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: Schools’ Folklore Page 8 of 9

Newbridge House and Farm and how to make a wheel

A study of a pigeon by Criostóir Grayson

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Newbridge House and Farm

Recently Éamon ÓMurchú visited Newbridge House and Farm in Donabate.

This is an exceptionally interesting visitor attraction bringing country life, old days and old ways within easy reach of Dublin.

Look at the old milk churns. They are a throwback to days when cows were milked by hand and the milk taken by the farmer to the creamery.

A collection of rakes, spades, scythe, sickles, slash hook, a hay knife, a sleán, a push mower and an implement on the lower right that baffles me.

Could it be a whet stone?

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Memory Lane

An old one of Jim Halpin chatting to a garda at the door of his military and historical museum.

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Wheelmaking

from Asdee National School in the Schools’ Folklore Collection.

The wheel is made in the following way – the stock which is made of elm is first chipped with a hatchet – it is then put into the dell and turned. The dell is twisted round with a handle and the carpenter is at the other side with his chizels until he has it rounded enough. He then marks it with two lines at about two inches apart. The lines are used as a guide for mortising the wheel. He then gets a compass and centers his wheel so as to have his mortises even for the spokes. He then dresses his spokes which are made of oak. The spokes are prepared in the following way – they are first cut with a saw about two feet long by three inches broad and two inches in thickness. He first cuts the tenant which fits into the mortice. Then he rounds the spokes with a hatchet. After this he works a drawing-knife for to clean it. Next he works a spoke-shave in it and then he brings it to perfection with a smoothing-plane. When he has his spokes dressed he drives them into the stock. Then he gets a trammel for to get the round of the wheel for to give him a guide to mark his fellows. He then cuts the end of the spokes to fit into the fellows. The fellows are made into six parts and are a kind of bent to bring in the circle of the wheel. He then bores two holes on each fellow with an augur in order to fit them into the spokes. It is then taken to the forge and shod with an iron band.
COLLECTORMaureen D. O’ Connor

AddressTullahennel South, Co. Kerry

INFORMANTWilliam Egan Age67 Address Tullahennel South, Co. Kerry

This account is full of the specific vocabulary of the wheelwright, words lost to us today.

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Today’s Poem

Ar Scáth a Chéile a Mhaireann na Daoine

We live within the shadow of each other (Irish Proverb)

By John McGrath

Bang!

A finch against my window.

I felt the shudder as its world met mine,

Rushed to where it fell.

Sapped of sense and movement,

Eyes glazed, grey, lifeless,

Wings splayed, stone still.

I saw its small beak quiver,

Move as if to speak.

A tiny pulse throbbed in its downy throat.

Cupping it in my palm,

I felt the soft, warm beat within,

Willed life into stillness.

Restored by simple touch

It stirred, fluttered, faltered, flew

And healed the poet too.

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Good news on Parking in Ballybunion

(From Radio Kerry)

More public car parking is being provided in Ballybunion.

Kerry County Council says it will provide the free spaces at the Tintean Theatre carpark, located off Church Road.

The extra spaces will be available until the end of September and signage has been put in place to direct motorists to the car park.

Tralee Artist, Folklore and My Neighbour is The New Mayor of Kerry

People have been wondering about Molly. I’m glad to report that I met her in Cork recently and she was in great form. She has loved lockdown with her family at home all the time and lots and lots of attention.

I told her her Listowel admirers were asking.

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Tralee Artist, Mike O’Donnell

Last week I found myself in a part of Tralee that I am not familiar with. I’m sorry I should have noted the name of the area. I was delighted to see the work of one of my favourite muralist’s adorning the walls. The pictures are fabulous but I have no idea what exactly they depict. Looks like Famine times and a few extra unrelated images.

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Bíonn Siúlach Scéalach

I am old enough to remember when homeless men walked the roads, travelling from parish to parish in search of seasonal work. They often called asking if they could sleep in the hay barn for the night. It was unlucky to refuse such a request but my poor mother, who was a widow, never slept a wink if there was a man sleeping in the barn. She was in dread fear he would smoke and burn the barn, hay and all down.

This is what I found in the school’s folklore collection about these spailpíní.

Beggars seldom stay in the same house more than one night unless when the next day is bad. They always have their own food which they collected during the day but sometimes the people of the house give them their supper and breakfast. They also give them a bag of straw to sleep on for the night. Tinkers usually travel in families but the poor travellers go singly or in twos.

About five or six years ago a poor travelling woman stayed at our house for three days and she used to tell us a good deal of funny stories every night.
The best known travelling folk in my locality are as follows:- Paddy Flynn, Bob Landers, Jimmy O’Leary, the O’Briens, Mrs Fitzgerald and they come the most frequently to my locality.

These travellers usually come at Easter and Christmas and before the Pattern and Listowel races.

COLLECTOR James Maher

Gender male

Address Knockaunacurraheen, Co. Kerry

INFORMANT Mrs Sheehy

Gender female

Age 75

Address Ballintogher, Co. Kerry

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Bridge Road

These businesses are on opposite sides of Bridge Road as you approach town from the Tralee side.

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On This Day, June 30 1922

(information from a book, On this Day by Myles Dungan of RTE)

June 30 1922 was the day that future genealogists’ and family researchers’ hearts were well and truly broken. On that fateful day, the biggest explosion ever seen in Dublin destroyed records of Irish administrations from the 13th to the 19th centuries. Earlier damage had already been done during World War 1 with the pulping of census returns for 1861, ’71, ’81 and “ 91.

What was lost in the explosion of 1922?

Census returns for the years 1921, 31, 41, and ’51

One thousand Church of Ireland parish registers

Wills and deeds and land transactions

Court Reports

Military Records

Was this explosion an accident?

Sadly, no.

The public records office was housed in The Four Courts in Dublin. 

On April 14 1922, anti treaty rebels under Rory O’Connor occupied this building.

Pro treaty forces of the Free State government under Michael Collins attempted to dislodge them.

On June 30th the rebels in The Four Courts, now under Ernie O’Malley, surrendered.

The arsenal of ammunition and explosives the rebels had stored in The Four Courts was torched and thus was lost a millennium of official Irish records.

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Jimmy Moloney, Mayor of Kerry

Jimmy Moloney was installed as Mayor of Kerry yesterday. Here he is with his two aunts, Kay Caball and Eila Moriarty.

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St. Patrick’s Hall, Lizzy’s Relocation and A Lixnaw legend

William Street in May 2021

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St. Patrick’s Hall

St. Patrick’s Hall is located in Upper William Street, aka locally as Patrick Street.

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Lizzy is on the Move

Listowel’s own celebrity chef is back on our screens on Sunday mornings. This extremely busy lady is also planning to move premises in Listowel. While she is not dropping the word from the brand name, her new café will not be so little at all.

Lizzy is moving from Lower William Street to Church Street into the premises until recently trading as The Nook.

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Michael O’Leary’s Kanturk Connection

This old newspaper cutting from 1958 was posted by Trish O’Neill in a Facebook Group called Kanturk Memories. It is a photo of the wedding of Michael O’Leary of Ryanair’s parents. His mother was an O’Callaghan from Banagh outside Kanturk, down the road from my childhood home.

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A “Pied Piper” in Lixnaw

Ballincloher pupils contributed many legends of the “Lords of Lixnaw” to the school’s folklore collection. This one seems to owe more to fancy than to fact. Reading the stories, it would appear that they need to be taken with a large pinch of salt as truth got well diluted by fantasy.

….The mansion and out buildings, which were many (some of the remains still exist and the place is called the Old Court) were at one time greatly infected with rats and were found very difficult to exterminate.

A strange man came along one day and offered to rid them of the rats. He ordered that a large building should be provided and fitted up so that no rat could escape out of it. This was done and the rat charmer, if such he may be called, went out in the courtyard, whistled a tune which had the effect of bringing all the rats from the surrounding houses and fields into the courtyard where the man stood. He continued the tune until all the rats were assembled around him, when he marched them off to the house which had been provided for them.

They all followed him into the house and then he shut and locked the iron door so that no rat could escape. He received the reward he had claimed and went his way.

On the following day a strange man riding a black horse drove into the courtyard and demanded the release of the prisoners which he said were locked in the building. The steward said he knew of no prisoners and the man in black pointed to the house where the rats were imprisoned and said he would rid him of them at once demanding to have the door unlocked. This was done and the man rode away with all the rats at his heels.

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New Business in Church Street

Across the road from the former home of the man who gave us The Gift Of Ink another kind of ink business is opening shortly. We’ll soon have all the body art we can buy.

A Tattoo Parlour, I’m reliably informed.

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Beautiful Kerry, Have a Book on Us, A Leprechaunand Some St. Vincent de Paul Volunteers

Photo: Martin Moore

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Good Idea

If you felt like a read of something while on your visit to Ballybunion, here was your problem solved. This table of free books catered for a wide variety of tastes.

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A Tall Tale from Clandouglas National School in The Schools’ Folklore Collection

Once upon a time there lived in the Parish of Ballygologue Listowel a man named Paddy Muldoon. Paddy was a bit of a ne’er do well, never settling down to any steady job but like McCawber always hoping for something to turn up. In that same district lived an old man named Johnny Sullivan. Johnny was great at telling yarns about ghosts, fairies, leprechauns, Headless Coaches, and so forth. Now Paddy having plenty of time because he did little work often visited old Johnny to hear his tales. But of all the stories the one he liked best was that about Leprechauns because that crock of gold would be no black eye to Paddy. However although he dreamed of crocks of gold, in his sober senses he gave the matter little thought. Paddy generally took a short cut to old Johnny’s abode. This path usual in country places skirted a Fort and on through a bog. One fine day in the summer time Paddy was sauntering along whistling gaily, when on raising his eyes what did he see right in front of him beside the Fort, but a wee little man seated on a stool hammering away at his shoe. A Leprechaun, thought Paddy, as he darted forward + seized the Leprechaun and shouted “I have you at last, where is the crock”. You have me all right, said the Leprechaun, but give us a chance, don’t shake the life out of me, and I will show you. The crock is in the bog beyond but the ground is very soft and you must tie your shoes very well. Look, one of your shoes is nearly off. Ah you old cock, said Paddy, that won’t do. You know old Johnny told Paddy that he should never take his eyes off the Leprechaun, for if he did the Leprechaun would vanish. Just at that moment another man Joe Cassidy came along the path, and when he saw Paddy holding the Leprechaun began to congratulate him on his good fortune. Both of them became so excited, that Paddy for a moment, took his eyes off the Leprechaun, who instantly vanished leaving Paddy standing there to mourn the loss of his crock of gold.

COLLECTOR Maureen Mc Elligott

NFORMANT Mr John O’ Halloran

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Magnificent trees on Listowel Pitch and Putt Course

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In Ballybunion

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Return of the St. Vincent de Paul shop

My friends in Listowel St. Vincent de Paul shop are back in action and would welcome donations.

The shop is located on Upper William Street.

It is open on Thursdays and Fridays from 11 to 5

Some of the helpful volunteers who run the shop are Mary, Bina, Hannah, Nancy and Katsy. I love to drop in to them. They are always helpful and friendly.

You’d never know what treasure you might find there.

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Kanturk, A Champion Frog and A Plea from Ard Chúram

Listowel Pitch and Putt Course

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An Accident in Kanturk

This is the ancient inscription on the Bridge over the River Dallow in my native Kanturk. My Latin is very rusty but as far as I can make out the bridge was erected by the worthies of North Cork in the 18th century. Clearly it was never intended for today’s heavy traffic.

On Friday, May 14 2021, a lorry carrying a load of pouring concrete, broke through the parapet and ended up in the river. Miraculously no one was seriously injured. The County Council and emergency services had restored the road to a functional condition when I visited on the Saturday after the excitement.

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A Cairn in Lixnaw

(From The Schools’ Folklore Collection)

In Gurthenare also in the farm of Mr. Quilter there are still to be seen the remains of a monastery called Kilcara, built by St. Carthage. One of the monks (Franciscans) belonging to that monastery was murdered by Cromwell’s soldiers and tradition has it that he was buried in “Mickey’s Field” in the farm of Wm. Dowling of Kiltomey bounding Gurthenare and Kilcara. A pile of stones was raised over the grave and up to forty years ago everyone, old and young, threw a stone on the pile when passing so strong was the tradition then. Three people, two of whom are still living heard stones rattling there late one night as they were going home from a friend’s house. The noise was such as would be made when emptying a load of stones out of a car.

Told by Michael O’Connell, aged 65

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Ard Churam Needs Your Help

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Guhard Man and Frog

David Kissane has penned a lovely essay about a living legendary Guhard man, Mossie Walsh and his exploits. He posted the essay on Facebook. Here is an extract.

…But Mossie became nationally famous as a coach also. He coached a frog to European championship glory in 1970. Where did this happen? Well, it happened in Listowel where anything creative can happen! At the Listowel Harvest Festival of that year, Noel Driscoll from Milltown Malbay in Clare brought a European champion jumping frog to challenge all-comers. Just picture this. Market Street in Listowel during race week. Around 9pm on the second night of the Festival and the street thronged with men, women and children. The ancient autumnal celebratory atmosphere and the smell of chips, crubeens and porter (lots of porter) circulating. Music and steam rising from the amusements in the marketplace nearby and that “heaven-is-here” feeling in the hearts of all. A big Kerryness all round. A big stage and a throaty announcement “And now, ladies and gentlemen, we invite all comers to challenge the European champion frog jumper…Who can produce a frog that will jump higher or longer than this fabulous creature from Clare?” and the announcer pointed to the green gungy throbbing muscular amphibian proudly sitting in the arms of Noel Driscoll from the Banner. Big cheeeeeeeer!

Mossie was among the crowd and watched five or six people appear with various sizes of frogs. Five or six shades of green. Some with wide froggy eyes and wondering what all the excitement was about. As the excitement grew, a friend came up to Mossie with a box and said shyly “Mossie, I have a good frog here but I have a sore leg and can’t climb up and I was wondering if you would go on stage and let him jump in the challenge?”Mossie looked at the frog. The frog looked at Mossie. Mossie saw the potential in his geáits. He was tidy and dark green in colour. The frog looked at Mossie and smelled the porter from him. His aura was good.

Man and frog went up onstage, the new coach giving the frog a short rub on the way and a whisper in his ear. Up lined seven frogs. European title at stake. Nobody queried the facts or figures or records of the Clare jumper. The procedure was that the frogs were put on a line drawn on a sheet of plywood. The coaches stamped the board behind the frogs and the frogs jumped. One, two, three. Stamp. Huge roars from the crowd and frogs jump. Which they did. Except the European champion from Clare. His frogginess departed him in the Listowel headiness. Stage fright. The more his coach stamped, the less he jumped. Wild cheers as Mossie’s adopted frog leaped like Bob Beamon to the winning line. The Ballydonoghue Hare had coached a winning frog! Listowel went wild. Mossie had the winning touch. The stamp of a winning coach.

A bit of commotion as the frog jumped off the stage and hid under a woman’s skirt and a do-gooder got a left uppercut from the same woman as he tried to retrieve the frog! “What’s the new champion’s name?” John B Keane asked from the centre of the crowd?”“Guhard Man!” Mossie answered with the confidence of a Dubbie Holt, as he was presented with a prize by the winner of “The Darling Girl from Clare”.

And further glory was to follow. One evening a few weeks later, a posh car drove in to Mossie’s yard. Out came a posh-looking man. “My name is Oliver Donohoe from RTE” he said. “We would like your European champion frog to jump on the Late Late Show on Saturday night!”

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