Listowel Connection

Photo; Eamon ÓMurchú

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The Changed face of our Town

Notices like this are appearing all over town. 

One in my local newsagents warned that if you dont like wearing a mask you will find a ventilator brutal.

Another sign I spotted in the Irish Wheelchair shop stated that they will not accept payment in cash extracted from your underwear. 

Contactless payment is the preferred option in most shops.

Lizzy’s is open for sit down and take away. Kevin’s is still closed and Broderick’s never closed.

The Gentleman’s Barber on William Street strikes a good mix of welcome and caution.

This flowerpot man in his PPE is in Listowel Garden Centre.

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Broderick’s Pharmacy Makeover

I love the new colour scheme. It livens up this corner of town.

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Ballymacasey Cross

A while ago I wrote here about Lislaughtin Abbey and the story of the sacking of the monastery and the slaughter of the holy friars. 

In response, Michael O’Sullivan wrote the following;

Hi Mary,

The monks while running for their lives from the soldiers dropped a silver cross which is known as the Lislaughtin or Ballymacessy cross and can be seen in the national museum.It was found some time in the 1800’s by a man ploughing a field and suffered some damage.

Michael did the search for us and he found the story of the cross in the blog of none other than my friend, Eileen Moylan of Claddagh Design

It was easy enough to trace the origins of the cross as it had been engraved with the details of the maker and the recipients. It turns out the cross was commissioned by Cornelius O’ Connor and his wife Avlina (or Eileen!) as a gift to the Lislaughtin Friary, Ballylongford in 1479.  It might be slight vanity but the search was completely justified when I discovered my name was engraved on the cross.

The cross which is silver gilt is 67cm in height and considered one of the finest crosses from medieval Ireland. It has the figure of Christ in the centre surrounded by the symbols of the  four Evangelists. The symbol at the centre of the cross is missing, leaving just a winged lion, a winged bull and an eagle. The entire cross is decorated with an open work border (the leaf -like trim). It has an amazing amount of intricate detail and it’s hard to believe it has survived so well. The engraving is entwined with images of birds, animals and flowers which would not be typically Irish.

The funny thing about this cross is that it remained in the home of Mr Jefcott in Ballylongford rather than being handed over to be put on public display. I love the idea of a 2 foot gold ornate cross lying around his house. Where would you put something like that?!  In Hewson’s article he writes that “the finder does not appear disposed to consent to part with it to anyone on any terms” It seems Hewson argued the case that although it was well looked after it would be much more secure in the national collection. He believed it would be worthy of a place alongside the Cross of Cong, which, coincidently, was also commissioned by an O’Connor.

I couldn’t find out when the cross finally left Ballylongford and went on public display in Dublin. If anyone has any more information, please do let me know.

Ballymacasey cross, Journal Royal Historical & Archaeological Association

 

 

Photo; Eamon ÓMurchú

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Dan Keane and Friends

Photo: Tom Fitzgerald

Dan Keane is with Paddy Fealey from Athea and I’m sorry I dont know the other gentleman’s name.

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Listowel Cinemas

Today Listowel has only one cinema, the Classic Movie Plex. It is currently closed but hopes to rerturn to business shortly.

When I posted this picture of people queueing for the St. Vincent de Paul sale in the Ozanam Centre, it brought back many memories to Listowel people of a certain age who remember this as The Plaza Cinema.

Ned O’Sullivan…My aunt Maura ( nee O’Sullivan) and her husband Michael Chapman managed the Plaza. 

I was left in free. In the summer months I haunted the Plaza. I saw South Pacific five nights running!!

I remember the queue for GI Blues ( Elvis) going down as far as John R’s!

Carol Broderick….Had my first kiss in this cinema With who? Well that would be telling.

Tommy O’Flaherty..The old Plaza cinema. Saw so many great pictures there growing up. My dad used to collect the tickets for downstairs, the softs, Moss Scanlon collected the tickets for the front of the cinema, the hards, and Eileen Nolan was in charge up in the balcony. A lot of happy memories from growing up in the 50’s and 60’s

Noel Roche.. I thought Audie Murphy lived in the back of the Plaza along with Randolph Scott and the Durango Kid and Johnny Mac Brown lived at the Astor lol

Noreen Holyoake Keese…..don’t forget Old Mother Reilly.

Maria Sham…Loved the cinema growing up. Hop Along Cassidy, Tarzan…we were so easy to please back then.

Philomena Moriarty…Great memory of going to see Jailhouse Rock.  What a night! We ended up jiving in the cinema until Mr. Scanlon made us sit down. I must have been 15 or16 yrs. We always sat in the hards no money for the softs ha,ha.

Frankie Chute Phillips… My Grandfather Trevor Chute build that cinema when he came home from America. I do not know the year as I was very little, but I did not know there was another Cinema at the same time. I spend a lot of my time with my friend Eileen Nolan while she was checking tickets.

Violet Dalton..Trevor built that hall as a dance hall, when he started to turn it into a cinema.

These are just some of the memories shared on Facebook by people who fondly remember The Plaza.

Judith Fitzgerald told us that her mother remembers a cinema in Quill’s North County.

I mentioned that I had heard of a cinema in Tae Lane but these 1950s and 60s youngsters had never heard of it.

I took a few photos.

This is the building that I was told housed a cinema.

The entrance and windows are now cemented up.

You can see from these last 2 pictures that the building is curved at one side. This led to a restricted view of the screen so patrons sitting in those seats paid less admission price.

This is the view from the “cinema” building looking towards Main Street.

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A New Business on William Street

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M.S. Busking Day in 1994

There will be no busking day this year. Here is a look back at 1994 and the early days of this annual North Kerry M.S. Society’s fundraiser. Anne O’Connor, who was then Honorary Secretary of the M.S. Society and always one for the innovative ideas brought her class to entertain passers by on Main Street.

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A Request from an Emigrant

Joe Harrington wrote

Hi Mary.  

I got a call from Bristol during the week from a woman, originally from Newcastlewest, who is looking for a very old video of John B Keane’s Big Maggie. She had one years ago and mislaid it. She wonders if anyone out here would have a copy from which she could get a copy. Maybe one of your readers might be able to help.

Joe Harrington

Lyreacrompane

Photo credit; Poshey  Aherne

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Pitch and Putt during a Pandemic

New rules for new times.

I love to observe the beautiful trees on the pitch and putt course during my Covid picnics nearby.

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Sheahan’s of William Street

This has to be the most welcoming waiting area in town.

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Royal China

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Behan’s Horseshoe

Gerry and the team at Behan’s are taking every precaution to ensure diners are protected from Covid 19 in their beautifully redecorated premises.

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Tae Lane

I meandered down Tae Lane recently. I was on a mission. More of that tomorrow.

On the side wall of Corridan’s Estate Agents I spotted this blocked up window. I don’t know if this is a recent blocking off or if it was done during one of the periods of window taxation in this country. This tax which was abolished in 1851 led to the term “daylight robbery” as householders took to blocking out the light to avoid paying what they considered an excessive tax.

Next door to Corridan’s is Joe Broderick’s pub now closed due to Covid 19 regulations.

Unfortunately it’s not all happening for another bit.

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Donncha ÓDubhlainn

photo; Tom Fitzgerald

The late Donncha ÓDubhlainn was a well known broadcaster. He was in Listowel as part of one of his many round Ireland walks. He usually teamed up with a charity, in this case MS Ireland, and they used his profile and his popularity to publicise their organisation and thus to raise funds. Donncha took his expenses and after that any money raised went to the charity.

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45 Short Years Ago

“This is my lovely day, the day I’ll remember the day I am dying….”

Yesterday, July 26th was my wedding anniversary. Our wedding day was a happy sunny day in the glorious summer of 1975. I made my wedding dress in a night sewing class in Kanturk Vocational School, now Coláiste Treasa. My friend, Elizabeth, lent me her Carrigmacross lace veil. Mrs MacNamara, an old neighbour of my mother’s made the bouquet with flowers from her garden.  

I have nothing but great memories of a lovely happy day.

The photo was taken at The Deerpark Hotel in Charleville by Jim’s friend, Roger Ryan.

Helios and Molly pose at a well known Listowel landmark.

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Signs of The Times 2020

Lovely to welcome family again. Here are Bobby Cogan and Carine Schweitzer with Helios and Molly posing for a Covid memory in St. Michael’s Graveyard, Listowel.

When the pandemic is a distant memory these signs will remind us to treasure all our freedoms.

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Painting Number 21

Lovely job!

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The Playground is Bigger

They’ve enlarged the smallies section of the playground.

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Some Old Scholars Named

Once upon a time there was an old school photo, Knockanure 1924. Only part of the old photo was salvaged and an old man was asked to name those he knew.  Much later, after the man’s death the photo was found and restored. Here is the result.

These are the names; (Several faces damaged in original picture, so many of names may not match the good quality picture)

 Knockanure Boys;  Buckley Description: 

1st Row; Bub Flavin, Pat Finucane, Mike Moran, Fr Con O Connor, Jim Nash, Joe Finucane, Mick Finucane, Ned Nash, Mikey Connor. 

2nd Row; Pat Moran, Pat Nash, Jim Connor, Larry Collins, Pat Keane, John Connor Gortdromagowna, Martin Carmody, Tom Sweeney and Tom Connell of Kilbaha. 

3rd Row; Matt Costelloe, Pats Moore, Matt Dillane, Bill Kennelly, Patsy Connor, John Liam Connor, Jim Connor, Tim Leahy and Dan Relihan. 

4th Row: Jim Moore, Con Lynch, Tom Noel Jackeen Sweeney, Fr John Connor, Jack Crea Keane, Paddy Scanlon, Pat Flavin and John Murphy. 5th Row: Francis Carroll, Pat Flavin, Jim McCarthy, Jack Moore, Tim Liam Connor, Bill Moore, John Finucane (Duke), Jack Connor?, Bob Stack, Pat Kennelly, 

Other possible names in picture)

Bileen Ahern, Jim Moore, Michael Connor ( Nakie), P Kennelly, Con Lynch, Tom Nolan, J Sweeney, John Connor Kilmorna?, Jack Keane, Pats Scanlon, Pat Flavin and John Murphy.

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A Missing Season in 2020

As I walk around town these days what strikes me is the speed with which the Covid 19 emergency was sprung on us. People  closed their businesses hastily expecting the closure to last a few weeks. Now many premises are like the Marie Celeste, everything abandoned as if the occupants had left in haste. Con Dillons is a case in point. They hadn’t got around to taking down the Christmas decorations when the pandemic struck.

A lovely Cork dog who is a very willing model.

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A New Business Opens

Everyone is wishing the best of luck to the plucky Debra who opened a new Hair Salon recently.

It is next door to Helena Halpin’s lovely boutique. Blossom.

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Moyvane Schoolgirls in the 1950’s

1950’s Moyvane Girls : 

Front L. to R. Teresa Stack, 

Hannah Foley, Breda Moore, Nell Culhane, ? Carmody, Mary O’Rourke, Theresa Flaherty, Mary Kissane, Anna Maria McEnery. Middle L. to R. Mary Ann Mulvihill, Lil Carmody, Kitty Culhane, Kathleen Culhane, Catherine O’ Connor, May Carmody, Noreen Buckley, Brenda Moriarty, Mary Culhane. Back L. to R. Eileen Stack, Mary Carmel Cunningham, Ellen Mulvihill, Helen Hanrahan, Collette Noonan, Christina Guiney, Bridget Bunce, Marie Stack, Margaret Bunce

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Hard Times for The Listowel St. Vincent de Paul

Listowel St. Vincent de Paul chapter depends for its income on weekly bingo, sale of goods in its William Street shop and charitable donations. The first two income streams have dried up during the Covid pandemic. 

On Saturday July 18 2020 they organised a big sale of goods in The Ozanam Centre and the town came out in force to support them.

I hope they did really well because they will have many demands on their help in the upcoming hard times.

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Ireland, the Best Place to Holiday in 2020

Photo: Banna by Breda Ferris

Photo; Cliffs of Moher, Máire Clare

Photo; Ballybunion, Mary Nolan

Photo; Kilkee, Geraldine O’Connor

Photo; Evening time in Ballybunion by Carine Schweitzer

All of these photos were taken this week.