is the view of St. Michael’s from the nearby greenway.

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St. Mary’s Listowel, Parish Mission October 7 to 13 2023

Symbols of the mission before the altar.

The mission was very well attended and the two Redemptorist leaders and the parish mission committee worked hard for the week.

Marie Neligan Shaw remembers a more old style Listowel mission.

Hi Mary, smiling as I remember one particular Mission back in the early 50’s.
I was a teenager and as Eamon Kelly liked to relate there was always a Big man and a small man. At that time St. Mary’s had a pulpit where the sermons were preached from. On the first night of the mission, the big man mounted the steps to the pulpit, stood there for a good minute just looking around at everyone in the church. He then pounded the pulpit and declared in a booming voice “ YOUR ALL DAMNED”!
Very traumatic for a teenager at that time. Thank God things have changed since then.
Regards,
Marie

I don’t think we are all damned or redeemed after the mission. We did have a big man and a small man, a loud man and a quiet man but they were both affable and non scary, The cup of tea afterwards was a welcome addition to things and the feeling all round was one of hope rather than fear.

The mission stall is still a feature of the mission today.

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Rising Star

Photo and story from Listowel Pitch and Putt Club on social media

This week Ajay Barrett becomes the first Listowel Pitch and Putt Club member to play for Ireland. Ajay is part of a six-boy team to represent Ireland in Spain this coming week. Ajay is joined on the team by his inter-county teammates, Brian McCarthy and Nathan Cronin of Killarney, Jack McShane (Kilkenny), Joe Franklin (Tipperary), and Peader O’Toole (Kildare). It is a proud time for the Club and for the Barrett and Walsh families, in particular.

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People I Met in Town

Maria and Leonard were enjoying a day off.

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Listowel in the 1990s

This tourist guide from the 1990s is a good indicator of how much has changed

This is who brought it to us

I’ll bring you some more over the coming week.

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A Fact

The UK imposed the first speed limit regulation in the world in 1903. It was twenty miles per hour.

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Old friends and old tastes

By

On October 13, 2023

In Listowel

In Gurtinard Wood in October 2023

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The last of My Hospice Coffee Morning Photos

Agnes McCarthy and Julie Gleeson

The spot prizes donated by local businesses

Agnes with Roibeard Pierse and Del O’Sullivan

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A Taste of Times Past

An old chocolate box

I don’t remember these. I notice that the box contained 2lbs. of chocolates. This seems very generous in today’s terms.

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A Book Launch with a Difference

Mary Kennelly launched her latest book in St. John’s on October 7 2023.

Mary’s latest work, Seven Steps to Birth a Crone, is no ordinary book. It is a limited edition (250 copies) work of Mary’s poems and artworks by Rebecca Carroll and Susan Hitching.

The launch was no ordinary launch either.

Mary sang with her group and she brought us a dramatised reading by her actress friends.

The artists and the poet, Susan, Rebecca and Mary

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Congratulations

My son in law, Seán, had his passing out on Saturday, October 7 2023

He is now a corporal in the army reserve (FCA). Here he is with his 2 proud girls.

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Meeting by Chance

After the book launch on October 7 I went to the Listowel Arms for lunch. There I met Marlene Harte, formerly of Listowel and now of Co. Cork. She was meeting up with her old work colleague and now lifelong friend. Marlene is now a frequent visitor to my beloved North Cork.

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A Fact

The world record for a frog jump is held by a South African frog called Sanjie. He jumped 33 feet 5 and a half inches over the course of three consecutive jumps in May 1977.

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Dr. Michael OSullivan of Listowel and The Mayo Clinic

By

On October 12, 2023

In Listowel

One side of Listowel Town Square

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Honour for Listowel man

This is the O’Sullivan family at their recent reunion in The Listowel Arms in September 2023.

Pride of place in the centre of the picture is occupied by Sr. Bríd.

One O’Sullivan not there is Michael who joined in the banter from his home in Rochester in the U.S. His daughters Fiona, Deirdre and Norah were there as well as his son, Stephen. His other son, Paul, was with his dad in the US making sure the technology worked.

Michael O’Sullivan was the man of the moment for he was the one to be honoured during the occasion.

Here is the story.

Vincent Carmody grew up in Upper William Street beside the O’Sullivan family. The Carmody boys and the O’Sullivan boys played together as children and that bond strengthened over the years. There was only a few months between Michael O’Sullivan and the late Moss Carmody, Vincent’s brother, both born in 1935.

Vincent stayed in touch with Dr. Michael O’Sullivan even when his career took him far away from Upper William Street.

Dr. Michael O’Sullivan became a consultant pathologist. He served in the US forces for 2 years and when he returned to his post in the Mayo Clinic, he was informed that he was to head up a new research lab. At first he feared that he would not be up to the task but he was persuaded. He picked his team of researchers and the unit grew and grew until it was the greatest research unit in the world.

Dr. Michael moved on to The Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona and there he worked for over 30 years. When he retired he returned to Rochester with his wife Margaret (from Lixnaw).

At Christmas 2022, Vincent was in the US visiting family and he was invited to visit his old friend. The dinner party was also attended by Dr. Michael O’Connor whose father came from Listowel.

On his return to Listowel, Vincent mulled over the possibility that Dr. Michael O’Sullivan of The Mayo Clinic was surely the most successful man to ever come out of Listowel. Yet he had never been honoured by his native town. Vincent also knew how much an honour would mean to his old friend.

Vincent set to work. He contacted local councillor, Jimmy Moloney, and Jimmy set the wheels in motion. Listowel Municipal District was only too happy to bestow a Lifetime Achievement Award on Michael.

The ceremony was organised for the week of the races when the descendants of the O’Sullivans planned to gather in Listowel.

Vincent invited some of Michael’s former classmates and teammates from his footballing days. He also gathered some old Upper William Street neighbours and friends.

After the formal awarding of the honour and speeches by Aoife Thornton and others, Vincent introduced the informal part of the event.

It was all live streamed to Michael in the U.S.

Old friends and neighbours reminisced and chatted. The highlight was a rendition by Dr. Bryan MacMahon of the Jack Ashe poem, The Night the Boro Rovers Met in Combat with the Gleann. This celebrated a 1953 football match in which Michael was in goals.

The occasion was enjoyed by all. It was much appreciated by all of the O’Sullivans, especially by Michael who ranked it among the greatest honours of his life.

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Memories, Memories

My friend, Margaret, comes from a family of treasure keepers. The history of two sisters who were seventies teenagers is stored in old chocolate boxes which she is now slowly going through. She has sent us some photographs which will definitely evoke memories for some.

I don’t know the story of Cadbury’s Milk Tray. But I only knew it as a Cadbury brand. What’s with this Fullers logo and Dunnes Stores branding?

The back of the box

I had forgotten St. Bernard. When did he become uncool?

Back in the day it was very important to emphasise that chocolates were made from milk, a glass and a half in every bar. Milk Tray was a high end brand. I remember the tag line in the TV ad in the early days of Telefís Eireann “…because the lady loves Milk Tray.”

Look out for another chocolaty memory tomorrow.

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More Photos from the Hospice Coffee Morning

October 5 2023

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A Fact

How does Swiss cheese get its holes. Cheesemakers call these holes eyes?

As Swiss cheese ferments it generates a bacterial gas. As the gas is released it bubbles through the cheese leaving the characteristic holes.

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October Horse Fair

By

On October 11, 2023

In Athea, Listowel, Schools

Listowel Community fruit and Nut garden

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Nothing to Crow About

Crow on a headstone in St. Michael’s cemetery

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More from Hospice Coffee Morning

These are just some more of the people who were at the hospice coffee morning on Oct 5 2023. Because I don’t know all of the names I’m putting none of the names.

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Another Coffee Morning

Presentation Secondary School staff

Photo: from Facebook

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October Horse Fair

October 5 was also the day of the quarterly horsehair. There were dogs and goats, hens and ducks but few enough horses.

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Athea Tidy Towns

“Fresh from yesterday’s Tidy Town’s results, we have our first project for next year’s competition complete! Many thanks to John Brosnan for sharing his talents and professionalism in building the perfect frame to house the below plaque which reads ;  ‘These trees planted on the 11th of April 2020 are dedicated to the Hurley family in honour of their commitment and service to Athea Creameries. Denis W. Hurley, founding member and Chairman for 45 years (1913 –1958). His son Willie, 47 years’ service at both Cratloe & Athea Creameries  (1932 – 1979). His wife, Nan (née Stack), Butter-maker from (1939 –1953). Many thanks to the Hurley Family for sponsoring these trees.” Athea TT on Facebook

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A Fact

Ever heard of a pleonasm?

It’s the use of more words than are necessary to convey meaning.

Examples;

Kick it with your foot.

I saw it with my own eyes.

The two twins were on the team.

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Memories and Loss of Memories

By

On October 10, 2023

In Asdee, Ballylongford, Listowel

Greenlawn in October 2023

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Hospice Coffee Morning ; October 5 2023

Some photos from a very successful fundraiser. Some local people who were there to support a great cause.

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Ballylongford Ladies Named

Claire Healy, Bridie O’Sullivan, Deirdre Finucane, Ann Boxall, Mavis Hall, Breda Enright, Nuala Melbourne, Catherine Ahern, Joan Barrett and Mairead Lawlee

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Listowel Connections in the U.S.

Lovely memories from Eleanor Belcher.

I have been enjoying the blogs and have been meaning to email you several times with stories to add to articles. However I have been busy. 

The O’Sullivan reunion brought back a memory. My husband and I spent a year in Milwaukee and a friend of mine was visiting her uncle Dan Connolly ( from Co Limerick) who was a physician at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. We were invited to spend a weekend at the Connolly holiday home which was on a lake called Spider Lake  in Western Wisconsin. When we arrived Dan discovered that I was from Listowel so that evening he invited Michael O’Sullivan who also was a doctor ( pathologist I think) at the Mayo  clinic to meet me. Michael came with one of his daughters . She had a beautiful voice and later she sang a Mozart aria much to the delight of us all especially my husband who is a keen opera lover. The evening was memorable also because Ruth Connolly a formidable German lady and Dan’s wife insisted we all went to Mass at a convent across the lake. We went by boat. My husband a non Catholic was left behind with instructions to carve a smoked salmon which another guest had brought from Dublin. Ruth was most impressed by my husband’s skills ( he was a surgeon) as he extracted every last bit of salmon from the skin. 

. You might also not know that Denis O’Sullivan was a urologist in Cork and was known as Denis ‘Piss’ to distinguish him from another Dr Denis O’Sullivan a physician. Mary Lawlor from the Square went to work for the O’Sullivan family in Cork after she had done her Leaving Certificate. They (and my father) encouraged her to do nursing which she did at St John’s and Elizabeth’s Hospital in London. She and I still keep in touch, she lives outside Edinburgh. 

My Dad was the dispensary doctor in Ballylongford and Asdee so it was lovely to see the pictures of the church. He used to drop us down to Littor strand while he did his calls. We had tin whistles which we tried to play and we had a swim with Dad when he arrived. 

Eleanor Belcher

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A Caffler

Not everything is on line. Sometimes the old sources are the best.

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Dementia

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A Fact

Mockingbirds can imitate any sound from a squeaking door to a cat meowing

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