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
I was in town with my visitors on Saturday Nov. 26 2022. Here are some of the people we met.
Aoife met P.J and Joan Kenny on William Street.
In the Vincent de Paul shop (now open on Saturday afternoons) we met Eileen O’Sullivan who gave Aoife a beautiful book. Thank you, ever generous Eileen.
Eileen was having a look around with her sister.
On Church Street we met Mags and Liz and the adorable Jaycee.
Mary and Clíona are old friends from schooldays. Here they are , now both mothers, with Maisie and Aoife.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Listowel Pantomimę
Tommy Moore shared these photos a while back.
Have fun naming the actors.
<<<<<<<<<<<<
Commemorating 100 years of An Garda Síochána in Listowel
November 30 2022
This was the first garda I met on the day. Her smile says it all. Everyone was in great form. The weather was perfect. The buzz was mighty.
Schoolchildren lined the streets around the Garda Station.
Look at this lovely little man saluting the Garda car.
Everyone had a garda friend on the day
Teachers and pupils loving the break from class and learning a bit of history at the same time.
I was a bit early and the festivities hadn’t started in earnest when I was in the Square. My little visitor had fallen asleep so we were at home before the switching on of the lights which was done this year by Paul Manning. We missed Santa and the school band as well so my photos do not do the event justice.
This is Paul Manning at the festivities in The Square. Unfortunately on the way home, Paul lost the hat he is wearing here. The hat was adorned with 2 badges which are of sentimental value to Paul. If you found it, you could hand it in to John B.s, St. John’s , The Garda Station or Doran’s. Indeed if you hand it in anywhere in town they’ll get it back to Paul.
<<<<<<<<<<<
Folklore
On Friday I was back in Listowel Library for Tom Dillon’s entertaining talk on folklore. The talk was based on some of the local stories in the national folklore collection.
I was struck that some things that happened during the recent Covid crisis are things that only we know. Not everything is reported in the paper. I resolved to tell my family that Nick and the team at Listowel Garden Centre gave me a present of a plant and a bar of chocolate one day during lockdown. The gift came out of the blue. It meant a lot as did all the other kindnesses I received. I will pass the stories on to the next generation. That’s folklore.
Many stories were collected by schoolchildren in copies like these in the great initiative in 1936/37. Is it time to do it again?
Here is an extract from that great treasure trove;
My great grandfather whose name was Daniel Mangan from Bedford owned a house in William Street but it belongs to a man by the name of Corbet now and he fixes [?] cycles. When the house was owned by my great grandfather it was a latin school and it was taught by a man named Mac Namara My grand father whos name was Pat Mangan was taught Latin there. Mr. Mac Namara aied [?]named man.
They had slates to write on with slate pencils. The black board was a big slate. They had a few stools and planks across two or three boxes.
There was a hedge school in Ballydonohue. It was taught by a man named Relihan. One day they were attacked by English soldiers and Relihan was hanged. Told by Mrs. Keane, Ashe Street, Listowel. Written by W. Keane, Ashe Street, Listowel.
<<<<<<<<<<<<
What an Improvement
<<<<<<<<<<
Exemplary Fire Fighters
Photo; The Kerryman online
Proud to see our own John Curtin and John Kelliher rewarded for their long service to the fire service.
Bord na Mona workers Christmas 1944. These turfmen, and they were all men, came from all over Ireland in the 1940s and 50s to harvest turf in the midland bogs. The work was backbreakingly hard, cold, wet and inhospitable. They were accommodated in hostels where they stayed for the season.
“From 1942 to 1944 any men who stayed on for the winter were brought into Edenderry and Newbridge Hostels for special Christmas events. They usually arrived on the 24th and stayed until December 27th. St Stephen’s Day activities were usually football games and other sporting events. In 1945, due to falling numbers the event was confined to Newbridge. This photo comes from Newbridge Hostel in 1944.” Bord na Mona Archive
<<<<<<<<<<<
All Ireland Winners
Tim Kennelly, Tony McAuliffe and Gary MacMahon
R.I.P. All Ireland Football medal winners from Listowel
<<<<<<<<<
Cold Turkey by Cyril Kelly
Christmas in Church Street in the 1950s
WARNING :
If You are in any way squeamish, DONT read this great Christmas essay by Cyril Kelly.
I warned you. If you read it despite my warning, you may be sorry.
<<<<<<<<<<<<
Happy Times in School
I have no date for this but it is a Staff versus Pupils End of Term Match. These were always great fun. R.I.P. Cliff, in school uniform.
<<<<<<<<<<
Listowel , Sound Town
Today fm has declared Listowel Ireland’s Soundest Town 2022. They hit town on Saturday to kick off the start of the Christmas Season in Listowel.
Galvin’s Flats, Listowel Town Square, November 2022
<<<<<<<<<<
A Relic of Another Time in Ireland
This is the Royal Cypher of Edward V11. This means that this lovely old Listowel Pillar box is over 100 years old.
<<<<<<<<<<<<
We’re Sound Out
We always knew it. Now the world knows it. Listowel is Ireland’s soundest town. The gang behind the submission to Today fm celebrated the win in Mike the Pies.
<<<<<<<<<<
New Kids in Town
Bobby and Carine’s friends, Dulce and Sylvestre have relocated to Kerry. For Dulce it’s a return to The Kingdom, for Sylvestre it’s a first. They are settling in to their new home in Causeway.
<<<<<<<<<<<
Then and Now
Presentation Secondary School staff, thirty years apart
19922022
<<<<<<<<<<<<
From the RTE Archive
A Christmas edition of Play the Game, Derek Davis, Daniel O’Donnell, John O’Connor? and Joe McCarthy
<<<<<<<<<<
Candles at Christmas
<<<<<<<<<<<<
Community Centre Fire
Nov 23 2022
All looks peaceful in this corner of Childers’ Park on Nov 23 2022. But in the darkness of early morning a fire broke out in the roof space of our community centre.
Fire tenders were quickly on the scene but extensive internal damage had been done.
Hasty message on the door tells its own story.
The community will rally round and I have no doubt the centre will be back in action in as short a time as possible.
(from Joe Kennedy’s Country Matters in yesterday’s Independent)
<<<<<<<<<<
The Residency @ 74
Isn’t it coming along beautifully?
Martin Chute has added his flourish.
<<<<<<<<
St. Batt’s Well
From Shannonside Annual 1959
Note the reference to Collopy’s Corner.
Public transport has improved since those days. Here is a recent post from Tarbert.ie
“There are now buses running 4 times daily to Listowel and back to Tarbert. The 1st bus leaves Tarbert at 7.55am. There is also buses running to Limerick 4 times daily and back. The 1st bus leaves at 6.45am.”
<<<<<<<<<<<
Listowel Food Fair 2022 Opening Banquet
I was lucky enough to be invited to this feast in the Listowel Arms on October 27 2022
The evening was a celebration of delicious Listowel food and was in tribute to Kerry Group which has sponsored the food fair from the beginning. Kerry Group is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. We were honoured to have at our table, Eddie Moylan who was one of the founding members of what is now an 8 billion euro global industry.
We heard great tales of soggy boggy fields and employees in caravans. From a little acorn in the Canon’s field, Listowel, a mighty oak has surely grown.
Liz and Jim Dunn, Mary Cogan, Helen and Eddie Moylan, Martin Moore and Simone Langemann
Here is the menu for the meal
Because of Kerry’s sponsorship of Kerry football, Jason Foley, newly announced as Ballydonoghue’s first All Star was a guest of honour.
Jason Foley and Jimmy Deenihan……… photo shared by Jimmy
We got to pose with another guest of honour, who has become a bit like Banquo’s ghost, turning up at every feast.
Eamonn Dillon, Sam, Mary Cogan, Eddie and Helen Moylan
<<<<<<<<<<
A Reunion Photo
When this class from the early sixties reunited, they brought a few old photos with them. Here is one of the girls from a good few years ago.