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
beautiful corner of Listowel Town Square in July 2023
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Last of the Memories (for now)
Every second Wednesday was fair day and wooden barricades were placed along the edge of the footpaths. . The farmers arrived in with their cattle early so the fair was in full swing as we left for school . We were fascinated to see bright red notes changing hands. We didn’t know what denomination they were but we’d never seen them. When the fair was a horse fair which spread up to Market Street we got a day off school as it was considered it would be too dangerous for us to walk through the horses. All that stopped when the Mart was built in the early sixties.
All of us children walked to school which was quite a long way from the Square to the Convent. We would walk with the Fitzgibbon girls and we always cut through the archway between the top of Tae Lane and the Market. I remember clearly seeing the car being painted on the side of Tarrant’s garage which I think is still there.
Eleanor Belcher
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Revival 2023
Still time to get your tickets
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A Success Story with a Listowel Connection
Richard Sheahan (on the right in the photo) was selected on the 4 person team to represent Ireland in the International Chemistry Olympiad which took place in Zurich over 10 days. At the awards ceremony he learned that he had won a bronze medal for Ireland. He is pictured with his teammates.
Richard is the grandson of Nora Sheahan and the late Jim Sheahan from Greenville.
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Remembering Schooldays
Many of these ladies still in town may help with the last few names and maybe a year.
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A Fact
There is a golf course on the border of Sweden and Finland. There are nine holes in each country.
Hi ho, hi ho, a working we will go. Heading out for the calves, Kilbrin,
July 2023
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Pickleball
Pickleball is the latest racket game sweeping the ranks of more mature players. This group of Listowel ladies took part in the pickle ball global event in UCD recently.
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The Hanging Gale
This stone is an example of primitive stone carving. Stephen Rynne brought it to Listowel. It was found in a field in the midlands and it says “Home Rule; Down with Landlordism. We have no idea who did it or when but landlords have been a hated class in Ireland for a long time. Here is an extract from Fr. John ORiordáin’s book. He is writing about North Cork but the story was replicated all over the country.
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Celtic Art in Listowel
Listowel has produced Celtic artists unlike any other town in Ireland. Michael O’Connor is acknowledged as the foremost illuminator calligrapher. At the top of the list of jewellers working in the global celtic design field is Eileen Moylan of Claddagh Design.
If you have one of these treasures, keep it safely because it will in time be a collector’s item
Stephen Walker is a US based jeweller and designer. He is an expert in the area of Celtic Design and he has published several books about modern celtic art. He is the founder of the international conference of Celtic Design.
Here is what he says about Eileen Moylan’s work;
“The very nature of Celtic design and traditional Irish jewellery is a reference to the past. The challenge of our modern Celtic Renaissance is to preserve that style and those traditions in a way that goes beyond mere copying. Eileen Moylan’s jewelry work is an excellent example of adapting the ancient style for a contemporary audience. Her designs preserve a sense of nostalgia and identity, yet are solidly contemporary. It is artists and designers like her, whose skill and imagination continue to innovate, that insure that Celtic design will continue to produce meaningful treasures into the future.”
So young and so talented. The Russia Ukraine war is a dreadful occurrence but we are so lucky in North Kerry that it brought these charming and talented musicians into our midst.
Mike Moriarty was excellent in his role as MC.
Finbar Mawe eloquently reminded us of all the effort that had gone into getting the project to completion. He remembered all the fundraisers and he had a special mention for people like Brendan O’Sullivan who made a huge contribution to the project but passed away before the official opening.
The quality of speech making on the day was admirable. Speakers were well prepared and stuck to the script.
Una Buckley stole the show. She spoke movingly of her family’s interaction with Art Chúram.
Bobby and Mary Buckley
Una’s parents live in the country and now that they are no longer driving, they are dependent on family and friends to get them out and socialising. Una thanked the community nurse who introduced them to Art Churam. Now they look forward to their weekly outing. She spoke of the welcome and respect with which they are always treated. Her father has been known to sing a song or two.
Bobby and Mary are just two of the service users whose lives have been enriched by Art Churam. Una spoke for many families who are so grateful to see their parents engaged and happy.
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Your Help Needed
Charlie Nolan found this very old photo of boys and girls in the convent school yard. We have no date . Sr. Claire and her fellow sister are in the old habit which puts it probably in the 1950s.
Maybe someone could enhance the photo. We’d love to identify some few of the pupils.
There wasn’t a school uniform in those days but the nuns used to give material and knitting wool to families and they could get a skirt made and a jumper knitted. If you remember wearing one of those skirts or knitted jumpers we’d love to hear from you
Another Prestigious Prize for a journalist with a Listowel Connection
This is Malachy’s father, David Browne’s Facebook post
“Proud and privileged to witness the announcement of the Pulitzer Prize Award to my son Malachy last Monday in the New York Times offices. His team were acknowledged for their unflinching coverage of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, including an eight-month investigation into Ukrainian deaths in the town of Bucha and the Russian unit responsible for the killings.’
Malachy Browne with Donnie O’Sullivan at Listowel Writers’ Week 2022
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A Settle Bed
This is a picture of an old farmhouse from Floklore.ie. On the left of the picture is what was known as a settle bed. The bedclothes were stored underneath the seat and brought out when the bed was dressed for someone for the night. This was a fine cozy bed beside the fire and often used by visitors or travelling workmen.
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Listowel’s Newest Amenity
“My heart, tonight, is home again in Ireland
Upon thy banks, my silver river Feale.”
Bryan MacMahon’s words were sung to us by his son, Owen, at the launch of Listowel Kayaking Club on May 14 2023.
The sun shone. The water was resplendent. The birds sang. A small crowd gathered (small, for health and safety reasons) and Jimmy Deenihan presented us with his latest project, a kayaking club. Jimmy and friends have brought this to fruition in jig time.
Jimmy Deenihan
I was delighted to meet this group of my former pupils, all involved in this healthy outdoor activity. Lovely to see these young ladies emerging as leaders in their community.
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A Welcome Treat
On my way to town on Friday, I met these lovely young people at the gate of their school, Coláiste na Ríochta. They were inviting me to their Bake Sale in aid of Áras Mhuire.
I took up their invitation and a lovely young man accompanied me to the classroom where selling, eating and chatting was in full swing.
I even met someone I knew. I bought some cakes . They were delicious.
Well done enterprising seniors in Coláiste na Ríochta.
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A Coronation Tale
Did we ever think we would see Kay Caball, cousin of Canon Declan, renouned historian and genealogist and a pillar of respectability feature in The Irish Daily Mail?
Don’t panic. Kay was merely telling the tale and it all happened in the eighteenth century.
This is the coronation connection. Lady Fiona Petty Fitzmaurice is Queen Camilla’s best buddy.
The Fitzmaurice connection: Fiona’s husband. is one of the once Lixnaw based Fitzmaurices who used to own most of Kerry.
“After a gatherer comes a scatterer” they say and the Fitzmaurices had the father of all scatterers. Kay told the story replete with “Petticoats up and pantaloons down” to a journalist from The Daily Mail and below is a photo of the centre page in the paper on Saturday.
If you missed the paper, Kay will tell it all again on Jimmy Deenihan’s walking tour at Listowel Writers Week on Friday June 2 starting from Kerry Writers’ Museum at 10.00 a.m.
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I told you so
In 2018 I posted this picture on here. It is cyclist Dillon Corkery being greeted by his grandparents at the stage finish of the Rás in Market Street.
Pic : Lorraine O’Sullivan
Yesterday Dillon won Rás Tailteann outright as part of Team Ireland. I told you he was destined for great things. My exact words were ” Is Dillon the next Sam Bennett?”
The Listowel Connection?
I went to school in Kanturk with his grandmother and still count her as a friend today. I’m over the moon!
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A Fact
The word NEWS comes from the fact that stories were gathered from all corners of the world. News is actually an acronym North East West South.
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.
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.
