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: Personal Page 1 of 29

Listowel Streets

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On June 3, 2025

In Listowel, Personal

Roses at Listowel’s Civic Plaza in early summer 2025

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Listowel Literary Festival 2025

The Kerry Irish Novel of the Year 2025; Time of the Child by Niall Williams

I’m delighted that my favourite book won.

Rhona Tarrant did a great job as MC on Opening Night of Writers’ Week. She is here with her parents, Gerard and Jenny

Sally O’Neill is a regular supporter of all things literary in Listowel.

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Street Name Confusion

This is the Convent Street Clinic.

This is the sign on the wall of the Convent Street Clinic.

This house is located directly across the road from the Convent Street Clinic.

This sign is on the house directly opposite the Convent Street Clinic

So for this street it’s a case of Market Street, Convent Street, Sráid an Mhargaidh or Gleann an Phúca, take your pick. They are all correct according to the street signs.

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Essay Writing Success

Picture and text from Facebook

A transition year student from Co Kerry has been named as winner of the Law Society of Ireland’s national Gráinne O’Neill Memorial Legal Essay Competition 2025.

Hazel Barrett, a student at Presentation Secondary School in Listowel, raised the trophy at a special awards ceremony held at Blackhall Place last Wednesday.

Now in its third year, the annual competition invites TY students from across the country to submit a 1,500-word legal essay on a specific topic.

This year, over 350 essays were submitted by students from 52 schools across 16 counties, each exploring “the role the law can play in addressing hate crime”.

The competition aims to inspire young peoples’ legal learning by encouraging students from a wide range of backgrounds to consider contemporary justice issues.

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Listowel Arms Hotel

Photograph: May 2025; text: Listowel and its Vicinity by Fr. Antony Gaughan

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Kanturk, My Hometown

Here I am in my old home with my only brother, Pat. I love going home. It is the most welcoming, most hospitable house you can imagine, thanks to my lovely sister in law, Breeda.

This was the reason for my visit.

Duhallow Heritage Society allowed me to read a reflection as part of the great night of reminiscing and reconnecting. I’ll tell you more tomorrow.

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A Fact

The phrase ” That will cost you an arm and a leg,” comes from the Victorian era. The Victorians loved to have their portraits painted. The more of the body you included in the image, the dearer the commission. So they were often painted with just head and shoulders. An arm and a leg cost extra..

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Out and About in Listowel

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On May 28, 2025

In Listowel, Listowel Writers Week, Personal

Feale sculpture in Listowel Town Square

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Listowel Old Libraries

Text from Antony Gaughan’s Listowel and its Vicinity

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What a difference a Season Makes

Stuart, Pat Breen’s bull, was a surprise breakout star of my Moments of Reflection.

He was photographed by my niece in early spring, after a wet and mucky winter. He was a bit overweight from all the weather related confinement.

Here is the bold Stuart a few months later in May 2025. He is happily grazing among his ladies. He is slimmed down, clean and much more attractive to his harem.

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Out and About with Camera

The fine weather saw me out in town and I was delighted to have a few local people pose for me.

Two lovely ladies who are always a joy to encounter in the Vincent de Paul shop. Mary and Eileen are both over seventy but still volunteering and working hard.

Jean, always cheerful and energetic, rested for a minute on the Tidy Town seat.

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Lidl Yesterday

looks like the foundation of the new store

Corner of Dowd’s Road and John B. Keane Road

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A Thought

People who don’t learn from the mistakes of history are destined to repeat them.

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A Fact

Elephants are the only animals that can’t jump.

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Tricycles, Horses and Memories

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On May 16, 2025

In Listowel, Personal

Ballybunion in May 2025

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George Fitzmaurice

Last week Warren Buckley brought us news of the George Fitzmaurice commemorative plaque which has been removed from his former home in 3 Harcourt Street Dublin. Jimmy Deenihan organised a hooley for Kerry people living in Dublin to mark the unveiling of the plaque. I wondered if anyone had a record of that evening and sure enough someone had.

Eamon ÓMurchú realised that it was an occasion that should be captured for posterity. He unearthed his photo of the attendance on that night and sent it to us.

I recognise only a few of these people but I’m sure someone will help us with names.

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Photos bring back Memories

This exhibition of old photographs will be a great hit in Kanturk Library. Danny O’Sullivan took hundreds of photos of Kanturk events in the 1950s and 60s. He took his camera with him everywhere. He had his own dark room. His family with the help of Duhallow Heritage Society is now sharing his valuable legacy with us all.

This is just one of the charming pictures in Danny O’Sullivan’s archive. It’s carnival time in town and this is the start of the children’s tricycle race.

When I was in Kanturk last week I saw that one of the tricycles is parked outside Kelly’s in The Square.

It looks a bit the worst for wear but it is definitely one of the bicycles in the O’Sullivan photo.

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The National Stud

If you are going to visit the stud be sure to take the guided tour. If, like me, you are lucky and the day is fine, you are in for a treat.

This is my tour group on a May Sunday in 2025

Ross was our very knowledgeable guide. Here he is telling us about the stallions standing at the National Stud.

This is one of the newer stallions so his children havent raced yet. A date with him is a bit cheaper than one of the proven boyos. Because we had children in our group, the language of mating and covering was couched in romantic terms. There was lots of “dating”, often 3 times per day every day.

There is no artificial insemination used and horses are not cloned. It’s a hugely regulated industry.

These flags represent all the countries from which students of equine science have come to Ireland to work and study at the stud.

There is a huge workforce in a wide number of disciplines employed at the stud and the students help with the work as well.

Handling the stallions is a very skilled job and each stallion has his own dedicated handlers.

We were allowed to get up close and personal with some of the retired horses. They love mints. Ross had a supply on hand.

New foals are being born here every day. We saw some who were only hours old. Did you know that mares nearly always foal in the nighttime?

The setting is beautiful. The animals are stunning. There is much to learn. The National Stud comes highly recommended for a summer visit.

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Respect for a Fallen Comrade

National flag at half mast at Listowel Garda Station

Books of Condolence for the family of Garda Kevin Flatley R.I.P. have been openend at many Garda stations.

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A Fact

Canada has more lakes than all of the rest of the world’s lakes combined.

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In The National Stud

By

On May 15, 2025

In Listowel, Personal, Poem

In Listowel Town Square in May 2025

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Trust That Inner Voice

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A Visitor’s Perspective

Carmel Hanrahan returned to her beloved Listowel at the May holiday weekend 2025. She took a stroll in the park and sent us a few photos.

River Feale

Beautiful tree in the park

Macushla was happy to pose for Listowel Connection.

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The National Stud

A highlight of any trip to my Kildare family is time spent in The National Stud.

Princess Aoife enjoyed having two doting grannies for a change.

The National Stud is not just all about horses. The gardens too are absolutely gorgeous.

This is just one of the many artistic interpretations of equine life you will encounter around every corner here.

There are marvellous sculptures dotted around the grounds. This toff has a very colourful history. Our well informed guide filled us in about this former owner of this magnificent estate.

This sculpture commemorates the visit of the Queen Elizabeth. The late queen loved horses and she thoroughly enjoyed her visit here.

It is unusual to have a monument to a living champion. Invincible Spirit is an exception. This most successful horse is now in retirement in the Living Legends Paddock . We saw him in the flesh later on on our guided tour.

I hope I got the right horse here!

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For My Kanturk Friends

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A Fact

The name Venezuela derives from the Italian word Veneziola meaning little Venice.

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Visitors and Visiting

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On May 13, 2025

In Listowel, Personal, Schools

Church Street, Upper

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Post boxes

On my recent trip to Kildare I photographed some railway station post boxes along the route. I travelled from Kent Station in Cork to Kildare via Portlaoise.

Pillar box in Listowel town Square.

This one is in Kildare. This station that is currently undergoing a huge expansion as it now comes within the Dublin commuter belt.

Clíona and Aoife say goodbye to me at Kildare train station

In Portlaoise

This one is in Glenflesk on my way home to the Kingdom.

I have a dread fear that someone in An Post might consider these surplus to requirements. They are, in a way but they are part of our landscape and our history and so valuable in their own right.

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May Weekend Visitors

Reggie brought his human family with him to Listowel for the bank holiday weekend

We went to Woodford Pottery where Carine fell in love with Pat Murphy’s beautiful colourful tableware.

She bought three different colours in the end as she failed to pick a favourite.

We went to Pad Thai. Their English may be a bit hit and miss but they got the inportant thing right…the food. I’d recommend you give it a try.

We were in John B.’s for one.

Reggie did the river walk.

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Ballybunion

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Three French Visitors

In Lizzie’s, five retired teachers and one working one.

Nathalie Léger, far right with me and Catherine Moylan.

Nathalie spent a very happy year in Presentation Secondary School, Listowel in 1989. Catherine was one of her pupils.

Joanna Keane befriended Nathalie and introduced her to her parents. John B.’s became Nathalie’s local and she remembers John B. and Mary and their great kindness to her. She was delighted to meet Lily O’Flynn in Lizzie’s.

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A Fact

The Rolling Stones released their first album in 1964.

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