Listowel Connection

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: Athea Page 3 of 11

Athea, Green Oranges, Ignorance Dispelled, a Boland Poem and a Walking Tour

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On July 15, 2019

In Uncategorized

Listowel’s Carnegie Library


This is Listowel’s Carnegie Library, now KDYS Youth Centre. Andrew Carnegie was an American philanthropist  who endowed communities all over Ireland with free libraries. Kerry seems to have benefited more than many other Irish counties. This year we are commemorating 100 years since Carnegie’s death. An Post is bringing out a commemorative stamp. The stamp is going to feature Athea’s Carnegie Library.

(Below photo and text are from Athea Tidy Town on Facebook)

Delighted to learn that our Carnegie Library here in Athea will feature on a postal stamp to be released on August 8th to mark the centenary of the Death of Andrew Carnegie who provided the grant to build the Libraries! Stamps will be available to preorder online shortly.

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Athea Mural

I finally got to Athes to see the restored mural and all the recent developments.

This Jim Dunn mural is still my favourite. Every time I see it I enjoy it afresh. If you haven’t seen it yet, put it on The Bucket List today.

The other celtic style mural featuring local people, and celebrating Athea talent and legends has been fully refurbished and is looking vibrant and striking. It’s absolutely lovely. It is now preserved from the elements as well.

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A Charity Shop Find


I found this gem in the Irish Wheelchair shop in Listowel.  It’s full of interesting pieces of information, stuff most of us get wrong. I’m proposing to drip feed some of my newfound wisdom to you here.

Once a teacher……..

Are oranges orange?

No, is the short answer. In many countries, oranges are green, even when ripe, and are sold that way in shops.

There are no oranges in the wild.  An orange is a cross between the tangerine and the pomelo, which is pale green or yellow. They were first grown in South East Asia. The first oranges were green and Vietnamese oranges are still green. Thai tangerines are green on the outside and orange on the inside.

In Honduras the people eat their oranges green at home and orange them up for export. They do this by blasting them with ethylene which removes the green outer layer, allowing the orange layer to show thorough.

So if you are visiting Vietnam or other really hot country, buy the green oranges. They are fully ripe and delicious. I verified the ‘fact” with Google.

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Bob Boland’s Heartfelt Plea



Bob Boland, Farnastack poet and agricultural contractor, lived through World War Two and all the privations of rationing that accompanied it. Here he pleads with the Dept. to give him a permit for fuel so he can do his job and work for the local farmers at the harvest.





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Guided Walk, Saturday July 13 2019


These lovely people walked with me on my first guided walk around town on Saturday. They came from Listowel, Duagh,  from Lithuania, from Canada, from the U.S. and the U.K. and there was a brave family from Mayo there too. They heard some stories and I heard some stories too. Great morning!

Athea, Listowel Races Supporters’ Club and Throw me Down Something

By

On September 3, 2018

In Uncategorized

Ita Hannon took this great picture of a heron in Beale

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Lisselton protest


I came across this photo online with the caption “Lisselton Protest” Does anyone know the story?

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Beautiful Athea

Athea village is just over the border in Limerick. It is nearer to Listowel than most Kerry towns. When I visited last week it was en fete in celebration of limerick’s All Ireland Hurling victory.

One of the really attractive features of this lovely village is the superb artwork celebrating local legends in the village’s two murals. It’s been a busy year for the muralist so I wasn’t expecting too much when I called.

I was disappointed to see both murals under wraps.


The day I was in Athea was the day that Pope Francis was visiting Ireland, August 25 2018. I was entertained to see that Athea’s footbridge is dedicated to another pope.

Athea is a great centre of music and athletics. It obviously has both a soccer and a G.A. A. club.

The spacious community centre dedicated to local hero, Con Colbert, is the centre of social activities nowadays. 

Once upon a time boys met girls across the road in the Riverside Ballroom.

Some businesses have closed but the overall impression the visitor gets is of a vibrant proud community.

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A Great Deal for those who love Listowel Races



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Throw me Down Something




Junior Griffin took these photos at the bridge during Listowel Harvest Festival a few years ago.

A Tribute to a mother, visiting artists, a Potato Party in Athea and Eugene Moriarty cycles in his 21st Rás Tailteann

By

On May 18, 2018

In Uncategorized

Photo taken at The Gap of Dunloe  by Chris Grayson

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A Strong Lady Remembered by a Loving Son

Last Sunday, May 13 2018 was Mothers’ Day in the U.S. and Noel Roche wrote this tribute to his lovely Listowel mother. R.I.P. Madge Roche.

Pregnant 21 times, 3 Miscarriages, Gave birth to 18 Children, Lost 3 Children at young ages. Raised the remaining 15 [ of which I’m the youngest] and took care of my invalid father who came down with Rheumatoid Arthritis shortly after I was born.  He spent the rest of his life in a wheelchair [ I never saw him walk]. She did all of this without washing machine, dishwasher or hot water and I NEVER heard her complain Ever. We did not have a lot but she made sure we always had enough. That my friends was a Mother…That was My Mother…The Greatest Woman I ever knew. So to You Margaret [Madge] Roche I say.
Happy Mother,s Day in Heaven.

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Visiting Artists in Olive Stack’s Gallery

These ceramicists are best friends from Belgium and Germany. They are creating beautiful things in Olive Stack’s Gallery. Below are some of their creations.They are breathtakingly beautiful.

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Michael and Breda Moore with their son, Martin before Martin’s talk to Listowel Historical Society on St. Michael’l’s Graveyard


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Foreign Experts who Developed Bord na Móna


( photo and story from Bord na Mona Living History)


Immediately after the Second World War, Bord na Móna recruited some foreign peat experts to help with the development of the industry.

Dr. John Hennig, who was appointed as records office in 1946, had left Germany because of the Nazi regime and had a remarkable grasp of foreign languages. He helped acquire the ever increasing flow of foreign peat handbooks, scientific papers and patents that became available when the war ended and indexed, translated and made them available not only to Bord na Móna staff but to Irish industry in general.

Kotri Hangelaid had been general director of the Estonian State Turf Company before the war and had been responsible for the large briquetting plant at Tootsi which was built in 1937. He carried out milled peat research for us when he was appointed as a peat technician based in the Experimental Station in Newbridge. In 1951 he reported on the suitability of Oweninny, Co. Mayo for milled peat production. He also translated Russian publications.

Konrad Petersen worked in the peat moss industry in Latvia before the war, after the war ended he ended up as a refugee in Sweden where he met Bord na Móna Managing Director, Todd Andrews. Andrews offered him a job which he accepted. On arrival in Ireland Petersen was appointed manager of the Kilberry moss peat factory in Kildare where he spent the rest of his working life. Peterson is second from left in the photo.

These are just some of the foreign workers who contributed to the development of Bord na Móna.

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Potato Party in Athea 100 years ago



You’ve heard of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. If the caption on this photo is true it would appear that Athea has a similar society 100 years ago

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Beidh an Rás ag teacht go Lios Tuathail




Photo; John Kelliher

This is Eugene Moriarty with his family at the An Post Race finish in Market Street in 2013.

Eugene is still cycling and on Tuesday next he will ride into town with the Rás Tailteann.

Eugene will be riding in this race for his 21st time. This is a remarkable achievement in

 a gruelling sport.

Rás Tailtean is due in Listowel in the afternoon of Tuesday May 22 2018. This is stage 3 of the 8 day race. When they arrive in town the cyclists will have been cycling all day from their early morning start in Tipperary.

They will overnight in town and they will set out again at 8.00a.m. on Wednesday.


Macra in 1968, Athea and Dairymaster, a Kerry Success Story

By

On February 16, 2018

In Uncategorized

A Rook

Photo: Graham Davies

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Macra na Feirme Dance in 1968

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The Giant’s Garden, Athea


Athea always looks super neat and tidy thanks to the hard work off its Tidy Town Committee.

Wind turbines on the hills above Athea

This crucifix stands by the graveyard on the site of a old church.

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From little acorns……..


This is a mega North Kerry success story.

Causeway is a small village in North Kerry, sixteen kms from Tralee. 

It is nestled in an area rich in dairy and agricultural enterprise.

The village has a population of 257 souls.

This number is boosted everyday with the influx of second level students to Causeway Comprehensive School.

(Photo from the internet)
But there is another complex which sees a huge influx of people into Causeway every day.

(photo from the internet)

Dairymaster in Causeway is the global headquarters of the acknowledged world leader in agricultural technology.

Dairymaster is 50 years old this year, having been set up by Edmond Harty, senior.

Dr. Edmond Harty, son of the founder,  and now CEO of Dairymaster has moved the company to the top of the dairy technology industry.

Edmond is Adjunct Full Professor in the School of Biosystems and Food Engineering at UCD College of Engineering and Architecture.  But it is not for this that he is famous.

Dairymaster harnesses all of today’s internet of things, embedded sensors, wearable technology (for cows) and cloud computing to make a dairy farmers job easier.

These cows are wearing their Moomonitors which take millions of readings daily about everything about the cows health and fertility and feeds that information back to the farmer.

A modern milking parlour, photos from Dairymaster’s website

And now the latest news is that Dairymaster has teamed up with IT Tralee and Science Foundation Ireland to research a millions of dollar project to improve farmers output while decreasing their work.

Dr. Ednond Harty is a world class entrepreneur and innovator. He is my nomination for Kerryman of the century.

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Down Memory Lane


I recently met up with Jean Kiely and her girlhood friend, Eileen Greaney.  Jean was on a birthday visit to The Kingdom.  She was kind enough to bring me some old photos for our Presentation Secondary 75 commemoration.

Athea is avenged and the Irish Hospitals Sweepstake remembered

By

On January 31, 2018

In Uncategorized

A Stonechat



Photo: Graham Davies





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Lord Listowel’s Needlework










I apologise that I have no date for this snippet

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Revenge for Athea





This crucifix stands near the gate of Athea’s graveyard in an area called Templeathea. The temple in the name refers to a church which once stood on this site. This church was burned during Cromwell’s time in Ireland and all the local people who had sought refuge within were burned. 

I had an account of this atrocity on this blog a while back. In response, my friend, Nicholas, sent me this.


“Your mention of Cromwell, in your Athea piece reminded me exhumation from Westminster Cathedral of the mortal remains of three one-time heroes of Old England.

I came across the following account of the post-Restoration  digging up from their  graves in Westminster Cathedral, posthumous beheading and ghoulish abuse and hanging of the bodies of the following three enemies of the murdered King Charles 1st. Couldn’t happen to more deserving fellows!

Cromwell, Ireton and Bradshaw hanged from the Grave. 

From a manuscript entitled “An Abstract of the Reign of King Charles the First”

“…and the 30th of January, being that day twelve years from the death of the King, the odious carcases of O. Cromwell, Major Gen. Ireton, and Bradshaw, were drawn in sledges to Tyburne, when they hung by the neck from morning till 4 in the afternoon. 

Cromwell in green searcloth, very fresh embalmed. Ireton, having been buried long, hung like a dried rat, yet corrupted about the fundament. Bradshaw in his winding sheet, the fingers of his right hand and his nose perisht, having wet the sheet through. The rest very perfect, insomuch that I knew his face when the hangman, after cutting off his head, held it up. Of his toes I had five or six in my hand, which the prentices had cut off.

Their bodies were thrown into a hole under the gallows, and their heads were set up on the south end of Westminster-hall.

Cromwell died September 3rd 1658; Ireton, November 9, 1651; Bradshaw, October 31, 1659.”

Athea was avenged!!

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Do you remember the Sweep?

If someone was being a bit “flash with the cash” in my day, people would say ” He must have won The Sweep. But what was the sweep.

Joe Harrington sparked my interest in this precursor to the National Lottery when he sent us the below sweep ticket.

 The sweep was a raffle run in conjunction with major horse races. It was ostensibly set up to raise funds for Irish hospitals but like so many of these “charities” it became mired in controversy amid accounts of directors of the lottery creaming off huge expenses and even salaries and the hospitals getting a meagre percentage of the funds raised. Tickets were sold through agents, most of them in the U.S and Canada.

This was the iconic image of the “nurses” drawing the winners from huge draw drums and the tickets being verified by an army officer.

Joe also found the hilarious account in a book called Insane and Unseemly by John Saville.

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A Novel Proposal



On Ballybunion beach in January 2018…..artist Mario Prez

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