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In 2007 Listowel had a large Polish population. This shop/ sklep opened on Charles Street to bring them a taste of home
Same view of Charles Street in Novemnber 2021
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A Listowel Fact
These facts that I am sharing with you were told to walkers on the late Jack McKenna’s Rotary Club walking tours of the town many moons ago.
The pump house on the banks of the Feale was originally designed to hold a water wheel which would operate a pump to lift water from the river to tanks in Ballygrennane. These tanks would provide a gravity flow water supply to the town. The flow of water to operate the wheel was to come from a point upriver known as The Falls. The water was to flow to the wheel in the pump house via a canal. The engineer who designed the system was fond of a drop. On the day of the grand opening, he went to the tanks in Ballygrennan to await the flow the water while the dignatories who had been invited to the grand opening waited at the pump house for the flow of water which would operate the pump.
When the sluice gates were opened there emerged the smallest trickle of water, nothing near the amount needed to rotate the wheel to operate the pump.
The engineer, up in Ballygrennane realised that his scheme was a failure. The story goes that he polished off his bottle of whiskey, scarpered from the scene and was never seen in Listowel again.
The town council had to install a steam operated pump which supplied the town with water for many years until the ESB brought electric power to Listowel.
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A Sign of the Times
On this old street lamp a very modern notice advertising outdoor dining
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That was then; This is now
In 2007 we had many many foreign nationals working in our area. Demand for money transfer services was such that a dedicated Western Union shop opened in Church Street.
Since then electronic money transfer has become even easier.
Yesterday I saw a man pay for his groceries using his watch.
We’ve come a long way since 2007.
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