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

Signs of The Holy Season

Listowel Town Square, November 2023

The first sign of local festivity is the putting up of the Christmas street lights.

Kerry is still high and wide but from now on will be even more handsome. This was the scene on Charles Street on November 21 2023.

A Restored Window

In the grounds of St. Mary’s I met Glynn Palmer as he was just arriving to restore the refurbished stained glass window.

Over the adoration chapel, you will notice the boarded up section of the beautiful window.

The window in question was donated by Thomas McAuliffe. Does anyone know anything about him?

The panel on the right is already renovated and restored.

A Christmas Poem

The unvarnished truth about Christmas from John McGrath

Our Wildflower Garden in Winter

Where have all the flowers gone? Some have gone to seed and will bloom again next year. Some of the annuals are gone never to return’

A Fact

This is the beautiful Reggie, a rescued lurcher. Larger dogs are harder to rehome for various reasons but this one found a great welcome in Ballincollig.

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3 Comments

  1. Sheila Costello-Pepe

    I have 4 Thomas MCAuliffe’s in my family tree that were born in 1800’s. All of them were ornamental plasterers. There are others that were born in early to mid 1900’s.
    My GGG grandfather Thomas (1813-1876) married Mary Hayes (1827-1887). Their son Thomas (1852-1940) married to Mary (Ann) King (1857-1944). Thomas (abt 1900- ?) married to Mary Cronin. And my grandfather Thomas (1873-1962). They were all born and lived in Listowel area. To the best of my knowledge, my research is accurate. I would love to think one of them could afford to donate the funds towards a stained glass window. I would imagine being an ornamental plasterer had its financial challenges.

    • listowelconnection

      Hi Sheila,
      Apologies for leading people astray on the Thomas McAuliffe window. it was not your family as we originally thought since they are the most famous McAuliffe family in Listowel, who donated the window but another Thomas who was a “stationer” and lived in Main Street. Vincent Carmody has given me lots of information on the actual donor. I will share this on the blog. If you have Vincent’s book, Snapshots of an Irish Market Town the information is on pages 180 and 182. M.

  2. Deborah Cronin

    My gg grandfather was Thomas McAuliffe of Croughcroneen. (1833-1897.) His daughter, Deborah married John J. Fitzmaurice of Listowel in 1891 in Chicago. Thomas McAuliffe was called the Red Fox. In total I have 10 Thomas McAuliffes in my family tree!
    I would love to hear more about this family.

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