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 16 of 29

A Poet , a Writer and some Stained Glass

By

On May 9, 2023

In Listowel, Listowel Writers Week, Personal, Poem, Schools

Church Street in April 2023

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A Powerful Poem

This short poem is full of the pain of being forced by circumstances to live in a country that is not your motherland.

“The past is a hole in the chest….”

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Women in Sport

“I’ll eat my O’Neill’s shorts if this book is not nominated for Sports’ Book of the Year.” Ray Darcy.

On Friday June 3, in Listowel this very articulate young sportswoman/writer will be part of a great discussion on the place of women in sport. Eimear is GAA royalty, grandfather a president and father and a clatter of cousins successful county players.

In her book she deals with the humiliation of being left on the bench, the need for make up and straightened hair on the playing field, the negative image of competitive girls as opposed to the lauding of these traits in boys.

I have a personal interest in this Writers’ Week event which will be facilitated by our own local sportswriter, Emma Larkin and will feature trampolining champion, Rebecca Perry.

My sports mad granddaughter Aisling, who did her TY work experience in Listowel Writers’ Week, will be allowed to introduce this event.

Aisling made her Writers Week debut many years ago, being “fired” out of a cannon.

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Call Cards

Cards brought back as souvenirs from foreign trips.

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St. John’s, Tralee

St. John’s Tralee is a magnificent church, full of nooks and crannies, altars and shrines and exceptional stained glass windows.

This is a modern window telling the story of the prodigal son.

As well as this modern one there are many traditional windows.

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The Playboy of the Western World

Can you spot me with my great friends and former colleagues Bridget O’Connor and Sr. Consolata behind two rows of current Presentation Secondary Listowel staff in St. John’s Theatre on May 4th for the TY production of The Playboy.

These are the happy girls on stage at the end of a very successful evening.

Under the guidance of drama coach and director, Margaret O’Sullivan, this cast and crew breathed vibrant new life into Synge’s dated play. They played music, sang and danced and milked every bit of comedy out of a drama set in an Ireland long forgotten by the time they were born. The play was a triumph. Well done all.

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A Fact

Remember Concorde? Due to time zones crossed, if you flew by Concorde from London to New York you could arrive two hours before you leave.

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Reminiscing

By

On May 8, 2023

In Ballybunion, Ballylongford, History, Listowel, Personal

Ballybunion; Jason ODoherty

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Moya Sunday Fair

Ballybunion’s MOYA festival on the May bank holiday weekend was a resounding success. I was at the craft and food fair on Sunday…the best ever.

This Ballylongford crafter and her daughter had a wide range of unusual crafts for sale.

Delia was there with her beautiful unique ceramics.

These were just two of the myriad of stall holders

Drumdance Ireland were entertaining the younger ones. Bouncy Castles, treats, animals, food, a great festival going from strength to strength.

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Call Cards

Remember the call card?

Once upon a time these were the nearest we had to mobile phones. I always carried one of these in case of any necessity to make a call from a phonebook.

There were thousands of these issued and they featured all sorts of things, like famous people, festivals, advertising products etc. I used to collect them. Mine have absolutely no value as only ones in mint condition are valuable and even only very few of those. If you have a few still in their cellophane wrapper, you’ll have to hold on for a few hundred years before your descendants cash in

Here are a few to jog your memory;

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Bed warmers

I mentioned a hot water jar I spotted in Tankers’ window, and lo and behold, Eddie Moylan, an antiquarian, literally on my doorstep, has a collection of them.

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A Poem

Poetry Ireland published some poems on convenient little cards for World Poetry Day. They are all lovely, touching and accessible.

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At Punchestown

Beautiful Mary O’Halloran and her daughter Louise at the recent Punchestown meet.

Mary is living with Motor Neurone Disease, In true best dressed style, Mary gets up, dresses up and shows up. All her Listowel friends are hugely proud of her.

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A Fact

Botanically a strawberry is not a berry but a banana is.

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Writers Week 2023

By

On May 2, 2023

In Listowel, Personal, Schools, Tralee

Éamon ÓMurchú took this photo of the bridge to Listowel Racecourse in December 2021

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Beautiful door on Courthouse Road

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Grave of the Presentation Sisters in St. Michael’s Graveyard

The last time I posted the nuns’ headstones I omitted one. It was missed. So for the sake of accuracy I’m putting them all together here now. Sisters who have died since 2013 have been buried “with their own people”. May they all rest in peace.

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Coming to Listowel Writers’ Week 2023

The future of Irish writing is in safe hands. Sarah Gilmartin is one of the new generation of Irish writers and novelists.

On Friday, June 2 2023 in Listowel you can hear Gilmartin discuss her novel with Una Mannion and Elaine Feeney.

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In Tralee

Tralee’s Pikeman

These are two of the inscriptions on the plinth of the statue

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My Weekend Visitors

Listowel looking beautiful in the sunshine As I welcomed the Kildare branch of the family.

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Important Donation to Kerry Writers Museum

Fr Anthony Gaughan is one of Listowel’s most prolific and respected writers. On April 24 2023 he donated all his awards to be displayed in Kerry Writers’ Museum.

Not all of the board of the Writers’ Museum could attend the hand over of this generous donation. Those present were Seán McCarthy, David Browne, Cara Trant, Fr. Gaughan, Jimmy Deenihan, Gabriel Fitzmaurice, Bernie Carmody and James Kenny pictured with the awards.

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Changes in The Square

By

On April 27, 2023

In Listowel, Personal

William Street, April 2023

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Changes in Listowel Town Square

Some things in The Square have remained the same for centuries. Somethings are very new.

We have free Wifi.

We have a defibrillator

We have an outdoor public seating and dining area.

And we have 2 EV charging points.

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St. Mary’s at Eastertime

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Shortlist announced

These are the novels shortlisted for the prestigious award of Kerry Book of the Year at Listowel Writers’ Week 2023. The Kerry sponsored prize is a very generous €20,000. The winner will be announced on the opening night of the festival on May 31st 2023.

You can pick up a quick taster of this year’s programme in shops around town or on the website. The full programme will be available shortly.

Visit the website to book tickets for events or to volunteer to be part of this year’s festival.

Listowel Writers’ Week

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Listowel Pitch and Putt Club celebrating 50 years

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A Doting Grandad

My Aoife’s grandad is a gardener and an outdoor person. He found a new use for his wheelbarrow recently.

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Coming to Writers Week 2023

Joseph O’Connor’s latest book tells the story of a Kerry World War 2 hero, Fr. Hugh O’Flaherty.

At 3.00 p.m. on Sunday June 4th you can catch Joseph O’Connor in a Writers’ Week 2023 event with Richard Ford.

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A Fact

In 1945 a computer at Harvard malfunctioned while it was being tested. When the lady who was working on it at the time investigated she found a moth had got into one of the circuits and she removed it. Ever since, when something goes wrong with a computer, it is said to have a bug in it.

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A Big Birthday

By

On April 24, 2023

In Ballybunion, Listowel, Personal, Poem

Lower Courthouse Road in April 2023

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Pitch and Putt

My 2 eldest grandchildren are all grown up now. Visits to pet farms and fairy trails don’t cut it anymore. They have found a new passion, Pitch and Putt. They played the Listowel course three times on their recent visit and pronounced it an excellent course.

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A Poem by Listowel’s John McAuliffe

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An Emigrant Remembers

John Leahy wrote to us again. His Listowel Connection, I’ll remind you, is with the Leahy’s of Leahy’s Corner Shop. John’s father was Sean Patrick Leahy. His grandather was Jack Leahy.

John is a poet and publishes his poems on The Kemptown Verses website

Here is his recent email;

Dear Mary

Thank you so much for including my poem and picture in your beautiful 
magazine.
I was so proud. I seldom write love poems, but that one was specifically 
for Carina and means a lot.
This has really brought out deep emotions and memories for me.
On a trip home when I was about 13 or 14 my cousins took me to a 
restaurant in the Square;
one of them nudged me and said with great satisfaction “look on the next 
table, that’s John B. Keane”
Some days later one of his sons came to Tralee with us to see a band.

It was my late farther who got me into writing because of his great love 
of literature.
He passed away in 2005 at the age of 93, I really wish he could have 
seen your magazine.
Mum came from Donegal in a small holding near Killybegs. Her maiden name 
was Callaghan.
I lost her in 1993.

Kind Regards
John

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Listowel Writers’ Week 2023

If you are in town on Saturday June 3 2023, why not come and join me and my band of able assistants on our morning walk. We’ll have songs and stories and not much walking.

There’s a Writers’ Week Parkrun at 9.30 for the more energetic.

Charlie Nolan’s video of the walk in 2018 is here;

Saturday Walk 2018

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I was at a Birthday Party on Saturday

Mary Boyer is 85.

Mary with her two sons in Namir’s in Ballybunion on Saturday April 22 2023. Mary was joined by family, friends and neighbours to celebrate the milestone birthday.

Mary with Mairead Sharry

Mary with Patricia Borley

With Maria Leahy

With Ruth OQuigley

These are just some of the friends Mary has made as she engaged in her many activities. If ever there was a poster girl for lifelong learning it’s Mary Boyer. Mary’s skills include, knitting, crochet, macramé, flower arranging, cooking, jewellery making and creative writing. A little bird told me she is learning the keyboard.

Mary with her old friend, Namir Karim, who opened his doors on Saturday especially to host Mary’s party.

Mary has that enviable ability to make friends and to keep them for life. We’ll be back for the 90th and for many more le Cúnamh Dé.

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A Fact

The first ever safety feature for a car was invented in 1908 by John O’Leary.

What was it?

He patented a large net like a giant shrimp net to be attached to the front bumper to scoop pedestrians out of harm’s way before they could be run over.

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