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

Young Scene, Cycling in Ireland in Edwardian Times and an old Race card

By

On September 5, 2018

In Uncategorized

In Listowel Town Park August 2018

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William Street Facelift


This huge premises now looks resplendant.

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Hospital shop


I posted a photo of this house a while back. Marie Shaw tells me that it used to be the home of the Horgan family. At one time they ran a shop from the front window. People visiting patients in the hospital could buy sweets or drinks to bring with them to the hospital.

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Trials of Cycling in Ireland in the early 1900s




Source; Patrick O’Sullivan, A Year in Kerry

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Listowel Racecards have Changed a Lot


Junior Griffin showed me a card from 1964 side by side with one from last year.

The Races was a three day meeting in 1964 and the race card cost one shilling.


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Looking Forward to my Favourite Event at Listowel Races



Nano Nagle Place, Old Piseogs and Carrigkerry

By

On September 4, 2018

In Uncategorized

 Chris Grayson

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Old Cork

This photo was not taken today or yesterday. I think it’s the 1960s and these are tourist caravans on the Western Road outside the Ear Nose and Throat hospital. The street is now one way.

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The Legacy of Nano Angle and The Presentation Sisters



In Listowel we have a memorial to the work of the nuns centralised in our town square. We were lucky to have both Presentation and Mercy sisters helping to educate and care for generations of Listowel people.

The mission of the Presentation sisters was to educate the young ladies of North Kerry and I was privileged to work with them for many years.

Nano Nagle, who founded the Presentation sisters was a Cork woman. The order now has converted their South Presentation school and convent into a magnificent heritage centre. I was there with my daughter, Cliona, a Pres girl,  on Heritage Day 2018

Impressive, isn’t it?

 The nuns’ burial ground with its uniform headstones reminded me of the graves I’ve seen in pictures of a battlefield.

It was a bit of a shock to see a grave with a family name. I don’t know if she was any relation.

 This was a surprise. I can’t imagine how she came to be buried here in South Pres.

 The convent garden is wonderful with borders of lavender on which bees were at work.


In the museum there were artefacts and photos from Presentation communities around the world.There was a stamp from Listowel and a roll book from South Pres.

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Some Little Known Superstitions






From Patrick O’Sullivan’s excellent Country Diary



Times were different back then!

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Carrigkerry



Just over the border in Co. Limerick is the lovely little village of Carrigkerry.

Athea, Listowel Races Supporters’ Club and Throw me Down Something

By

On September 3, 2018

In Uncategorized

Ita Hannon took this great picture of a heron in Beale

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Lisselton protest


I came across this photo online with the caption “Lisselton Protest” Does anyone know the story?

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Beautiful Athea

Athea village is just over the border in Limerick. It is nearer to Listowel than most Kerry towns. When I visited last week it was en fete in celebration of limerick’s All Ireland Hurling victory.

One of the really attractive features of this lovely village is the superb artwork celebrating local legends in the village’s two murals. It’s been a busy year for the muralist so I wasn’t expecting too much when I called.

I was disappointed to see both murals under wraps.


The day I was in Athea was the day that Pope Francis was visiting Ireland, August 25 2018. I was entertained to see that Athea’s footbridge is dedicated to another pope.

Athea is a great centre of music and athletics. It obviously has both a soccer and a G.A. A. club.

The spacious community centre dedicated to local hero, Con Colbert, is the centre of social activities nowadays. 

Once upon a time boys met girls across the road in the Riverside Ballroom.

Some businesses have closed but the overall impression the visitor gets is of a vibrant proud community.

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A Great Deal for those who love Listowel Races



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Throw me Down Something




Junior Griffin took these photos at the bridge during Listowel Harvest Festival a few years ago.

Old Tralee, Old Market Poster, Queen Victoria in Kerry and statues in St. Mary’s

By

On August 31, 2018

In Uncategorized

Chris Grayson in Killarney National Park

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Old Postcard of Listowel Bridge

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Old Pictures of Tralee Railway Station


These photos were shared on Facebook by Tralee and District Historical Society

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Listowel Market



Paul Murphy sent me a photo of this poster from 1916. That was when one hundred really meant one hundred and twenty.



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Queen Victoria in Killarney

A page from Patrick O’Sullivan’s great book; A Year in Kerry

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St. Joseph in his new niche



A statue of St. Joseph has been erected on a shelf in St. Mary’s


St. Mark is on the pillar close by

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Mizen to Malin Cycle



These Pedalllers were in Listowel this week. They are cycling from one end of Ireland to the other to raise funds for cancer care.

Moss Scanlon R.I.P., Wash Day supplies and Listowel Shopfronts

By

On August 30, 2018

In Uncategorized

Chris Grayson in Corran tuathail

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Moss Scanlon R.I.P.



This is the photograph from Brendan of Ireland of Moss Scanlon at the door of his harness maker’s shop greeting Paud Carey and Michael Greaney.

David O’Sullivan found  an obituary in The Kerryman of January 4 1969

David also found this account of the book Brendan of Ireland in The Independent  of 1961 

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Vision Centre, North Main St. Cork

On Heritage Day 2018 I visited the Cork Vision Centre with my daughter. They had lots of “vintage’ stuff on display. Nowadays anything old is vintage.


 Cliona McKenna outside the Vision Centre

 An old barber’s chair and some other old artefacts

 Gramaphone

 A man’s grooming set

OMO was washing powder and Sunlight was soap from Port Sunlight outside Liverpool

This was a mangle that went over the wash tub. You squeezed the water out of the garment by rolling it between two rollers.

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Speaking of Washing…..


A helpful blog follower found this old postcard.

Was washing day really like this do you think?

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A Very Stylish shop in the old Galvin’s off licence



Aoife Hannon, Milliner

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Correction re Altered Images Shopfront



A few weeks ago I featured this lovely shopfront which has been beautifully painted by Chute Family Painting Contractors.

I assumed that the plasterwork was the work of Pat MacAulliffe.  I was wrong.

I met Tom Relihan  by chance last week and he told me that the plasterwork on this shop front was done by Paddy Fitzell. He did this and two other shopfronts in town.

I’m delighted to correct this and to give credit where credit is due.

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Listowel Races 2018, The Earliest Ever Harvest Festival



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