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

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Lost in Lace, The Ball Alley and Royal Ascot




Photo: Chris Grayson

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Lost in Lace


This was one of the loveliest of the exhibitions that was on view during Writers’ Week 2019. The exhibition was opened by Madeleine O’Sullivan in The Seanchaí on Thursday May 30 2019.

The lace pieces on display were all the work of local lacemaker, Nora Moriarty. Nora, who passed away in 2018, was a native of Listowel. She lived in Church Street before her marriage to Tadhg Moriarty. When Nora retired from teaching she pursued her dream of a life in craftwork, particularly lace making.  She studied at Mallow College of Design and Tailoring. She received a City and Guilds Diploma in Dress Design. Carrickmacross lace was her passion and she became a member of the Guild of Irish Lacemakers.

Mary Shields from that guild told us a bit about lace in general and Carrickmacross lace in particular. Two of the characteristics of this lace are its scalloped edge and its shower of hail design. Nora was a master craftswoman and took great pains over design and execution of her lace projects. She produced a huge body of lacework in her lifetime. On display were dresses that could be worn from the cradle (a Christening gown), a wedding dress and many handkerchiefs and presentation pieces.

Nora’s son, Eugene told us of the family’s pride in his mother’s work. He drew our attention to some of the pieces that told the story of Nora’s involvement with local organisations. She was the first honorary secretary of Listowel Writers’ Week and she belonged to three different drama groups. She was a member of the Listowel Singers and the church choir. Members of all of these groups testified to Nora’s generosity in making logos, pin cushions and keyrings for them.

I brought my friends to view the exhibition on Saturday. Friends and neighbours of the late Nora helped the Moriarty family to mind the displays. When we visited, Joan and P.J. Kenny were the caretakers.

Many friends of Nora’s came to the launch of the exhibition.

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The Ball Alley



This is how the ball alley looks today.

This is how John Fitzgerald remembers good times in The Alley

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Listowel well represented at Royal Ascot 2019




Edaein O’Connell wearing a stunning Aoife Hannon creation at Royal Ascot this week.

Photos from Aoife Hannon on Facebook


Moss Scanlon R.I.P., Wash Day supplies and Listowel Shopfronts

Chris Grayson in Corran tuathail

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Moss Scanlon R.I.P.



This is the photograph from Brendan of Ireland of Moss Scanlon at the door of his harness maker’s shop greeting Paud Carey and Michael Greaney.

David O’Sullivan found  an obituary in The Kerryman of January 4 1969

David also found this account of the book Brendan of Ireland in The Independent  of 1961 

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Vision Centre, North Main St. Cork

On Heritage Day 2018 I visited the Cork Vision Centre with my daughter. They had lots of “vintage’ stuff on display. Nowadays anything old is vintage.


 Cliona McKenna outside the Vision Centre

 An old barber’s chair and some other old artefacts

 Gramaphone

 A man’s grooming set

OMO was washing powder and Sunlight was soap from Port Sunlight outside Liverpool

This was a mangle that went over the wash tub. You squeezed the water out of the garment by rolling it between two rollers.

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Speaking of Washing…..


A helpful blog follower found this old postcard.

Was washing day really like this do you think?

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A Very Stylish shop in the old Galvin’s off licence



Aoife Hannon, Milliner

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Correction re Altered Images Shopfront



A few weeks ago I featured this lovely shopfront which has been beautifully painted by Chute Family Painting Contractors.

I assumed that the plasterwork was the work of Pat MacAulliffe.  I was wrong.

I met Tom Relihan  by chance last week and he told me that the plasterwork on this shop front was done by Paddy Fitzell. He did this and two other shopfronts in town.

I’m delighted to correct this and to give credit where credit is due.

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Listowel Races 2018, The Earliest Ever Harvest Festival



Listowel Castle, Aoife Hannon, Milliner, a poem for the late Mary Keane and a Broadway star with a Listowel Connection

At Listowel Castle, May 2016

Bryan MacMahon statue in the castle grounds.

The Master with his beloved Square in the background. Bryan MacMahon walked around this square practically every night that he spent in town.

Listowel Castle

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Flowers at The Kingdom County fair 2016




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Aoife Hannon Hats and Headpieces on Display in Main Street

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Second Anniversary for Mary

The late John McCarthy, poet and mad pride activist wrote this poem for Mary Keane as she approached the second anniversary of John B.’s death.

She was always

backstage, producing

keeping it all together,

pub, finances, royalties.

enquiring when writing

their final draft as to

who would exit first?

She replied laughingly,”Sure

that was always my part, all

he did was sit in

the night and write.

They were a perfect

pair, a buttress foreach other.

The gentle character

lines of her face spoke

volumes, of how she had

survived the pregnant pauses,

the standing ovations of

what had gone before

handled the  traumas and

joys from behind the scenes

while he had taken

the bows at the curtains of

life but still when asked

“How are things?” she replied wistfully,

“Aragh, I’m fine, but I’d be better

if John was here.”

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Ballerina with a Listowel Connection

Hennessy Sheehan is the daughter of Broadway singer/actor Ciarán Sheehan whose ancestors hail from Upper William Street Listowel. Hennessy is now blossoming into a star in her own right.

Vintage Best Dressed 2015; the men and Big Maggie at The Gaiety

Vintage Fashion Day at Listowel Races 2015

This is Joe Broderick telling the story of his outfit to Angela Wall of An Taisce who were co sponsoring the Recycle/Upcycle event at Listowel Races 2015. Joe actually had a new suit and a lovely bowler hat. But he had a vintage accessory. On his watch chain he had a North Kerry football medal. He was recycling and reusing his corsage as well. He claimed he swiped the flowers on his way in.

This man won this competition last year. He looked just as smart this year, when he replaced the red tie with a blue one but the competition was very keen this year and he failed to make the final cut.

Paudie Moriarty was sporting a tie given to him by his late father, Gene who worked on The Island for many years. It was a lovely yellow number decorated with racehorses. His jacket was a present from his brother. It was actually a hand me down, passed on when his older brother lost some weight but it looked perfect on Paudie.

When Joe Broderick stepped up for his interview, the paparazzi were on it in an instant. I videod a bit of his interview HERE. Joe was a big hit with the judges and the audience.

This Galway man was a kind of novelty item. He was wearing a hat made from Heineken cans. He bought it in The Phillipines for €2 and he has been wearing it to race meetings since. He was full of praise for the Tidy Town movement. He, himself has a Super Valu who are  sponsors of Tidy Towns.  In answer to the so frequently asked question; No, he didn’t drink all the beer. He is a teetotaler.

The final line up

The finalists made their way into the parade ring for the announcement of the winner.

The Races were going on as usual and Mick  Ó hUallacháin was interviewing jockeys.

There was a poignant presentation taking place. Mrs. McElligott was presenting the winning trainer’s trophy to Willie Mullins in memory of her husband who had a long association with Listowel Races and who passed away earlier this year.

The winners were announced and there were two Moriartys in the shake up. Nora won the Ladies category and her brother in law, Paudie was the runner up in the mens’.

No one was surprised when the charming Joe was declared the winner.

Joe is a man who knows how to celebrate a victory. His hand went immediately to his pocket and he ordered a bottle of champagne.

Mairead from TG4 interviewed both winners.

Oonagh Harnett of Broderick’s Pharmacy sponsored the Ladies competition and Con McCarthy of McCarthy Insurance sponsored the mens’.

Nora’s family were delighted with her win.

Joe and Nora toast their success.

Listowel Tidy Town members with the organizers and judges of the event. Well pleased with how everything went.

Back at the tent everyone lines up for a photo and the ebullient Owen MacMahon leads us all in Lovely Listowel, just to get us in the mood for the following day’s match.

“Twas more like Geneva than Lovely Listowel”

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Looking Ahead to Drama in 2016



Some of the Keane family gathered in Dublin last month for the launch of Druid’s production of Big Maggie at The Gaiety which is due to take the stage  29 January 2016 – 20 February 2016 .

It was an emotional event for the family as it came just months after the passing of their mother,Mary, widow of the late playwright, John B. Keane. In February 2015 The family accompanied by Mary were in that same theatre for the premier of The Field.



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+    R.I.P. Kevin (Geg) Sheehy    +






(Photo:Listowel Celtic on Facebook)



Our streets will be lonelier and less colorful with the sad and untimely passing of Giggs Sheehy. The above photo posted by his friends in Listowel Celtic captures Kevin’s fun loving  upbeat personality.



He is a huge irreplaceable loss to his family. Listowel too has lost a great character.

Ballydonoghue Legion of Mary 1930, Storm Darwin 2014, Aoife Hannon wins Kerry Milliner of the `Year

Some more storm damage

My friend, Joan Kenny, pointed out to me that when I was taking my stroll through the graveyard I missed the destruction that was done to the burial plot of The Presentation Sisters.

Roofs took a bit of a battering as well and roofers are busy these days.

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You win some; you lose some



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Ballydonoghue Legion of Mary 1930

 (photo; Jer Kennelly)


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1940’s manual for employers


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Apparently we have seen the last of this guy. This image will no longer be used in Birds Eye’s ads

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We have a winner!

Milliner of the Year at The Kerry Fashion Awards is Aoife Hannon of Signatures, Lstowel

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