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
Narcissi in Phoenix Park, Dublin…photo; Carmel Hanrahan
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What a difference a year makes?
This lovely picture is on page 4 of Moments of Reflection. The sun is shining and the hens are out foraging among the daffodils. The photo was taken by the hens’ owner on February 18 2024.
One year later on February 18 2025, same old garden and same photographer. The hens are in lockdown to keep them safe from the global avian pandemic that we call Bird Flu. Because of the inclement weather we experienced this winter and early spring , the daffodils are way behind.
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Old Kanturk
This is back in the day when the Fair was a big thing. I am currently reading Niall Williams’ The Time of the Child (highly highly recommend). In it Williams paints a great picture of just such a fairday in his fictional town.
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Catching Up
A great blessing on life’s journey is keeping contact with old friends. This is Margo Spillane who is one of my most loyal and supportive old buddies. We caught up recently in Ballincollig. Always a pleasure!
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Life Goes On
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A Fact
Alligators and sharks can live for up to 100 years.
Now I liked this institution (Mikey OConnor’s shop) because when we brought the shopping list into O’Connors on Wednesdays we were always allowed dip into the open biscuit or loose sweet box and have one treat. After the treat the list was handed over to Mikey. He examined it and put it on the Friday pile. He had circular wooden pieces with what looked like a knitting needle protruding upwards and he just pushed the shopping list on to the Friday pile. Then these messages were selected and duly delivered in the van by Big Pat Sullivan, and you paid him the exact amount due in cash or else you paid in cash in the shop next day. Otherwise, there was no delivery the following week. This was our online shopping with very strict credit control.
In addition to the delivery vans most shops had heavy messenger bikes with the big cumbersome wicker basket in front for deliveries of shopping. These were heavy machines to handle and were operated solely by human pedal power in all weathers. They usually had the name of the shop on a plate attached to the crossbar. They could have done with some of the battery-operated machines that today’s Deliveroo people use for fast delivery of take aways. And now as I write these delivery methods are being superseded by delivery drones. Will the next phase be robots galloping around delivering?
I remember in rural Ireland we had the man with the van travelling from village to village selling groceries and this worked well in small communities but was not widely available.
I look at shopping today and I see so many people doing click and collect since Covid times. People regard it as a great convenience which it really is.
We also have home deliveries which have become very popular with shoppers with instant card payments and online selecting and ordering. It is a fantastic system for busy people where both partners are working or for older people whose children or themselves do the shopping online and have the groceries delivered to their own kitchen table.
I smile wryly to myself when I think that we had online shopping, home deliveries and on the spot payments 75 years ago and more.
I came to Arklow in 1967 and spent my first couple of years in digs which was very settling, comfortable and secure with no shopping required, but times moved on. Our land ladies retired, and we rented a house. Now we had four bachelors who needed sustenance and had to eat. This required the provision of groceries. We went to Jack Byrnes on the Coolgreaney Road which was our nearest grocer’s shop. Now Jack operated a book service for regular customers whereby you got your groceries, they wrote them into your book, and you paid for them on pay day. This suited us perfectly until it came to pay day and dividing up the bill. The list was well scrutinised to ensure no one was doing any extra personal shopping outside the prescribed agreed list of necessary foods to be purchased for breakfast, dinner and supper. It was a great system that worked perfectly well for us before we spread our wings and settled down to more acceptable ways of living.
Shopping has developed exponentially since our barter system was common in Ireland long ago or even more so since the Egyptians used a set weight of gold to purchase goods or since Charlemagne introduced the first standard penny coin in 800 AD.
Life and shopping experiences are constantly evolving, and we must keep changing and continue to manage and adapt to the changes. As Barrack Obama said “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we have been waiting for. We are the change that we seek “
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Memories of Ena Collins
This old image last week evoke many memories for people of a certain age. End, by all accounts was a very pious woman and a great friend of the nuns. You could say she was their eyes and ears in town. She kept a close eye on the convent girls and reported any ‘conduct unbecoming’.
Mike Moriarty has a memory of the shop and the strips of ling ( a cod like fish) hanging by the door. Ling was often salted and preserved for eating during Lent. I remember it well…ugh!
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Keep on Keeping On
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A Dingle Postbox
Maybe this one has been repainted since this photo was taken. In this snap you can see the old red paint coming through.
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You Have to Laugh
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A Fact
A small amount of alcohol on a scorpion will drive it insane and cause it to sting itself to death.
This is a very historical piece…the original post box dates between 1911 and 1921…and Saorstát Éireann dates from 1922 to 1937….unusual in that original door was taken off and replaced…. but retained the original logo’s…. Knocksedan Ireland….. no longer in use….
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That Edward VII postbox dates from 1901 to 1905; after 1905 the royal cypher was used.
This wallbox has been removed..I believe stolen a couple of years ago….
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Shops and Shopping Memories
by Mick O’Callaghan
I remember Woolworths shop coming to Tralee in the early fifties. There was great excitement at the arrival of this new shopping experience for the people of Tralee. It had a special significance for me because I was starting school, and I was not happy to be held in captivity within the confines of a classroom with a locked door. Sr Immaculata told me that my mother was gone to Woolworths to buy me a present, whereupon I told her that she was a liar because Woolworths shop was not yet open. I lashed out and kicked her. That incident gave me the title for my published memoir ‘The boy who kicked the nun”.
Yes, Woolworths opened a whole new shopping experience for the people of the Tralee catchment area with its array of sweets, chocolates and a wide range of goods. I remember buying my first fishing rod there.
Woolworths was a bright star in the middle of the more traditional shops and institutions around it.
We had Revington’s store selling high class drapery and household goods. It was our Harrods of Tralee. People flocked in there and loved it
There were traditional butchers shops a plenty. I remember Mr Mulcahy in Wilsons Shop slicing rashers to perfection on the slicing machine. Mr Harmon sold loose sweets in paper tósíns, his wine gums were to die for. Yes, and we had Healy’s dairy selling ice cream and dairy products. Oh memories, memories of Havercrofts bakery, of Benners that sold every conceivable household gadget imaginable. There was Kelliher’s, McCowen’s and Latchford’s stores and yards with their hardware, fuel and building supplies. Yes, there is a rich memory bank from our early shopping days, but all is changed now with less local ownership and a huge diversity in suppliers and supplies.
We also had the Munster and Leinster bank with Bank of Ireland close by. They were revered national institutions where all shopkeepers queued up on Monday mornings to lodge the weekend takings. Young people aspired to getting a position there because it was regarded as a safe secure pensionable job for life. The local bank managers were well respected figures in the community. Little did they think that such noble institutions would crash and cause such inestimable damage and stress to the lives of ordinary people. They would also bring long serving businesspeople to their knees and cause national economies to collapse. Irish life was changed for ever by the collapse of the banks.
Apart from these we had a few grocers’ shops, and they had their regular clients. Our grocer of choice was O Connors and Mikey, the owner, was a relation of the family, on my mother’s side. He was a Fianna Fail Politician and that did not sit too easily with my father who was opposed to him politically, but practicality had to prevail because the choice of grocer’s shops was limited, and we shopped with Mikey.
More tomorrow
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Sunday in Ballincollig
I was in Ballincollig yesterday, Sunday February 22 2025.
I was there to support my granddaughter and her team, Lakewood, in The National Cup U14 soccer tournament. They beat Drogheda 5/1 and are now into the quarter finals.
Cora is on the far left, with the headband in Carine’s photo.
While I was in Ballincollig I called to the shopping centre for my newspaper.
This was the scene 10 minutes before New Look opened to begin its closing down sale.
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A Fact
For every human on earth there are approximately one million ants.
Olive Stack is a one person ambassador for Listowel. With her artists residencies she has been bringing people with many and varied artistic talents to town. Her visitors have enhanced our town and contributed greatly to the cultural life of Listowel.
Here is what some of them have to say in their testimonials
Julie Mazzoni GA USA December 2024
My December residency at the Olive Stack Gallery was a true gift, offering the rare opportunity to immerse myself in my art while exploring Listowel and its surroundings. The experience was not only enriching on a personal level, but also surprisingly communal, with a sense of camaraderie with fellow residency artists. Who else has learned to tilt their head in reflex when returning to the studio with a hot cup of tea, or been startled by the sudden honking of a tractor parade in mid-December? And who could forget the peaceful shortcut through St. Michael’s Cemetery? Of special note was the quiet strength of my studio mate, Enzina Marrari, who supported me on Christmas Day during my cold plunge at Ballybunion. I’m also deeply grateful to Mary O’Flaherty, who must have a subscription for boozy chocolate-covered cherries, and to the St. Mary’s choir, who welcomed me into their Christmas Eve performance without a second thought. Most of all, my heartfelt thanks go to Olive Stack, whose brilliant idea for this residency created an experience that was truly a win-win-win.
Enzina Marrari Newfoundland Canada December 2024
I was lucky to serve as an artist in residence during December of 2024. The best word I can use to describe my experience is: draíocht, or in English, magic. Listowel lights up during December – literally! The streets are decorated in such a festive manner it feels like you are inside of a snow globe or Christmas movie – or both! Christmas music is projected from loud speakers in the downtown which serves as this lovely sound track to the residency. I served alongside Julie Mazzoni – a brilliant mosaic artist from Georgia, USA. I didn’t know Julie or her work prior to this residency – and I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to meet Julie and learn about her and her work. I also accompanied Julie while she did the winter sea swim at Ballybunion Beach (!) – a beautiful beach a short drive from the gallery. Seeing Julie plunge into the cold waters literally brought tears to my eyes, I was so happy to see her accomplish this goal! My time in the studio was also brilliant. I felt like I finally had time to focus solely and directly on my art practice – something I am unable to do in my daily life. I came with a vision for producing a body of work, and of course, was inspired by Listowel and Ireland which served as a great compliment to my work and strengthened the pieces I was working on. I left with a new body of work that I am proud of and was made a million times better from my time at Olive Stack Gallery. I also appreciated working in an active space – I felt integrated into the community as opposed to being holed up alone in a studio somewhere. Meeting locals and tourists alike added a bonus to my time at the studio. I must also speak about Olive. I am so grateful for having met Olive! In addition to being an amazing painter and mosaic artist, Olive is so kind, compassionate, welcoming, and generous. I feel so grateful to have gotten to know Olive and feel as though I made a life-long friend. Olive and I celebrated New Years in Anascul participating in a longstanding local tradition of marching down the main street led by pipers and fire holders, and then walked along Inch beach on the morning of New Years Day – it is a memory that I will cherish forever. Other highlights: the kindness of the local people, visiting sacred wells around and near Listowel, stopping at a surprise waterfall with Julie on our way to Dingle to see Wren’s Day, finding the most delicious honey roasted peanut butter at the bakery across the street from the gallery (you must try it, it’s out of this world!), putting my feet in the grass at the Ballinskelligs Castle. You will NOT regret applying to this residency! Draíocht Draíocht Draíocht!
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A Favourite from my Schooldays
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Did you know?
These are the so called “fairy slippers” that foals have over their hooves in order to protect the mom’s uterus and birth canal. Then, right after the birth, these soft “feathers” dry up and fall off, so that the foal’s hooves quickly harden and are ready for standing up.
Nature is simply perfect
( source; David Attenborough on Facebook)
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A Fact
Even when a snake’s eyes are closed, it can still see through its eyelids.
In his memoir, O’Carroll remembers the importance of turf.
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The Crow family
Apropos my inclusion of the One for Sorrow rhyme last week, I was reminded that it refers to magpies and not to crows. So here is the crow and all his first cousins, including the magpie.
Now I can’t make out if the ones I see so many of around here are common ravens or rooks.
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Upfront
These three ladies are familiar to us from their work with Listowel Races.
This story and picture is from Tralee Today online
From left; Zoe O’Connor, Orla Diffily and Sydney Sargent at Upfront Model Management. Photo: Cian Copeland
KERRY-BASED Commercial and Fashion Agency, Upfront Model Management, has announced the appointment of Talent Development Manager and new partner, Sydney Sargent and Creative Lead and Casting Director, Zoe O’Connor to continue to grow the agency’s presence in the Irish market and to develop overseas markets.
Upfront was established in Kerry as a PR consultancy in 1995. Upfront Model Management was launched in 2008 and today represents commercial and fashion talents in Cork, Dublin, and Kerry. The Agency specialises in representing diversity and many of the talents also have acting experience.
Scouted in her native Texas, Sydney has modelled internationally in the US, Australia, and London before moving to Ireland 10 years ago.
Agency founder and owner, Orla Diffily began her PR career at Murray Consultants Dublin and then spent 4 years working on consumer and fashion accounts with Setanta Communications Dublin, before moving to the Corporate Affairs Department of Kerry Group PLC.
In 1995, she left to establish Upfront. With over 30 years of experience in the fashion and lifestyle industry, she is a respected industry voice, girl boss and proud owner of Upfront.
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A Fact
A bat flies but cannot walk. Its leg bones are so thin his legs could not support him.
