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: blarney

Green Green Gate of Home

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On July 15, 2022

In Ballybunion, Listowel

Tidy Town seat in Listowel Town Square in summer 2022

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Coming into Cork

My friend took these as the ferry came up the Lee estuary.

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In the Ballybunion Market

I was in the Ballybunion outdoor market on Saturday July 9 2022. I met the lovely entrepreneur, Sarah Fitzgerald of The Green Green Gate.

Sarah was being helped in her enterprise by her lovely Mammy, Peggy Fitzgerald.

I bought elderflower cordial. Delicious!

“Where did she get the name for her business?” you ask.

Here is the answer in Sarah’s words:

The Green, Green Gate was a half way meeting point between my house and the local sports field on my family land.!!! We didn’t have phones to keep in touch back then so my friend, cousins and I would arrange to meet there in the evening or weekends.

The Green Green Gate simply marked the start of many adventures and fun times for us all. It was our Gateway to Fun !!!! The fields, the forest, the bogland, the stream, the trees and the wide open spaces were our computers and phones of today’s children.

How lucky were we !!!!!

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A Few More Irishisms

from this book…

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Church of the Immaculate Conception, Blarney

Blarney is one of those churches where, if you gave a generous donation to the cause you got a plaque on the wall. Other churches put names on windows or pews.

I’m presuming this is the man who set up Blarney Woollen Mills. It used to be known as Mahony’s Mill.

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Town this Week

Flags, bunting, green and gold everywhere and I expect to see much more of the Kerry colours flying in the next few weeks as we near the All Ireland.

Thank you Seán OShea, the Cliffords, Spillanes et al for lifting all our spirits.

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In Blarney

By

On July 14, 2022

In Listowel, Personal

In The Garden of Europe, Listowel in July 2022

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Churches in Blarney

When I was in Blarney recently I visited their churches. For me visiting a new church is like visiting a gallery or a museum.

The Church Of Ireland church was closed when I was there but the churchyard was particularly well kept and, given its central location in the town, it was great to see it obviously appreciated.

The Catholic Church is at the top of a hill too. On the way up to the entrance there is this lovely Lourdes grotto.

Lots of stained glass here.

There was much mosaic work in the sanctuary.

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A Few More Irishisms or Mammyisms

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I’m a Proud Nana

Tennis doubles partners, Killian Cogan and his Papa, Bobby, won the first round of their tennis tournament on their first outing as a team.

I’m dead proud of these men.

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Perfect Weather for a Wedding

Summer wedding in Ballydonoghue. Photo: Barbara Kissane

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Blarney Visit

By

On July 12, 2022

In Listowel

New shopfront on Church Street, June 2022

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They’re Going Bats in Blarney

Last week I spent a very pleasant afternoon in Blarney, Co. Cork.

They have a lovely town square here surrounded by shops and some older dwelling houses.

The Muskerry Arms dominates one side of the square.

It’s this side of the square that has been in the news lately.

The sign on the door does not give the reason for the closure. But it’s this. A colony of bats got into the bank attic and took up residence. Bats are a protected species.

There were 250 mother bats of the species soprano pipistrelle in the attic space of the bank and each mother had several babies. The presence of the bats was noticed by the bank staff when some of the babies (they are tiny) fell through a chink in the ceiling. Experts were called in and the tiny pups removed to a bat hospital and placed in incubators. They have all now been reunited with their mothers.

The bank remains closed while a decision is made as to the best way forward for the bats.

Bats 1: Bank Customers 0

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Pro Am in Adare

It looked like half of North Kerry had decamped to Adare for two days last week. Every golfer in the region was more than a little star struck.

John Keane shared this photo on the internet.

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Flat Stanley’s Visit

From Presentation School Yearbook 2005/06

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World Champion Again

Skibereen’s Paul O’Donovan is certainly Ireland’s best rower ever. Surely he is also up there for the title of Ireland’s best sportsman as well.

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