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: A Minute of Your Time Page 3 of 5

Poem to an Umbrella Thief, Brothers and Writers at a Book Signing in Mallow

Killarney Stag

The annual rut is coming to an end but Chris Grayson snapped this magnificent fellow earlier this autumn.

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A Lost or stolen Brolly

I posted this photo last week. It is an umbrella that was left behind in St,. John’s at the launch of A Minute of Your Time.

Seeing the photo, my friend Nicholas was reminded of another incident involving an umbrella which prompted him into rhyme.

This is what he wrote:

The lost umbrella mention  sparks memory of an incident in Abbeyfeale on St. Patrick’s Day in 2012, as the parade proceeded in heavy rain-showers. A good friend of mine left her umbrella down when the rain cleared, and went to chat with her friends. When the rain re-commenced, she went for her umbrella only to find that it had been stolen! A hearty soaking did not cool her ire. I penned the following ditty to commemorate the event, – there might be a sort of  John B. line there too- but she, of her charity has forgiven the thief, I think… To avoid the  risk of upsetting the fairer gender, I have decided the thief must have been a male, though I am not sure…

ON THE STREET IN ABBEYFEALE

Or, The Theft of a Lady’s Brolly,

Which dastardly crime occurred in Abbeyfeale on a Rainy 

St. Patrick’s Day, 2012)

On the street in Abbeyfeale

Loud and high the bagpipes pealed,

And the banners on the breeze did proudly soar;

As the sun came shining bright,

And the rain-clouds dark took flight,

I left my brolly down, the rain being o’er.

To some folks I went to chat,

And sure where’s the harm in that?

It being Patrick’s Day, my pals were all in town;

As the gossip fast did flow,

Of good news – and tales of woe,

A shower of rain once more came pelting down.

Well, I turned to grab my brolly

But then soon realised my folly,

For light-fingers mean had stolen it away!

I had paid for it good money

And it isn’t one bit funny;

That snaky wretch in hell will surely pay!

May the rain and sleet come down,

With no mercy on his crown,

May the sun ne’er heat his bones for evermore.

May his good luck go astray,

May the rain sweep off his hay,

And may Bank and Bailiff ever haunt his door!

Nicholas. 


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Brotherly Love


 These two Athea brothers, I’m told, are still working hard.

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Cuteness overload here. The two lovely little boys, pictured below, are twin brothers, Eamon and Brendan ÓMurchú.

This is how they look today, pictured at the launch of A minute of Your Time with their brother, Aidan.

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A Minute of Your Time


I was in the company of 5 other  writers in Philip’s Bookshop in Mallow on November 2 2019.

Here am I standing out in pink with Darina Allen, Clodagh Finn, Philip O’Flynn, Alice Taylor, Kevin Quaid, me and John Spillane who was the singing M.C.

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One for the Diary



We are very lucky to be getting this chance to hear this popular motivational speaker and writer in Listowel

St. John’s Windows, Garden of Europe and a book photo from Facebook

November, Month of The Holy Souls

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Windows at St. John’s Listowel




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Charles Street, Listowel, November 2019



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In The Garden of Europe in November 2019

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In Good Company



Im still processing the photos from the weekend. In the meantime I’ll leave you with this one posted on Facebook by a lovely lady I met in Philip’s Bookshop on Saturday. She is clearly a lady with good taste in reading material.

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R.I.P.  Gay Byrne



Halloween, Sarah Curran and Photos from the Launch of A Minute of Your Time

A Little Egret




Chris Grayson photographed this fellow in The National Park, Killarney

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Sarah Curran

Sarah Curran (1782-1808) was the daughter of lawyer and orator John Philpot Curran and love of Robert Emmet. After Emmet was executed she was disowned by her father who disagreed with their relationship and she went on to marry army officer Henry Sturgeon. She died at a young age suffering from tuberculosis and her wish to be buried with her sister in a grave at the family home in Rathfarnham Dublin was refused by her father, who had her buried in his original hometown of Newmarket Cork.

Bernard O’Connell posted the above picture and caption on Facebook.

Since she comes from my corner of the world I was interested to check the pictures I had posted here in 2017.

This is what it says about Sarah in Newmarket, Co. Cork

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Some people at the launch of A Minute of Your Time



Breda Ferris was the busy photographer on October 19 2019. She did a great job. My only apology to you is that I am in all of the pictures. I’m usually at the other side of the camera so not used to seeing myself in every photo.




Elaine Kinsella launched the book.

I was surprised and delighted to see Helen and Aidan. Helen and I knit in the knitting group in the library in Ballincollig. Helen is originally from Ballylongford and combined the book launch with a visit home.

Betty and Maria Stack bought an extra book to give to my old friend and now their friend too, Anne Leneghan.

Billy Keane took time out from his busy Saturday night  to attend.

Robert Bunyan was there.



One proud Nana with my 5 grandchildren

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Halloween Windows in Listowel



Lynch’s has a ver spooky window display




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Féile an tSolais 2019




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Lost and Found




Anyone missing this umbrella since the night of the launch of my book? It was found in St. John’s and I now have it and would like to reunite it with its rightful owner.

Saturday October 19 2019, A Holy Show, Book Promoting and Christmas in Listowel



Photo: Elizabeth Dunn

This is the scene on the stage at St. John’s on Saturday evening, October 19 2019 as we launched “A Minute of Your Time’,

Self praise is no praise but please indulge me for a minute while I wallow in the afterglow of a great night.

“A mighty night for a mighty woman” was one comment I loved.

“The best value I ever got for €20; a book, a concert and a party.”

People often say to me that I have no idea how important this blog is in the lives of some people. If I was in any doubt before, I know now.

Thank you Noelle for the lovely handwritten card and to Lisa for sending me an electronic message hand written with her new Apple pen, to Mary and Dave for the flowers from Texas and to Norah for the apple tarts and buns.

I have been snowed under with good messages and kind words and particularly with praise for the book.

Here is a link to last week’s Radio Kerry’s Just a Thought. I would do well to heed my own advice in Friday’s one…Walk easy when your jug is full.

Just a Thought

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Apparition in Tralee?


This is the image everyone is talking about, and to be honest, I can see why. This is a display cabinet in a Tralee antique shop. It had been in the shop a while as it is used for display purposes and was not really on sale. Then a customer spotted the uncanny resemblance in the pattern of the grain of the wood to common images of the Blessed Virgin. The media got wind of it and suddenly it’s like Ballinspittle 2.

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My Book Tour


A Minute of Your Time is on sale in all the Listowel bookshops and in Super Valu. They are all so so kind to me.

The big boys of the book selling world dont really want self published books and they make the battle to get on to their shelves very daunting and unwelcoming.

I am my own publisher and my own agent and now I am my own book distributor as well. I’m loving meeting all the lovely people in small shops.

 Here I am in Knocknagoshel with the welcoming friendly Kieran in his shop. Kieran plays Radio Kerry all day long in his lovely local shop and he knew my voice from the radio. While I was in town I took a wander around lovely Knocknagoshel and I’ll be bringing you lots more photos of that hillside paradise very soon

One of the highlights of my book tour was meeting the charming Ann and Mary in Ann Lyons beautiful shop in Abbeyfeale.

If you are ever in Abbeyfeale, call in to this lovely shop. You’d never know what you’d find there . It is a gem. It’s next door to The Ploughman




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Christmas comes Early to Listowel


Here are some photos to get you in the Christmas mood. They are of some of the lovely displays in Listowel Garden Centre’s Christmas shop.

Tidy Town Prizegiving, Sacred Heart Picture and Break in in The Square

Tidy Town Prizegiving in Listowel Family Resource Centre

Winners of the art competitions

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It’s a while since I’ve seen one but when I was growing up every kitchen had one and on it was written the birth dates of all the children. It had a designated lamp, called a Sacred Heart lamp burning constantly beneath it.

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First Glances at The Book

My friends in Knitwits were among the first to see A Minute of Your Time.

Knitting is only one of the many crafts that Rosie can turn her hand to. She made this lovely Halloween Witch House which Bigita is admiring.

I gave my friends, Mary Frances and Nancy in the Vincent de Paul shop an early viewing as well.

A Minute of Your Time

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Listowel Sign Writer at Work in Tralee

I spotted Martin Chute on his scaffold painting a sign at the vet’s in Tralee

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Break in At Harnett’s Pharmacy



This is how it looks now. 

Earlier yesterday October 22 2019 this was the scene in The Square.

It was so sad that in our lovely peaceful town thieves had struck during the hours of darkness and in an attempt to rob the shop had completely trashed it.

Two other shops were also targeted by the thieves but it was in Harnetts that they did the most damage.







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