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

Tag: 1953

St. John’s, an Ad. and Lord Listowel’s contribution to Catholic candidates in 1841

Skerries by Éamon ÓMurchú

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Repairs at St. Johns in July 2021

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Fancy Dress Parade, circa 1953

Margaret Dillon identified the three girls on the far right of Luaí ÓMurchú s photo. They are Colette Guerin, Marie Power and Beata Keane. Margaret is almost certain. Margaret herself is in the photo too.

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An Listowel ad. from 1956

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Appeal for Old Newspapers

This is a call out to people who have old newspapers that they would be willing to drop in to the Veterinary Centre, No. 3 The Square. Sheila tells me that they got a great response last time I asked blog followers to bring them some old newspapers for bedding for small animals in the clinic. They are running low again so could you help.

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Politics and Religion in 1841

Boston Pilot, 24 July 1841

Catholics of London have formed themselves into a body under this designation. The object of the former is to resist and repel the attacks that, are made upon them ; and of the latter to secure the return of such members to parliament as are favourable to them. The Registration Society also undertakes to pledge every candidate to secure freedom of admission to Catholic priests to attend the inmates of workhouses and prisons. Lord Listowel has subscribed £2OO towards the election expenses of Messrs. Browne and O’Connell for Kerry, against Mr. Blennerhasset.

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Schoolgirls in 1953, Changes in town and Sr. Elizabeth Starken

Presentation Secondary School pupils in 1953

Jimmy Magee couldn’t hold a candle to Betty Stack of Greenville. She gave me this great photograph of the whole school cohort in 1953 and she remembers all the names.

Betty gave me lots more photos and press cuttings. I will be sharing these with you over the next few days.

Front Row;

Margaret Keane, Joan McElligott, J. Halpin,–O’Sullivan, May
Noonan, Noreen Guiney, Theresa Walsh, Delia Duggan, Claire O’Connor, Imelda
Sheehy, Peggy Brennan, Maureen Stack, Betty Sheehan, Maureen McElligott, Maura
O’Connor, Helen Hanrahan, Betty Walsh, Theresa Enright, Margaret Mooney, May
Grogan, Pay Murray, Maria Hegarty,Theresa Hegarty, Eileen Fitzgerald, Maria
O’Connor.

Middle:

Pat O’Connor, Kathleen Enright, Maureen Guerin, Eleanor
Scanlon, Joan Stack, Maureen Hunt, Margaret Keane, Maria Buckley, Maura Grimes,
Claire Broderick, Maria Kirby, Renee Buckley, Margaret Galvin, Nora Dillon and
Irene Nolan.

Back Row:

Carmel Sheehy, Laoise O’Connell, May Walsh, Bridie Mooney,
Ellen O’Sullivan, Maureen Buckley, Beta Whelan, Ina Leahy, Mary Ahern, Peggy
Buckley, Bridie Godley and May Dillon.

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Big Reburbishment Going on at Maguires Pharmacy





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Blast from the Past from The Kerryman



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Now and Then

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Bord na Mona, Lyreacrumpane



 The woman on the right here is Sr. Elizabeth Starken a member of the Presentation Order. She was born in Kerry when her father Harry Starken was based there at the BnM works. This photo shows Michael Casey, from Longford presenting a bog oak chalice to Brother Joseph Bell and Sr Starken. The chalice was then brought to Rome, presented to Pope John Paul II and used on 6th October 1996 during the Beatification Ceremony of Brother Edmund Ignatious Rice. A long way from Lyrecrumpane.

(text and photo; Bord na Mona Heartland)

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You’re Ugly Too



This is Mark Noonan He is in Japan promoting his new film, You’re Ugly too. Mark is an up and coming writer director. He is a nephew of Helen Moylan and Tess Noonan of Listowel.

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The Games have Begun




Team Ireland at the Special Olympics was lead out by Colin Farrell.

Agricultural Show in 1953 and other old stuff

June 29 1953



Margaret Ward gave me this photo from 1953. The occasion is the annual agricultural show and the place is the sports field. If you recognize yourself or your family, do tell us. The two girls in the middle of the picture with big bows in their hair and eating ice creams are daughters of the local garda, Barney Scanlon. Mrs. O’Flaherty, formerly Walshe is there and so is Gene Moriarty. Mrs Kennelly and Ned Browne are in the photo as well.

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Kanturk Arts Festival 2015


They had a great arts festival in my home town in the weekend before St. Patrick’s Day. I took part in a  photographic event. We went on a little tour of the town snapping away. Then we compared our snaps and shared them with the group. The Mallow Camera Club facilitated it all. We had a reading of some hilarious one act plays. Hazel Gaynor gave a great author reading and talk and I’m told that the poetry slam was brilliant but I had left by then. It’s a lovely event. I’d advise local people to take a trip there next year. It’s only down the road.

During the arts festival a local man displayed his old record collection in a shop window. Do you remember these?

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No Mail Today

I took this photo of a deserted mail box in a wall beside the castle in Kanturk. I think it used to be an An Post postbox but its an unusual one.

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 Reminder; Daffodil Day 2015, March 27




(photo; Listowel Daffodil Day)

Listowel ladies in Lourdes in 1954, more from the May weekend and another poem from Jet Stack

An old treasure

I have photographed this old picture in smaller sections in order to make it easier to identify these local ladies in Lourdes in 1954. I’m hoping that some of my loyal followers will name them for us and I’ll post them here if they do.  Memories, memories!

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May Bank Holiday weekend in Listowel

Military Vehicles were everywhere in the Square.

The children enjoyed posing with tanks and guns and other military stuff.

Real soldiers and people dressed up as soldiers were on the streets. Below are some photos of local people and visitors who enjoyed the ‘fun’.

More next week…….

A team of Gaelscoil Lios Tuathail supporters sold some goodies to the hungry attendees.

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Listowel by Jet Stack

There among the green hills of
Kerry.

Where the bells of Saint Mary’s
Church toll.

On the banks of the Feale.

Where there’s beauty so real.

Stands that dear little town of
Listowel.

Its streets and its square so
spacious

and rare.

Its buildings of solid cut stone.

Though old times are gone,

Sure they still linger on

In that dear little town of
Listowel.

Its castles so vast, they’re a
link

with the past.

On history there’s written a
scroll.

The bard and the poet

And writers of note.

Are at home in the town of
Listowel.

The churchyard close by, where
its

ancestors lie.

The schools where its youth comes
to bloom.

On those in between those duties
supreme

They’ll fulfill with God’s help
we’ll presume.

As time marches on, we’ll have
music

and song.

We’ll have tops, we’ll have pops
by the score.

But let’s never lose sight

of those great pens of might

and may God bless the town of
Listowel.

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Jimmy Moloney has put the minutes of the April meeting of Listowel Town Council 

HERE

Lyre School 1953, Vintage Monday and Bord na Mona

Bill Murphy sent us this photo of his class in Lyreacrompane school in 1953. With the help of his niece, Kate Murphy MacMahon he has found all the names and even a photo of the page in the roll book with his name in Irish.

Bill is visiting North Kerry at the moment so maybe he will have a few more photos or memories to share.

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This photograph was taken in Dublin sometime in the 1940s. It shows a consingment of tractors on their way to Bord na Mona. In case you are wondering, I have no idea how they got them on and off.

This is a Ferguson machine, turning sod turf. Turning sods by hand, as many of my readers will know, is backbreaking drudgery. This machine revolutionised the turning process, marking one of the steps in the change that saw men replaced by machines on our bogs.

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Some more photos from Vintage Day in town.

Car enthusiasts might like this from the Limerick Leader 1913

Back then motoring was hard work.

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Nothing like a photograph of a photographer except maybe a photograph of 2 photographers. John Kelliher and Denis Carroll were recording it all on Vintage Monday.

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This beautiful baptismal font has been stolen this week from a ruined church in Co. Meath.

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