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
The lovely old sign has been uncovered during upgrading at Jet’s
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The Good Old Days
Watching My Father Shave by Joyce Sutphen
I see my father’s face in the mirror, stripping off the white mask that wraps along his cheekbone, over his mouth, and, chin jutted up, down his neck.
The river razor tap-taps the sink; the ivory-handled brush swishes back and forth in the cup, and every time he turns the handle, the faucet squeaks.
I watch the steaming water fill the sink, and when he splashes it on his face, the mask dissolves into his waiting hands; the towel turns on the wooden roller.
How I regret being a girl and never being able to find myself this way, to prove how steady I am, how close to the edge I can come.
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Mark Moriarty Book Signing
at Listowel Food Fair 2024
Breeda planning what recipe she’ll try first.
A signed copy could become a treasure in time.
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Mattie Lennon sent us this prayer.
Prayer for Good Humor
by St. Thomas More
Grant me, O Lord, good digestion, and also
something to digest.
Grant me a healthy body, and the necessary
good humor to maintain it.
Grant me a simple soul that knows to treasure
all that is good
and that doesn’t frighten easily at the sight of
evil,
but rather finds the means to put things back in
their place.
Give me a soul that knows not boredom,
grumblings, sighs and laments,
nor excess of stress, because of that obstructing
thing called “I.”
Grant me, O Lord, a sense of good humor.
Allow me the grace to be able to take a joke to
discover in life a bit of joy,
and to be able to share it with others.
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A Corner of Tralee
Church avenue in Winter 2024
Mural inside the gate of St. John’s
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A Fact
Both Shakespeare and Cervantes died on the same day, April 23 1616
As promised, Sheilagh at the family resource centre has kept us informed about activities at this marvellous local meeting place.
If you have any questions about any of these activities, call 06823584
The centre is located on the John B. Keane Road
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A Cosmopolitan Corner of Tralee
I took the following photos without moving from my spot at the traffic lights by Guiney’s in Tralee. What strange neighbours, Peig Sayers, Neil Armstrong and an Italian Irish restaurant.
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A Hall in Kanturk
This very popular community hall in Kanturk is often referred to locally as The Temperance Hall. It is now looked after by the Community Council. I don’t know about its origins in the temperance movement but as a trade union hall it played an important role in social and political affairs in the town.
I had never heard of the All for Ireland League so I looked it up.
The All-for-Ireland League (AFIL) was an Irish, Munster-based political party (1909–1918). Founded by William O’BrienMP, it generated a new national movement to achieve agreement between the different parties concerned on the historically difficult aim of Home Rule for the whole of Ireland. The AFIL established itself as a separate non-sectarian party in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, binding a group of independent nationalists MPs to pursue a broader concept of Irish nationalism, a consensus of political brotherhood and reconciliation among all Irishmen, primarily to win Unionist consent to an All-Ireland parliamentary settlement.
This is just the introduction to a very interesting article in Wikipedia.
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Another Gold Medal
In Croke Park for the announcement of the winners of the National Tidy Towns Competition were Breda, Mary, Julie and Jimmy representing Listowel. Listowel achieved another gold medal and increased its overall mark by 11 points. well done everyone.
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Listowel Food Fair
Promoting the annual Food Fair at Garvey’s Super Valu on Saturday last.
Chris Grayson’s photo of a robin in The National Park, Killarney
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Milk Market Lane, Tralee
This unusual lane has a mixture of real shops and facades painted to look like old shops.
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Deserters
Kerry Evening Post, Wednesday, 11 July, 1855
THE KERRY REGIMENT
Some of the deserters from the Kerry Regiment have been at length arrested, and will be tried by district court martial this week.; The hiding places of several others have become known to the regimental authorities. This will, we hope, check the practice of desertion, which had grown in two or three weeks to a fearful extent in our county corps. A recruiting party under the command of a non-commissioned officer, has just been sent to Listowel, there to be stationed till further orders.
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Comings and Goings
New Thai eatery for Church Street
Tattoo has ceased trading
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Some People at the Launch of Moments of Reflection
Helena and Teresa Molyneaux
Mary McGrath and Cathríona O’Neill
Judy MacMahon
Marie Moriarty
Martin Chute
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In the Town Park
I was in Childers’ Park on Sunday taking a few pictures when this lovely lady insisted that I allow her to take my picture. She said that I am always behind the camera. She thought it was time I was in front. Here is her photo;
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A Fact
An average person produces about 25,00 quarts of saliva in a lifetime, enough to fill two swimming pools.
Delighted Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy on the podium at Paris 2024 holding aloft their prizes and wearing their hard earned gold medals.
But what is in those long boxes that everyone is being presented with along with their medals.?
Answer; A map of Paris
Look at the happy smiles on those two Cork faces. Observe the gaunt, spare frames. They haven’t eaten a solid meal in months. They have put in hours and hours af gruelling training. They have sacrificed everything to their sport. The jokes and banter hide a steely determination coupled with talent and perseverance second to none.
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John J. Foley of Tralee
Maeve Heneghan sent us this photo of her great grandfather. Let me remind you of his Listowel connection from 1901.
Foley was a local performer, singer and reciter of humorous verses, some of which he wrote himself.
In 1901 when he was aged 34 Foley performed at a grand concert in Listowel. So popular was his act that the audience called for an encore and in that slot Foley recited his own poem, Thade Kelly’s Hen.
There was once in Ireland a taste for long humorous ballads, usually recited in a rhythm that made the words easy to remember for the performer. The poem told a story, often far fetched and ludicrous. I’m thinking here of the likes of The Green Eye of the Little Yellow God or Dangerous Dan McGrew, which were favourite dramatic monologues in musicals and concerts at the time.
There was then, as there is now, a certain kind of literary snob who looked down on this type of literature and, failing to live and let live, insisted that this “inferior” entertainment be purged from public performances.
Here is the ballad of Thade Kelly’s Hen, discovered during her research by a U.S. scholar, Christan Bush. The poem is from a newspaper archive and so of poor quality.
A local literary snob, who was at the concert took exception to Foley’s performance and his murdering, as he saw it, of the English language. This man wrote anonymously to the paper decrying the performance.
Back and forth the trolling and defence went on in the Kerry newspapers. Eventually the anonymous critic was unveiled as no other than Thomas F. O’Sullivan, a Listowel journalist and author. So self righteous and incensed was O’Sullivan that he descended to expressing himself in language so defamatory that the paper refused to print any more of his ranting.
This O’Sullivan was very well respected in Listowel and in 1993 a movement was started to erect a monument to him. His ill tempered spat with Foley was not his finest hour.
Now to John J. Foley who was Maeve’s great grandfather. Maybe he is the one who should have the memorial erected to him.
John lived with his family in Moyderwell, Tralee from where he conducted a thriving business as a painter and signwriter.
He was a member of the choir of St. John’s church and the Tralee Philharmonic Society. He was in demand as a performer in local concerts and shows.
He was a talented man of refinement and taste. Maeve sent us this photograph of his magnificent work on the ceiling of the chapel at Balloonagh convent.
The convent is now closed and serves as a nursing home. According to the internet, concerts have been held in the chapel. The chapel is a listed building.
I think John J. Foley’s work on the ceiling is magnificent. Remember it was done in 1901 when equipment for accessing places like this was not as readily available as it is today.
Well done John J. Foley, an ancestor to be proud of.
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+ Mary Stack R.I.P.+
Last week we said goodbye to one of the most glamorous of Listowel grannies. I only knew Mary through her involvement with the local chapter of the St. Vincent de Paul Society. She was a lovely lady.
Barbara is following in her mother’s footsteps with her dedication to charitable works. I took this photo of Barbara and Mary in Main Street on M.S. Busking Day 2018.
Here is Jennifer Scanlon’s lovely tribute to her beloved grandmother. I copied this from Facebook.
Mary, Mag, Mam,Mamie, Nana, Gan. Mary Stack had many titles and she relished every role that she fulfilled. She was our matriarch, an incredible woman of dignity, integrity strength and resilience. She led the way by her example. She reached the wonderful age of 91, her quick wit and humour with her until the very end. She loved to travel and possessed a spirit of adventure and independence to be admired and emulated. I am eternally grateful for her love, guidance, friendship, encouragement and support. She was my cheerleader and encouraged me to keep going and “mind that shop”. Nana was integral to my life when I had my babies, she minded Robbie, Lila and Ogie in her kitchen when they were tiny babies and I was straight back to work. She allowed me that time. I would be behind the counter and she would appear at the door with a baby and say you’ll have to come in to feed! We would swap positions and she would serve my customers while I fed the baby. We made a great team. She got her hip done when Lila was 9 months old and she was delighted to have the buggy to do her walking because there was no way she’d be seen with a walking frame in public. Gan wanted to be at home, her home in the shop where she has lived for over 70 years. She got her wish. Her loving family wrapped themselves around her and cared for her in her final days, where she was and always wanted to be. We knew she was declining the last few days, but she insisted I press on with my sale. The show goes on. Ever the professional. My shop is right beside her kitchen and I’d pop my head in to see her throughout the day. She would look at me from her blue chair and wink at me and ask “are you busy?” I’d answer and she would say, “go back out now and mind your shop” and I did, I kept the shop face on as best I could. We will miss her so much. Her kitchen; always warm and cosy (too hot for me) will not be the same with the empty blue chair in the corner. I am the 6th generation of Stacks to trade at The Arcade and I will endeavour to make my nana proud and guide a thriving business into the future. I am beyond grateful for the opportunities she gave to me .
Rest in Peace Gan
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A Fact
Early Olympians competed wearing only loincloths. In 2024 some athletes favour figure hugging bodysuits. I’m told the tightness of the costume is to compress the muscles and make the body more aerodynamic.
You’ll have to enlarge to read the history of this gorgeous pice of craftsmanship.
The beautiful detail is a lasting tribute to the work of these master craftsmen.
This piece on top is not explained but would seem to have associations with its previous religious owners.
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In Boherbue
My visitor, Phil, grew up in the little village of Boherbue on the Cork Kerry border. It’s in Co. Cork but in the diocese of Kerry.
Now a centre of activity in the village is this hub which has the local supermarket, the post office and a really lovely café.
Here we met up with some old friends and some family of old friends.
The range of ages in this photo is close to a century. Boherbue is a vibrant close knit community. Listening to some of these reminiscing was a pleasure. Three of the people in this picture once worked in the post office when everyone in town visited the post office for some errand or other. The telephone exchange was also housed there. In those days the telephonist knew all the numbers by heart. There is a story here for another day.
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Family Visit
My next visitors were Carine and Bobby and the lovely Reggie.
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From the Newspaper Archives
April 1930
A few good-steed salmon were amongst those landed within the past
few days, between Kilmorna and Abbeyfeale. John Creaghe Harnett got three, 10 to 15 lbs.; J. Kelly, Kilmorna, landed a 28.5 lb. salmon; J. Hickey, one 19 lbs.; W. R. Collins, two, 10 and 12 lbs.; M. Galvin, Duagh, one, 10 lbs.; J. Relihan. one, 11 lbs.; D. Downey, two, 9 and 10
lbs.; J. Clancy, one, 11 lbs.; W C. Harnett, one 9 lbs.
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Beautiful Paintwork
Isn’t this superb?
I managed to find signwriter, Martin Chute, nearby so he posed for me with another of his beautiful masterpieces. I think this just might be my new favourite shop front, not mad for the flags but I’ll allow that bow to modernity.
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Martin is now working on this shop next door. It’s much more minimalist and a contrast to the buildings on either side. It’s going to be an interiors shop I’m told, soft furnishings and homewares.
Great to see new life coming back to town.
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A Fact
Fred Bauer (1918 -2002), the designer of the Pringles can, had his ashes buried in one.
