In the 70s and 80s a family called MacNamara ran a tourism business, Shannon Horsedrawn Caravans. The tourists (mostly from the U.S.) flew into Shannon, picked up their horse and barrel -top caravan in Adare and sauntered off to tour a little bit of West Munster. There were pit stops along the way for the horse to take a rest and the visitors to get to see some aspects of Irish life.
One such rest stop was on the farm of the O’Connor family in Springmount, Duagh, the family of our parish priest. Canon Declan O’Connor, P.P. Listowel has shared some of his photographs from that time with us in listowelconnection.
The visitors loved the fact that they were on a real working farm with fresh milk for tea and free range eggs for breakfast.
And of course there were the picture postcard Irish children in the form of the O’Connor twins.
Once a very illustrious family of visitors overnighted with the O’Connors while on their Shannon Horsedrawn Caravan tour . They were Patricia Kennedy Lawford and her niece, Cora Kennedy, sister and niece of John F. Kennedy. Cora was the daughter of Ted Kennedy.
In this photo, Declan and his sister, Valerie are enjoying a cuppa with the sister of the late President Kennedy just visible in the background.
Thank you Declan for sharing these precious memories from your family album.
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I told you last week about the Remembrance tree.
Each yellow ribbon represents someone’s loved one who has passed away or who is very ill.