Listowel Connection

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 Page 9 of 21

Listowel Races 2022

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On September 26, 2022

In Listowel, Listowel Races, Schools

Day 1 of Listowel Harvest Festival of Racing 2022, Sunday September 18th

And I was there with my friend, Bridget O’Connor.

I was back on The Island on the last day, Saturday, Sept 24 2022 for Listowel Tidy Towns sustainable fashion event.

And the winner is…

Andrea Thornton is the queen of sustainable fashion. She rarely buys anything new. When her gorgeous dress was bought, it was already vintage with a slightly rusted metal zip and a few rust stains on the lace. Her headpiece came from Vincent’s in Listowel when it was called Second Time Around. She wore her shoes at a Bronte literary event in the UK.

Her fan had to be the most inventive reuse of something. It started life as a Barbie doll’s dress.

Two babies later, the dress still fits Andrea as well as it did on her 21st.

The runner up is another vintage affectionado. Amy G. loves her life, travelling around the world, selecting pieces for her pre loved business.

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When The Owner is an Artist …

Traditionally everything in Listowel shuts down for Race Week. Work stops on building sites in town. This premises on Church Street was no exception but look at how they painted the boarded up window to match the colour scheme of the shopfront.

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Tralee Pillar Box from Another Era

This Tralee postbox dates from the reign of Edward VII so it was put there between 1901 and 1910. Hasn’t it weathered the years well?

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St. Michael’s 1972 Past Pupils Reunion

Back L to R.  Jim Larkin,Maurice Sheehy, Jack Flavin, Tom Stack, Brendan Keane, Eddie Flaherty, John Hartnett, Aidan Murphy, Finbarr Prendiville, Gerard Hussey, David Kissane.Front. L to R. Paddy Quilter,Gerard Neville,Jimmy Fitzmaurice, Joe Horgan,Seamus Kennelly, Neil Brosnan, Jer Riordan.

Names supplied by Jimmy Fitzmaurice.

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The Greatest Irish Athlete Ever?

The eccentric Cork athlete , when asked how he felt after winning his 5th. World Championship said in typical understated fashion ‘Fine”.

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Young and Old

By

On September 8, 2022

In Listowel, Schools

Main Street, Listowel in August 2022

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People I Met

Mark and Sheila Hewitt made a welcome return to Listowel after their Covid absence.

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At the School Gate

Scoil Realt na Maidine has got a new school gate.

I learned on Facebook that the gates were made and fitted by Beasley Engineering, Listowel

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The Oldest Man in Listowel?

Is Peter McGrath the oldest man in Listowel? He is 95.

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Neighbours at a Wedding

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I Know for a Fact

Elvis Presley wore a cross, a Star of David and the Hebrew letter chi around his neck. He explained this choice of jewellery thus. “I don’t want to miss out on Heaven due to a technicality.”

Presley died on August 1977, in the bathroom of his Graceland home.

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Barbara’s Road Trip

By

On August 22, 2022

In Listowel, Schools

In Marley Park; Éamon ÓMurchú

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A Kerry Connection

Jim and Liz Dunn with their niece Rosie on Rosie’s wedding day.

Jim and Liz are huge supporters of the Arts in Kerry.

At the wedding, Liz read Gabriel Fitzmaurice’s Just to be Beside You is Enough during the ceremony.

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This story is Pants

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A First for Listowel Connection… A Guest Blogger

Barbara Kissane is an Irish American lady. She loves Ireland, the birth home of her parents and she has visited often.

This year her Irish holiday was a bit different. I asked her to give us an account of her trip and I will share her story of her Irish summer with you over the next few days.

When 2022 rolled around, I had no intentions of travelling to Europe this summer due to the covid restrictions.   In March, the restrictions were lifted and still no intention of traveling to Europe.  On April 12th, a mass shooting happened on the NYC subway.  The next morning, I booked my vacation on Aer Lingus for three weeks because I knew it was going to be a hot summer so I had to get out of NYC!  I hardly ride the subways!!  I had gotten an amazing deal for under $1,000 for 3 weeks.  

Our parents instilled in us a love of Ireland at an early age.   My father was from Kerry and my mother’s parents were from Mayo.   Ireland is in our blood!   We are  a large Irish/American family of 8 and we grew up in The Bronx, mostly an Irish neighborhood with lots of Kerrymen surrounding us.   I have been to Ireland the most out of my 8 siblings because I traveled with my parents a lot.

Originally for this trip, I was traveling with a friend and we were going to rent a car and travel all around Ireland for 2 weeks.  Then my friend had to back out at the last minute.   With that, my plans changed too.   I have driven Ireland by myself in 2017 and loved every minute of it.  I didn’t feel like doing it this time around.   I found a tour company called, The Royal Irish Tours and the tour dates fit perfectly for my trip.

It was totally last minute.   I would highly recommend them!   We covered a lot of ground in 10 days.   Yes, ten days and I survived being on a coach bus for ten days.  

More tomorrow….

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The Boys (of 1972) are Back in Town

Jim Fitzmaurice has been in touch.

Listen up if you belong to the St. Michael’s Class of 1972.

Here is Jim’s email:

“We are organising a reunion of the Leaving Cert Class of 72 on 17th Sept. In Christys bar the Square

At 7pm. There are many we have no contact details for so a bit of publicity is needed.

Jim Fitzmaurice, Bunagara Listowel and Arklow.

jimmyfitzm@gmail.com

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A Fact

In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries doctors prescribed tobacco to treat a variety of ailments. These included, headache, toothache, arthritis and bad breath.

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Remembering

By

On August 8, 2022

In Listowel, Poem, Schools

Listowel’s Millenium Arch in July 2022
Millenium Arch from the river side

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Listowel Players

This old photo was shared recently on Listowel Memories. There is one correcti0n. That is not Batt O’Keeffe but John Broderick.

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Camden Street, Dublin in 1975

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The Fairy was Laughing too

I was revisiting Boards.ie recently and someone had put up the lyrics of this old song. It is like an ear worm now resounding in my head. I think the voice I hear is Brendan O’Dowda’s.

In a shady nook one moonlight night,

A leprachaun I spied;

With scarlet cap and coat of green;

A cruiskeen by his side.

‘Twas tick tack tick, his hammer went,

Upon a weeny shoe;

And I laughed to think of a purse of gold:

But the fairy was laughing too.

With tip-toe step and beating heart,

Quite softly I drew nigh:

There was mischief in his merry face;-

A twinkle in his eye.

He hammered and sang with tiny voice,

And drank his mountain dew:

And I laughed to think he was caught at last:-

But the fairy was laughing too.

As quick as thought I seized the elf;

‘Your fairy purse!’ I cried;

‘The purse!’ he said – ’tis in her hand –

‘That lady at your side!’

I turned to look: the elf was off!

Then what was I to do?

O, I laughed to think what a fool I’d been;

And the fairy was laughing too.

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Scoil Realta na Maidine in Summer 2022

First Communion Class of 1956

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A Pig Fair

This is Kanturk but it could be any town in rural Ireland in the 1950s. The building is now the AIB bank, recently among the branches earmarked to become cashless.

One seller, standing by the signpost, has obviously reached town early on Pig Market day as he has a prime location. It’s early in the morning as farmers are coming and going from the creamery with their milk churns.

Just over the bridge you can see the BP sign. This is Fitzpatricks petrol pumps on O’Brien Street. There were no diesel cars in the 1950s.

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One is Nearer God’s heart in a Garden

By

On July 25, 2022

In Listowel, Schools

than anywhere else on earth.

Beautiful sunflower Photo: Éamon ÓMurchú

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Molly in The Garden of Europe

I took a walk with M0lly Madra through this oasis of peace and calm.

Schiller’s yellow roses are not yet in bloom

This weeping willow is at its best just now.

The Holocaust memorial stands out in its semi circle of yellow.

This new seat is perfectly placed to contemplate Patrick Tarrant’s extraordinary sculpture.

This is one of two lovely mosaics, the work of visiting artists.

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Schoolgirls in The Black Valley

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My favourite Iraq1 Kerryman

This is the Karim family from Ballybunion. Namir is an exceptional person, the most kind and generous man you will meet in a lifetime.

The Karims are a lovely family.

We heard Namir tell his extraordinary story to Mary Fagan on Horizons yesterday. Listen to it here;

Horizons

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Sam’s in his Heaven

And all’s right with the world

Photo from Kerry GAA Fans on Facebook

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