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
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.
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.
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.
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
A mix of mature and growing trees in Listowel Pitch and Putt course
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Tralee link to The Titanic
(pic and story from the internet)
Today April 15 we remember Dr William O’ Loughlin from Ashe street Tralee .who was the doctor aboard the ill-fated Titanic .which sank 113 years ago today For a man who was heralded for his actions on the night of the sinking of the worlds greatest known ship as yet does not even have a plack at his place of birth .. yet we have a street named after Neil Armstrong.. because he visited once to open an exhibition for a day in the museum…. .He is glorified in Dublin .and New York . When will he finaly be remembered officially in his home town by the powers that be?
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Link to my latest Thoughts as broadcast on Radio Kerry last week
Some of these reflections are inclused in my latest book
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One Hundred most Common Irish Surnames
Some of these will surprise you. They certainly surprised me…apart altogether from the fact that neither my birth name, my married name, my mother’s maiden name nor my grandmother’s maiden name make the list. The nearest I came was a Connor relative a few generations back but she must have taken the soup as Connor is only there with an O.
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Summer Entertainment
From this week’s Kerry’s Eye
No programme yet but there are a few goodies promised.
Today’s Fact
The Boomtown Rats are coming to Revival. That’s a promise and the fact is that I have a family connection to the Rats. My sister-in-law, Liz Cogan, is a sister to Pete Briquette and a first cousin to Johnny Fingers.
