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: Bambi Thug

Some Old Things

Daffodils on Market Street in February 2024

Artefacts

Muskerry Local History Society meeting in February 2024

This artefact was brought by an American Irish man, Michael Loehr. It is a prison ring. It was made from a nail by his ancestor, a republican prisoner. Prison jewellery and ornaments are prized within families. This ring was taken to the US and now brought back home by a descendant.

Another republican artefact was brought by Bert Ahern. This flag draped the coffin of his ancestor. The name and details were embroidered on to the flag after his burial by 2 neighbours of Jeremiah. The flag is kept in the family and is put on coffins of Ahern descendants to this day. This was in keeping with a request by a sister of the dead man. She was anxious that he would never be forgotten and his senseless death at the hands of men who had fought by his side a few short years earlier would not be in vain.

Early Days of the Folk Group

You hear them at mass on Saturday evenings. Well, this is where it started. Matt Mooney (fourth from left in the back row) sent us this treasure.

Research is underway on putting names to faces. Check back here soon. I hope to have all the names.

New Kerry Logo

We’ll be seeing more of this

Looking Forward to This

Fake News

My Eurovision “fact” was not, in fact, true. Sweden has also won seven Eurovision competitions. Wikipedia needs to update its facts and I need to fact check better,

A kind blog follower gently corrected my misinformation. Thank you.

Photo; Irish Mirror

If Bambi wins we’ll regain our record.

A Fact

Every tweet the American people send is archived in The Library of Congress.

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Hurling, Plumbing and Turf cutting

Church Street in Feb. 2024

A Star with a Camán

Pic. and text from Hurling Banter on Facebook

What a AMAZING performance by former Kerry and Ballyduff hurler Jack Goulding who scored 3-11 as London Beat Wicklow by 3-20 to 1-20 in Division 2b. Goulding a Real DASHING and a massive loss to The Kingdom -BE

Historical Artefacts

On my night at Muskerry Local History lecture I heard from Mary Oleary.

Her artefact was a certificate of indenture. Mary’s ancestor was apprenticed to a plumber at age 15 in 1891.

This apprenticeship sounded a bit like slavery to me. The master owned the poor lad body and soul. He was not allowed to frequent public houses or any entertainment. He couldn’t swear or court a young lady. He was to dress respectably at all times. He got no money until his third year and then it was only four shillings. The apprenticeship lasted 7 years. Mary’s ancestor survived the period of his indenture and went on to eventually set up his own gas and plumbing business.

Jerry Twomey from Kilgarven told us about his own experience of hand cutting turf using tools and skills handed down through his family.

Turf cutting usually began on or around St. Patrick’s Day. The first job was to soak the handles of the sleáns and pikes. After the winter the wooden handles would be dried out and loose. Soaking them swells the wood and means they are easier to use.

The top scraw was cut off with a hay knife. This was cut horizontally. It was a hard job and in Jerry’s family it was always done by his dad. V trenches were dug for drainage and then the work of turf cutting began. His dad also cut the first sod as this one was fibrous and needed a strong man to cut through it. The pike man stood in the trench and threw the sods to the spreaders. Children were often given the job of spreading the sods as they could carry the sods one by one away from the bank. The second sod was not quite so fibrous, so a less able man could be put on the sleán.

The best black turf was at the bottom.

Turf cutting is an age old tradition that connects us to our forefathers.

Listowel Lady on Today

Beautiful, talented broadcaster, Elaine Kinsella joined Dáithí on the orange couch to present the Today programme for two days last week.

She did a great job, relaxed and engaged…a natural.

Hayfield Manor

A little bit of heaven in Cork

Just a Thought

Reflections I gave last week on Radio Kerry

Just a Thought

A Fact

Bambi Thug has been chosen to represent Ireland in the 2024 Eurovision contest.

Ireland has won the European talent show no fewer than seven times (in 1970, 1980, 1987, 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1996). That’s more than any other country that has ever entered the competition!

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