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

Dollies and More

By

On June 27, 2023

In Listowel

Mown and unmown areas in Childers’ Park in June 2023

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The June Flood of 2023

On Tuesday June 20th 2023 Listowel experienced monsoon like rainfall , followed by extensive flooding throughout the town.

I did not venture outdoors except to bale out my shed so I’ve gathered these photos from Facebook.

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Award for Jumbos

For the third year in a row the very popular Damien and Jade of the very popular Jumbo’s picked up the top award for best family restaurant at The Irish Hospitality Awards.

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Dolly Day

On Saturday June 24 2023, Listowel entered a new record in The Guinness Book of Records. In the sports field, the largest number of people dressed as Dolly Parton in one place ever were gathered by an incredibly hard working committee.

Every aspect of the organisation of this event was phenomenal, from the initial concept to the publicity, the marketing, the local and national buy in right through to the logistics on the day.

“I’ve ditched the wig. I’m taking my blankie and I’m outa here.”

There was even a station where you could have a few adjustments made to make your costume more Dolly like.

With everyone in blonde wigs it was sometimes hard to recognise well known local people. No mistaking these two though. Frances is a lady who could belt out a Parton song if asked.

Another group who could rattle off a Parton song if singing was called for.

Edith Maguire was one of the older Dollies present. Here she is with friends, David Fitzmaurice, Jimmy Deenihan and Jim White.

Some Dollies didn’t make it to the sports field but got in the mood downtown and made their contribution to the atmosphere on the day and ,of course to the charities as well. Stylish Eilish was everywhere.

(More tomorrow)

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Fr. Bryan Dalton RIP

His parishioners in his Florida parish of St. Ambrose in Deerfield Beach loved their Listowel born parish priest, Fr. Bryan Dalton.

Duane Miller sent us a link to this lovely video of Fr. Bryan singing at a Christmas mass. Duane says that Fr. Bryan was a great friend to the homeless and he loved children. You can see the rapport he had with the baby in this clip.

Fr. Bryan Dalton

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Remembering

By

On June 26, 2023

In Listowel

Magnificent tree in Listowel Pitch and Putt Course in June 2023

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Remembering an Inspirational Friend in Littor

His friends have erected a lovely beach memorial to Fr. Pat Moore on the beach near his family home where he loved to walk.

Photos and text from Asdee Community Development

On Fr Pat Moore’s 66th birthday, we want to sincerely thank Paddy Fitzell for his beautiful plaque commemorating Fr Pat, and our thanks to John & Hannah Fitzell for donating the plaque.

We also want to thank Tim Quilter for the stonework & the creation of this lovely commemorative seat, which now sits at the foot of Littor Road overlooking Fr Moore’s beloved Littor Strand.

The seat has taken much longer than we had hoped, hitting a number of setbacks, but it is now in place in time for summer. There are further finishing touches to be done in the coming months.

A final thanks to Kerry County Council who carried out work on the road entrance to the beach, allowing safe access to beach-goers for the months ahead.

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Remembering Fr. Bryan Dalton

Last week I got this email from Florida;

Hi,

My name is Duane Miller, I live in South Florida.  Our former parish priest was Father Bryan Dalton of St. Ambrose Catholic Church in Deerfield Beach, FL.  He passed away in 2018.

In my online research it says he was buried in St. Michael’s Cemetery in Listowel.  I am seeking some information on his burial, preferably a picture of his gravesite which could be uploaded to Findagrave.com.  Is this something you can assist with?

Best Regards,

Duane

I started with my neighbour, Jimmy Moloney, my go-to person on any civic queries. I didn’t make it clear that the burial was a recent one. He thought I had Florida relatives looking for an Irish emigrant ancestor.

In my search for the grave I found local undertakers to be the most helpful and obliging allies.

Noel Lyons told me where the priests were buried but I figured that Fr. Dalton was buried in a family grave rather than a single priest’s grave.

Noel sent me to RIP.ie to find out who the funeral directors were.

Seán Gleasure to the rescue. He told me that Gleasure’s Funeral Directors’ had looked after the funeral. He knew exactly where the grave was and even offered to take a photograph for me to send to Florida.

Here is the Dalton grave in St. Michael’s:

I was delighted to help Fr. Bryan’s Florida parishioners.

Sometimes the internet is wonderful at shrinking our world.

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Reunited in Listowel

It was nice to be together in Listowel, even if the occasion was a sad one.

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Dolly Day Photos Tomorrow

Meanwhile only in Listowel….

Listowel, Saturday June 24 2023, an unconvincing ‘nun’, an even more unconvincing Dolly Parton and a much too thin Elvis in Páirc Mhic Shithigh

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Another Anniversary

By

On June 23, 2023

In Listowel

Hard to believe it’s ten years.

Jim never got to meet this little lady, Aoife McKenna, his youngest grandchild.

She will join us today for his anniversary.

“Never a new year dawns,

Never an old year ends,

But somebody thinks of someone,

Old days, old times, old friends.”

Jim is remembered by all of us today and everyday, with great love and admiration.

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Early Summer 2023

By

On June 22, 2023

In History, Listowel, Listowel Writers Week

1916 centenary remembrance garden, June 2023

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Listowel Writers Week 2023

The Kildare branch of the family made it.

Home from Colorado, Alan Groarke joined his mother Madge and his sister, Rachel, for the festival.

My friend, Bridget, grabbed a chance to be photographed with a film star. We all loved Seamus O’Hara in the Oscar winning short film, The Irish Goodbye. He was really down to earth in real life and he made a huge contribution to the year’s festival.

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A Sorry Sight

The River Feale on June 17 2023. Fishermen tell me they have never seen the river so dry.

Not for long! the drought is over for now. We have had monsoon like weather this week with the heaviest rainfall in living memory.

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Collecting for Nano Eagle School

I met these lovely people out fundraising for their great school on Saturday last.

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Bonfire Night

Tomorrow, June 23, is St. John’s Eve. Traditionally fires were lit to celebrate midsummer. I don’t know is it will happen this year, but in the past this tradition was carried on in places around Listowel.

The feast of St. John, Midsummer is a Quarter Day.

Before we had the Gregorian calendar in 1752 we had the Regency calendar. Ordinary people didn’t have calendars so all they worried about were the seasons. The seasons were marked by quarter days. The year began on the first of these quarter days, Lady Day, on March 25. The other quarters were based on religious feast days making it easy for the peasants to remember. These were, Midsummer Day, Michaelmas Day and Christmas Day. All rents and other debts fell due on these quarter days.

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Sunshine in Listowel, June 2023

By

On June 21, 2023

In Listowel

In Listowel Town Square in June 2023

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A Few more from Writers’ Week 2023

Saturday June 3 2023

Keepers of the flame, Jimmy Hickey and Jonathan Kelliher are continuing work that was very close to Bryan MacMahon’s heart. MacMahon realised the importance of collecting, recording and documenting our traditional arts. Jonathan and Jimmy are engaged in a Siamsa Tire legacy project, videoing and recording all the old dance steps, preserving them for future generations.

I read online a criticism of this year’s Writers’ Week, saying that it was more like a fleadh than a literary festival. If any of that was my doing, I make no apologies.

Lisa Egan from Kanturk Arts Festival with friends Lil MacSweeney and Breeda Ahern.

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A Return to Ballykinlar

This is Fr. Brendan O’Connor. On a recent trip to Downpatrick to present a copy of his father’s Breastplate of St. Patrick to the St. Patrick Centre there, Fr. Brendan took the opportunity to visit the visitor centre at the internment camp where his father and many Kerry republican activists spent some time during The War of Independence.

Dr. Michael O’Connor of Listowel, grandfather of Fr. Brendan, was the camp medical officer.

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Where there’s a will, there’s a way

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