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
Painted utility boxes in Ballincollig. I love this idea.
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Fitzpatrick’s Of Kanturk
Denis Fitzpatrick of Kanturk was a very successful businessman. In the 1960s he had three grocery shops, a bakery and confectionary and an ice cream factory.
Someone sent me this pennant photographed outside a shop in Cork in the 1950s. I have no idea why it was cream ices instead of ice creams.
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Date for the Diary
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Helping me Collect my Books
Paul, Eileen, Alice and Bridget having a first read of my book in Listowel Printing Works in Tannavalla on Friday, September 6 2024.
Listowel Printing Works is now in its busiest season of the year as they embark on the mammoth task of printing thousands of Christmas cards for schools all around the country.
These very popular cards featuring the children’s artwork are bought and treasured by most of Ireland’s schools. Designing and printing them, packaging and dispatch is a huge task for which Listowel Printing Works employs up to 50 extra staff and the facility works flat out.
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The Homecoming Symbol
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A Tony O’Callaghan Bronze
I thought that this plaque might be something to do with Writers Week. I was wrong. While O’Callaghan specialised in bespoke commissions, this is not one of them. Apparently he reproduced this one several times. The names in the book are the names of lots of writers, several of whom were dead before Writers’ Week came about.
Thanks to Vincent Carmody for clearing that one up.
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A Fact
A fingernail or toenail takes about 6 months to grow from base to tip.
Listowel Arms Hotel, venue for the launch of Moments of Reflection on Saturday September 21 at 7.00pm
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A Little Birthday Celebration
I happened to be in Lizzie’s Little Kitchen when Billy’s friends, Cora, Liz and Mags were helping him to celebrate his birthday.
It’s hard to see in my picture, but there is a candle on his slice of apple tart.
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Happy Days!
Do you remember Bunty?
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A Lesson in a Poem
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From the Archives
THE ADVOCATE New York, Saturday, January 7, 1961
Mr. Jack McKenna, Listowel, and Mr. Paddy McElligott, Castleisland, were among the businessmen from all parts of Ireland who attended the trade exhibition of the new Mona Peat-Briquette Room Heater developed in conjunction with Bord na Mona by Waterford Iron founders Ltd., at the Royal Hibernian Hotel, Dublin, on Tuesday last.
HOW bogland had changed, through native development, from a symbol of poverty to a source of national wealth, was stressed by Mr. Joseph Brennan, T.D., Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance, with special responsibility for the Board of Works, speaking at the Waterford Iron founders’ presentation of the ” Mona ” room heater to the Press and the trade in Dublin this week.
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Eclipse, Look what my Nana did?
Róisín gives Eclipse a sneak peak before the launch on September 21.
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A Fact
Penguins have an organ, near the eye, that filters salt from the water out of their system.
William Street, Listowel on Monday Sept 2 2024, a signwriter at work
Martin Chute painting the Dough Mamma sign
As I was taking my photo, a young man came up beside me. He was also taking a photo. As we admired Martin’s work, he told me that he was the proprietor of Dough Mamma. So he obliged me by going across the street to pose for a snap with Ireland’s best signwriter.
The owner of the business (sorry, I don’t have his name) had never heard of me so here is a reminder of my visit to Dough Mamma during last year’s Food Festival food trail.
Important Update:
The owner of Dough Mamma is Eoin Foran from Irremore. Thank you to everyone who told me.
I looked up Dough Mamma on Facebook, searching in vain for his name, and I read this about the story so far.
“What a journey it has been. 3 years today I sold my first pizza and 2 years the restaurant is opened. It’s no longer just about the food here at Dough Mamma but the craic and good vibes we have week in week out which we love. What started out as a simple idea has grown much more than I could have ever hoped for and I am proud of it. I want to thank everyone who has been a part of this journey, some of who are pictured here, from buying a pizza to covering a shift to hanging a picture. You have all played your part in creating the Dough Mamma you all love. Here’s to striving towards continued growth and always improving.”
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Hankies
Did you used to always have a hanky in your pocket? If you didn’t, then you are a spring chicken. Us, oldies, never left home without one. My family used to have these children’s ones.
They were so much better and more beautiful, but so less hygienic than today’s dull tissues.
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A Talented Musician with a Listowel Connection
This is Liam ÓCeallaigh, grandson of Matt Mooney. Liam is a champion whistle player, piper and sean nós singer, and also a TG4 actor.
Photo and information from Neil Brosnan.
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A Fact
There are quite a few colourful phrases in Irish for being drunk.
I’m not condoning drunkenness, just marvelling at the inventive descriptions we had for what used to be a much more common sight.
ag stealladh na ngrást….so drunk that you are pouring out compliments all round.
caoch ar meisce…literally blind drunk
Bhí an hata ar a leathcheann aige…his hat was skeoways on his head .
Bhí an dá thaobh den bhóthar aige…He was from side to side on the road, literally, he had the two sides of the road.
Paul Shannon of Listowel Printing Works is the brilliant graphic artist behind the design and layout of my beautiful book, Moments of Reflection.
Paul’s attention to detail and pride in his work is second to none.
Here is a typical page. Paul took a colour from the photograph and put it as a background to the text.
The book is not a once off read. It is a treasure to be visited again and again. It has a hard cover, is case bound (i.e. the cover page is folded in under the front picture.) and the pages are sewn, not glued. It is built to last.
Mary Fagan will help us launch the book in The Listowel Arms at 7.00pm on
Saturday September 21 2024. There will be music and singing.
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It’s All About Timing
There I was, browsing in the St. Vincent de Paul shop on Saturday, September 3 2024, when a lovely lady comes in to donate this musical instrument. Nancy and Liz were delighted with it, a first for the shop and testament to the unique attraction of charity shops; you just never know what will come in the door. Nancy played a scale as a kind of test.
Now I don’t know how to play the ukulele (or any other musical instrument for that matter) but I’ve always heard that the ukulele is dead easy. I have a little granddaughter who loves to sing. She is constantly bursting into song or singing away to herself as she plays with her toys. I’m going to give her the ukulele as her first musical instrument. There is surely a teach yourself tutorial on Youtube. Her parents will love me!
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Advice from the Internet
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People I Met
Three generations of the Green family on their way for a coffee in
a dog -friendly restaurant, Thyme Out cafe, at Listowel Garden Centre.
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From the Archives
The Sydney Morning Herald
Nov 12 1849 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
.HARVEST PROSPECTS IN IRELAND. THE POTATOE. (From the Morning Herald, August 1.) WE have anxiously looked to the general state of the potato crop – which must after all be the staple food of our people for some time longer – and we are happy to say that there has been as yet no appearance of the fatal blight which destroyed the crop of late years, at all calculated to create alarm. We have, indeed, learned that there have been manifest symptoms of the blight in some few cases; but at this we are not surprised or alarmed, as the most experienced agriculturists did not expect it to disappear at once. Besides, in those years when the potato crop succeeded best, there have been always failures more or less extensive Newry Examiner. We (Cork Examiner) continue to receive the most favourable accounts of the potato. The Rev. Mr. Houlahan, of Listowel, from whom we lately gave a letter on the subject, wishes us to state, as the result of his confirmed observation, that from the brow of the Brandon Mountain to Tralee, and from Tralee to the City of the Violated Treaty, there is neither blast nor blight. ” Almost all apprehensions as to the fate of the crop has now vanished, and, as a natural consequence, a general restoration is taking place in public confidence, the results of which will probably soon appear in the improvement of business. We last week went through a large portion of the counties of Donegal, Tyrone, and Derry, and can safely state that a more cheering prospect of an abundant harvest we never witnessed the potatoes look beautiful. We were in a field of wheat near Strabane, where the stalks in general measured six feet and a half, with fine full heads. The hay is nearly all saved, oats and barley are nearly ripe, and promise well, as does the flax. The green crops also look well.
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A Fact
” Ah sure” is an indispensable Irish phrase, used to cheer someone up while stating the obvious.
Examples
— there’s always next year.
—no one died.
—worse things have happened at sea.
—it can’t rain forever.
—at least you don’t use that one for writing.
—it will be better before you are married.
I’m sure you can think of another 10 without too much effort.
Aoife McKenna takes her first look at her Nana, Mary Cogan’s new book, Moments of Reflection.
Launch date: September 21 2024 in The Listowel Arms at 7.00p.m.
Special guest; Mary Fagan
Everybody welcome
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Old Postcards
Picture and text from the Capuchin Annual Archive
Irish Postcard Series, Valentine & Sons
A selection of some quaint images in this postcard series printed by the well-known firm of James Valentine & Sons, one of the main producers of picture postcards in Britain and Ireland in the first half of the twentieth century. These postcards probably date to the 1920s. During the ‘postcard boom’ of the late 1800s and early 1900s, postcard publishers dispatched scores of photographers throughout Britain and Ireland to capture the visual records of towns and villages (and their inhabitants). Landscape photography was also a major focus of the business with a growing demand for topographical views, particularly among well-heeled tourists of the day.
Valentine and Sons were known to make extensive use of retouching artists (by 1907 they employed 40 artists) to hand tint or otherwise improve the scenic quality of their postcards sometimes with decidedly mixed results. The two postcards on the right show distinct signs of such retouching with some of the individuals appearing to be ‘superimposed’ onto the original print. Valentine & Sons continued to be one of the major publishers of postcards well into the twentieth century but a downturn in the trade set in the late 1950s and the company ceased postcard publishing in 1970. Most of Valentine’s valuable Irish photographic archive is now held in the National Library of Ireland. The company’s British archive is held in the library of the University of St Andrews in Fife, Scotland. The postcard series here forms part of the photographic archive of ‘The Capuchin Annual’ periodical.
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We’re in the Money … Hopefully
Both Ard Chúran and Áras Mhuire, two great care facilities in Greenville have been shortlisted for the Regional Finals of the AIB Community €1 Million Awards . .
Both Committees were out in force in May & June asking for public votes. As usual, the people of Listowel and North Kerry came up trumps, resulting in BOTH Charities coming out as two of only six charities in Munster making the shortlist.
All in Ard Chúram and Áras Mhuire have expressed thanks and appreciation for the support in getting them to this stage.
Best of luck to all involved in meeting with the AIB adjudication panel..
Adjudication is this coming Friday so hopefully one or indeed both Ard Chúran and Áras Mhuire will be €28k the wealthier by the weekend.
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1985 Junior Infants
Photo shared on Facebook
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A Date for the Diary
This will be one you won’t want to miss. In his inimitable style, Owen MacMahon will take us through the story of amateur drama in Listowel, with lots of anecdotes and behind the scenes stories peppering the narrative.
Will we ever forget this brilliant production? Like so many involved in drama, Owen has played many roles over the years, crossing over from acting to directing to producing and back again.
In Kerry Writers’ Museum on September 21, Owen will take us back to the beginning. We will relive the highs and lows of the Drama Group, remembering so many who entertained us over the years.
I remember The Shaughraun featured a real dog. At one performance the real dog wasn’t in the mood for performing so an actor had to “Woof,woof” offstage.
Barney O’Reilly who was The Shaghraun passed away recently. May he rest in peace.
Many memories will be evoked at this event on Saturday September 21 at 12 noon.. Owen MacMahon is always knowledgeable and entertaining.
The stage shall never die.
Don’t miss this one.
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A Sad Poem
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A Definition
From The Devil’s Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce
dentist n. A prestidigitator, who, putting metal into your mouth pulls coins out of your pocket.
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A Fact
Marjuana is legal and is not classified as a drug in North Korea.
