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

A Play in Kilcullen

By

On May 9, 2025

In Listowel, Personal

Church Street Lower in May 2025

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Defibrillator

The removal of the door seems to be a deliberate act. It makes access to the life saving equipment easier but it also leaves it vulnerable.

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Another Business Closed

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Court Sketcher

This drawing appeared on the front page of the Irish Examiner last week. The sketching style will be familiar to readers of Listowel Connection.

The taking of photographs is not allowed in Irish courtrooms. Our desire to see as well as read about a trial is satisfied by sketches. One of the most popular court sketchers is the very talented Mike O’Donnell.

We know him better in Kerry as a muralist. He is also the very witty cartoonist who kept us amused during Covid.

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Let there be Light

Replacing a light bulb on William Street

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Kilcullen at Easter

On the Saturday evening of my visit to Kildare, I was back for an evening in the most comfortable;e little theatre in Ireland.

We were early so we took a little stroll around town first. Kilcullen was going full tilt with the Easter decorations

Nolan’s Butchers had a well dressed and eye catching window displays. Bunnies, daffodils and eggs were everywhere.

The purpose of our visit was this play in the Town Hall

Tony and Mary McKenna congratulate their daughter, Sinead, on another brilliant performance as Mairead in this darkly comic McDonagh play.

Sinead’s mother in law with Clíona before the play.

Mrs. O’Neill was in the box office at the door. Her husband and son (Andrew is married to Sinead McKenna) made the sets. Another son is in the cast. All in all Kilcullen Drama Group is like an O’Neill family business.

Those not familiar with the play may be shocked by the poster. The protagonist, Mad Padraig, ” too mad for the IRA” is a lunatic republican torturer with a soft spot for his cat, Wee Thomas. The cast included a real cat who, on the night, played a blinder in his short walk on part.

The play is very violent, a hard watch, but this ensemble did a brilliant job on it. They deserved all of the standing ovations in this sell out run.

I wrote about this group before when I visited their lovely theatre in 2023

Drama in Kilcullen

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A Fact

J.K. Rowling wrote the first chapter of her last Harry Potter book in 1990 – seven years before the first book was released.
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A Tree, a Graveyard, a Junk Shop and an Old Magazine

By

On May 8, 2025

In Poem

Main Street, Listowel in early summer 2025

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One Man’s Trash is Another Man’s Treasure

This shop has popped up at Scully’s Corner.

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Only God can Make a Tree

Horsechestnut tree at the entrance to Gaelscoil Lios Tuathail in May 2025

Trees

BY JOYCE KILMER

I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest

Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in Summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree.

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Serendipity

Serendipity, according to the dictionary, is the gift of finding valuable or agreeable things not looked for.

Last week in the Listowel Vincent de Paul shop I found this treasure in a pile of old knitting patterns. It’s from 1963, so a throwback to the magazines of my childhood.

Look at this ad. The popgun, the cap, the tart, the block of hard margarine and the little boy/man in the hand knit jumper…happy days!

My mother didn’t buy Women’s Weekly but her friend, Breege Crowley, did. When we visited her we always came home with a bundle of the magazines to read and savour. I loved Roley and Rowena Robin.

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John Paul II Graveyard

Hard as it is to believe it, it’s a sad fact that people have been removing the watering cans from the cemetery. I met Patsey Kennedy replacing another one and marking it with a polite request to visitors to leave it behind when they leave the graveyard.

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Starting Next Sunday

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A Fact

In 1983 the first 5 horses home in the Cheltenham Gold Cup were trained by Michael Dickinson.

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Kerdiffstown

By

On May 7, 2025

In Listowel, Personal

Main Street, Listowel in April 2025

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Mill Lane Variety Store will be missed

It is really difficult for small local stores to hold out against the big giants, especially when the giant moves in next door.

Small local businesses like Mill Lane are invested in the community. It’s little things like these that make the difference. Santa will be missed too.

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Kerdiffstown Park

Outside Naas in Co. Kildare is one of the best playgrounds in Ireland. The playground is located on the site of an old landfill. It is just one part of a large public amenity with walks and pitches.

This is nearby Palmerstown house. The estate and studfarm have an interesting history.

As well as the modern colourful Playground equipment there is a park with rudimentary unpainted wooden play equipment.

Disabled children are also catered for.

Situated across the park is a series of 18 carved stones that tell a story of the local landscape and mythology – The Stones of the Hollow Hill. The carvings on the stones tell a story that draws on Irish mythology, the folklore of the surrounding landscape and the recent history of Kerdiffstown landfill.

The tale involves two heroic figures named Brigid and Fionn who set out on an epic quest to recover a stolen fire. The character of Brigid references traditions connected to both Brigid the goddess of pre-Christian Ireland and Saint Brigid. The character of Fionn draws on the stories of Fionn Mac Cumhaill, the great warrior of Irish mythology who is said to have lived nearby on the Hill of Allen. ( Kildare Co. Council website)

Kerdiffstown Park is located in Naas, Co. Kildare. Following a 2.5-year construction programme (2020 –  2023), this exciting project remediated the former Kerdiffstown Landfill into a 30 – hectare multi-use public park. (Kildare County Council website)

Well worth a visit if you are there or thereabouts.

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Well Deserved Recognition for Local Lady

Listowel native Anna Guerin has been named Creative Businesswoman of the Year at the IMAGE PwC Businesswoman of the Year Awards 2025 for her unique tweed coat business The Landskein.

This is some of what Kerry’s Eye had to say about her.

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Important New Initiative

Teach Siamsa Finuge will host a new series of monthly adult classes in traditional music, song and dance.

The upcoming ‘North Kerry Voices’ classes will focus on preserving on the folk traditions that have defined the Finuge area, such as the distinctive Molyneaux style of North Kerry dance, the dance music tradition of the region and the song legacy of Sean McCarthy.

The classes will be led by a team of talented and passionate tradition bearers.

Dance classes will be taught by renowned North Kerry dancers Jonathan Kelliher and Joanne Barry and instrumental music will be led by Sean Abeyta, master fiddler and archivist at Teach Siamsa.

Song lessons will be instructed by Donal Tydings and Peggy Sweeney, both exponents of the North Kerry singing tradition.

The classes will focus on sharing tunes, songs and steps in a relaxed and supportive environment and will be suitable for anyone who’s been meaning to return to an instrument, try Irish dancing for the first time, or simply connect with others through the arts.

(Jack Joy in Kerry’s Eye)

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A Fact

Las Vegas has 17 of the 20 largest hotels in the U.S.

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In Naas

By

On May 6, 2025

In Listowel

The Small Square, Listowel in April 2025

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In Glenflesk

On my way to and from Cork I like to make a pit stop at the lovely little village of Glenflesk.

St. Agatha’s roadside church is an oasis of calm where you can escape the noisy hub bub of the very busy Kerry Cork thoroughfare.

As I enjoyed my first 99 of summer 2025, I took a wander around.

The mountain behind the church was ablaze with yellow furze.

This old building has all the appearance of an old mill.

Back to reality…beside the defibrilator is a plaque jolting us back to the dangers of life on our busy roads.

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George Fitzmaurice

This is the plaque, commemorating the North Kerry playwright in Harcourt Street, Dublin.

The new owners of the premises have removed the plaque. I contacted the person who was responsible for erecting the plaque, Jimmy Deenihan. He is going to look into what can be done to have it restored.

Jimmy told me that, at the unveiling of the plaque, he organised a great Kerry night in the capital. I wonder does any photograph exist of that occasion. Jimmy has none.

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In Naas

If your travels take you anywhere near Naas in Co. Kildare, be sure to call in here.

Aoife is in the garden of McAuley Place, waiting for our morning snack. McAuley Place is a beautiful and sensitively planned use of the old Mercy convent. The complex incorporates age friendly apartments, a community centre, a craft shop and gardens. It is located beside the church, right in the heart of Naas.

This is one of the photographs that says it all about McAuley Place.

The community space in the old convent chapel still retains the organ and gallery, making it ideal for concerts and other choral occasions.

The beautiful stained glass windows, part of Naas’ heritage are a welcome preservation of the building’s history.

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Kerry Novel of the Year Finalists

Image and text from The Kerryman

Listowel Writers’ Week is proud to announce the shortlist for the 2025 Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year Award, one of the most esteemed prizes in Irish literature.

Now celebrating its 31st year, the award continues to honour exceptional fiction from Irish writers and remains a standout moment in the country’s literary calendar.

Sponsored by Kerry Group, the award carries a total prize fund of €22,000, with €20,000 awarded to the winner and €500 for each shortlisted author.

This year’s adjudicators are acclaimed authors, Carol Drinkwater and Paul McVeigh. They reviewed over 48 submitted novels and carefully selected five outstanding titles that reflect the strength, imagination, and storytelling brilliance of contemporary Irish fiction.

The shortlist for the 2025 Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year Award is: Christine Dwyer Hickey – Our London Lives (Atlantic Books, 2024); Joseph O’Connor – The Ghosts of Rome (Harvill Secker, 2025); Colm Tóibín – Long Island (Picador and Pan Macmillan, 2024); Niall Williams – Time of the Child (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2024), and Donal Ryan – Heart, Be At Peace (Penguin Random House, 2024).

Catherine Keogh is Chief Corporate Affairs Officer of Kerry Group. She said the company’s 31-year partnership with Listowel Writers’ Week stands as a testament to its enduring belief in the power of storytelling to inspire and connect.

(Regular readers of Listowel Connection will know my favourite. I loved Donal Ryan’s Heart, Be at Peace as well.)

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A fact

In 1950, a study found that only 46% of British homes had a bathroom.

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I’m Back

By

On May 5, 2025

In Listowel

This is Aoife McKenna, aged 3 and 3/4. She is wearing her Kildare jersey because the photo was taken on Sunday, April 27 2025. Her team unfortunately lost to Meath and are now back in the Tailteann Cup. When they win that and move up again, Aoife will be old enough to support them.

Aoife is the reason I was galavanting for the last while. My Cork visitors are also the reason I have been absent from here for the past 2 weeks. I’m back now to tell you about my travels.

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Another One Gone

Bailey and Co is closing soon after a successful run at the fashion trade in Listowel and North Kerry. Best of luck to Norella and Danny. Hopefully we’ll see another nice shop here very soon.

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A Listowel Connection Lost

Warren Buckley sent us this photo and the story

In 1895 Carson’s arguments saw the removal of Oscar Wilde from the public eye in London. In 2025 Carson’s plaque saw the removal of another writer, George Fitzmaurice, from the public eye in Dublin. 

No 3 Harcourt Street, where Listowel writer George Fitzmaurice once lived, previously housed a restaurant and bar. “The Pie Dish” and “The Magic Glasses” were named after Fitzmaurice’s plays . Now a cocktail bar called the “Pen and Player” the owners appear to favour Carson over Fitzmaurice and have removed Fitmaurice’s plaque. A little piece of Listowel history lost.

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George Fitzmaurice is an almost forgotten figure in the realms of Irish literature. Kerry Writers’ Museum has a room dedicated to him. One of his plays, The Country Dressmaker, was recently staged in St. John’s. Outside of Listowel he is not widely recognised, so here is a small biography from KWM website.

Fitzmaurice was known for his sharp wit, unique dialogue, and rich characters that captured the essence of rural Ireland in the early 20th century.

Born in 1877, just outside Listowel, Fitzmaurice developed an early fascination with the Irish language and literature. His plays and novels were celebrated for their authentic portrayal of the Irish people and their struggles, often with a touch of humor and satire.

Fitzmaurice’s most famous play, “The Country Dressmaker,” premiered in 1907 at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, where it received critical acclaim and launched Fitzmaurice’s career. He went on to produce many more successful works, including “The Magic Glasses,” and “The Moonlighter”.

Despite his success, Fitzmaurice remained humble and dedicated to his craft, writing until his death in 1963. He leaves behind a legacy as one of Ireland’s greatest writers, capturing the essence of rural Irish life and the struggles of its people.

You may view a lecture on Fitzmaurice by Dr. Fiona Brennan on the KWM YouTube channel

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Listowel Literary Festival

In the time slot in the calendar of Irish festivals which was, up to 2024, occupied by Listowel Writers’ Week, we now will have a newly named festival, Listowel Literary Festival.

Photo and text from Radio Kerry website

In Dominick Walsh’s photograph at the launch are

“12 year old Listowel writer & illustrator Danny Lawlor , Maire Logue Artistic Director of SJT and Curator of Listowel Literary Festival , Katie O’Brien Executive Director of Listowel Writers’ Week and Cara Trant, Artistic Director of KWM and Producer of Listowel Literary Festival . “

“A Unified Celebration of Creativity and Strength in Unity in Ireland’s Literary Capital of Listowel. In 2025, Listowel proudly reaffirms its place at the heart of Ireland’s literary landscape with the launch of Listowel Literature Festival, a landmark collaboration between Listowel Writers’ Week, Kerry Writers’ Museum, and St. John’s Theatre and Arts Centre. This collective festival offering will take place from May 28th to June 1st, welcoming audiences to a dynamic celebration of storytelling, creativity, and community. Rooted in Listowel’s exceptional literary heritage, this year’s programme embraces an inclusive, vibrant, and boldly imaginative vision. The initiative draws inspiration from the words of Brendan Kennelly: “Begin again to the summoning birds.” That call to renewal echoes throughout the 2025 programme. “

( P.S. I think Literature in the above text is a typo. It is Listowel Literary Festival)

The full programme is on the Writers’ Week website at the below link

Listowel Writers’ Week

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A Fact

In 1993, Intel launched its Pentium Processor. Intel was then at the cutting edge of digital technology

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