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
Signpost in Listowel Town Square in September 2024
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Ballybunion Remembers
This little picnic/chat area is looking inviting these days.
The plaques on the seats are suffering some weather damage. The invitation to sit and chat is still there though.
Uplifting message on Bobby Duggan’s seat
Invitation to relax in Irish and English
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Remember these?
There was a cash register like this in every shop before the days of scanning and self service tills.
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A Puzzle from the Old Papers
Jer Kennelly is a great man from trawling through the newspaper archives for local old news. Here are 2 pieces he shared recently:
Nov 24 1887
The Irish Canadian
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
“…. On the 18th ult.. the remains of Mr. John Cunnigham, of Listowel, who had attained the patriarchal age of 96 years, were interred at the family burial ground at Murhur, Newtowndillon. The deceased gentleman, who led a quiet…”
Jan 19 1893
The morning call
San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
“… – In this city, January 16, 1893, John Mahoney, beloved brother of Edward Mahoney and Mrs. Lawrence O’Connell, a native of Murhur, parish of New Town Sands, County Kerry, Ireland, aged 30 years and 6 months. Friends and acquaintances…” From his late residence.
Newtownsandes I’ve heard of but Newtowndillon?
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I was in Athea
St. Barthlomew’s church is beautifully landscaped and maintained.
As you approach the church, this calvary stands on your right hand side. The stark white life-size figures are arresting in their bleakness.
On the other side is this marian grotto, secluded and rustic, by contrast.
There are graves of former parish priests but more striking is this memorial to a native priest who was martyred in Kenya.
What a kind expression the sculptor has captured?
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A Fact
Deer antlers grow from four to five months, roughly from March to the end of August. They grow about an inch a day. That is faster than any other mammal bone.
September 2024 Sunset in Ballybunion…phot0; Alice Moylan
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The Onward March of Ladies’ Gaelic Football
Ballincollig Under 13 squad. They won their summer league by a point against Éire Óg, and everyone got some game time.
Anne (mentor) and Cora (player) in their new kit.
They have just taken delivery of these sweatshirts for the squad and mentors from their new sponsor, Ford.
This year, 2024, LFGA is 50 years old and now there is talk of integration with the GAA.
Ladies Gaelic Football is one of the most successful women’s team sports in Ireland. It has 200,000 registered members.
Photo; Anois Photography
Kerry are the current senior champions and they are brilliant ambassadors for the sport.
LFGA was only set up in 1974 in the teeth of much scepticism from certain quarters in the GAA. The GAA only recognised it as a separate but related organisation at its congress in 1981. Men’s clubs were asked to “co-operate where possible’ with the ladies’ teams.
The story from there on is a mixed one. Some clubs are excellent, welcoming the girls and sharing facilities with them for training and matches. Other clubs not so much.
Three major developments greatly helped the organisation.
In 1986 the All Ireland LFGA final was played in Croke Park for the first time.
TG4 began live coverage of ladies’ games in 2001.
A huge boost for the game came in 2016 with Lidl coming on board as sponsor.
Onwards and upwards, ladies!
(Information from Hayley Kilgallon’s book, Unladylike, a history of the LFGA, )
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Remember the Bad Old Days?
Sometimes you could use left over wallpaper or saved wrapping paper. Children of today with their free schoolbooks and wrapping services don’t realise how lucky they are.
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Still Promoting the Book
Tomás and Aisling take a first look at Moments of Reflection.
David Sheehan and Mary Fagan look at Moments of Reflection in The diocese of Kerry studio in Tralee. I recorded an interview with Mary, which will be broadcast on Horizons on Sunday next, September 15 2024.
Painted utility boxes in Ballincollig. I love this idea.
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Fitzpatrick’s Of Kanturk
Denis Fitzpatrick of Kanturk was a very successful businessman. In the 1960s he had three grocery shops, a bakery and confectionary and an ice cream factory.
Someone sent me this pennant photographed outside a shop in Cork in the 1950s. I have no idea why it was cream ices instead of ice creams.
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Date for the Diary
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Helping me Collect my Books
Paul, Eileen, Alice and Bridget having a first read of my book in Listowel Printing Works in Tannavalla on Friday, September 6 2024.
Listowel Printing Works is now in its busiest season of the year as they embark on the mammoth task of printing thousands of Christmas cards for schools all around the country.
These very popular cards featuring the children’s artwork are bought and treasured by most of Ireland’s schools. Designing and printing them, packaging and dispatch is a huge task for which Listowel Printing Works employs up to 50 extra staff and the facility works flat out.
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The Homecoming Symbol
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A Tony O’Callaghan Bronze
I thought that this plaque might be something to do with Writers Week. I was wrong. While O’Callaghan specialised in bespoke commissions, this is not one of them. Apparently he reproduced this one several times. The names in the book are the names of lots of writers, several of whom were dead before Writers’ Week came about.
Thanks to Vincent Carmody for clearing that one up.
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A Fact
A fingernail or toenail takes about 6 months to grow from base to tip.
Paul Shannon of Listowel Printing Works is the brilliant graphic artist behind the design and layout of my beautiful book, Moments of Reflection.
Paul’s attention to detail and pride in his work is second to none.
Here is a typical page. Paul took a colour from the photograph and put it as a background to the text.
The book is not a once off read. It is a treasure to be visited again and again. It has a hard cover, is case bound (i.e. the cover page is folded in under the front picture.) and the pages are sewn, not glued. It is built to last.
Mary Fagan will help us launch the book in The Listowel Arms at 7.00pm on
Saturday September 21 2024. There will be music and singing.
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It’s All About Timing
There I was, browsing in the St. Vincent de Paul shop on Saturday, September 3 2024, when a lovely lady comes in to donate this musical instrument. Nancy and Liz were delighted with it, a first for the shop and testament to the unique attraction of charity shops; you just never know what will come in the door. Nancy played a scale as a kind of test.
Now I don’t know how to play the ukulele (or any other musical instrument for that matter) but I’ve always heard that the ukulele is dead easy. I have a little granddaughter who loves to sing. She is constantly bursting into song or singing away to herself as she plays with her toys. I’m going to give her the ukulele as her first musical instrument. There is surely a teach yourself tutorial on Youtube. Her parents will love me!
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Advice from the Internet
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People I Met
Three generations of the Green family on their way for a coffee in
a dog -friendly restaurant, Thyme Out cafe, at Listowel Garden Centre.
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From the Archives
The Sydney Morning Herald
Nov 12 1849 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
.HARVEST PROSPECTS IN IRELAND. THE POTATOE. (From the Morning Herald, August 1.) WE have anxiously looked to the general state of the potato crop – which must after all be the staple food of our people for some time longer – and we are happy to say that there has been as yet no appearance of the fatal blight which destroyed the crop of late years, at all calculated to create alarm. We have, indeed, learned that there have been manifest symptoms of the blight in some few cases; but at this we are not surprised or alarmed, as the most experienced agriculturists did not expect it to disappear at once. Besides, in those years when the potato crop succeeded best, there have been always failures more or less extensive Newry Examiner. We (Cork Examiner) continue to receive the most favourable accounts of the potato. The Rev. Mr. Houlahan, of Listowel, from whom we lately gave a letter on the subject, wishes us to state, as the result of his confirmed observation, that from the brow of the Brandon Mountain to Tralee, and from Tralee to the City of the Violated Treaty, there is neither blast nor blight. ” Almost all apprehensions as to the fate of the crop has now vanished, and, as a natural consequence, a general restoration is taking place in public confidence, the results of which will probably soon appear in the improvement of business. We last week went through a large portion of the counties of Donegal, Tyrone, and Derry, and can safely state that a more cheering prospect of an abundant harvest we never witnessed the potatoes look beautiful. We were in a field of wheat near Strabane, where the stalks in general measured six feet and a half, with fine full heads. The hay is nearly all saved, oats and barley are nearly ripe, and promise well, as does the flax. The green crops also look well.
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A Fact
” Ah sure” is an indispensable Irish phrase, used to cheer someone up while stating the obvious.
Examples
— there’s always next year.
—no one died.
—worse things have happened at sea.
—it can’t rain forever.
—at least you don’t use that one for writing.
—it will be better before you are married.
I’m sure you can think of another 10 without too much effort.
The biggest night of September 2024 for me and my family will be the launch of my new book in The Listowel Arms Hotel on Sept. 21 at 7.00p.m.. Moments of Reflection is a collection of reflections, previously broadcast in the Just a Thought slot on Radio Kerry. The Thoughts are accompanied by some uplifting photographs.
The book will cost €20
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Listowel’s Monday half day
Remember we had this poster last week and I wondered about the year. Dave O’Sullivan to the rescue. The year is 1913 and the measure was not universally popular, as Dave uncovered in the following newspaper stories.
Monday January 27 1913 , Kerry Evening Star
And then on Friday, November 9 1934, Irish Press
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Castlemaine
Castlemaine’s most famous son is Jack Duggan, aka The Wild Colonial Boy, who terrorised Australia according to legend.
Cora posed with the statue of the outlaw she had never heard of.
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Tony O’Callaghan Bronze Plaques
This picture was shared on line by Gerard Leahy. Carol Broderick also has one of these. The names in the “book” would appear to be the names of the founders of Writers’ Week.
Do other people have them? Were they some kind of souvenir/reward?
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Fireman
In the early 1900s this is how a fireman dressed so that he could get nearer to the fire to better extinguish it.
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A Saturday Serenade
The local Knotweeds group, John Kinsella, Mary Murphy, Paddy MacElligott, Mike Moriarty and Denis O’Rourke performed in the Square on Saturday August 31 2024.
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A Fact
In AD79 Vesuvius began erupting on the feast day of Vulcan, the Roman god of fire.
