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: Broderick’s Pharmacy

Spuds and Stuff

Sheep in Beauford…Photo; Chris Grayson

<<<<<<<<<

Then and Now

<<<<<<<<<<

A Side Altar at St. Mary’s

Do you remember when there used to be a Women’s Aisle and a Men’s Aisle? I visited a church once where the last few seats in each aisle were reserved for men. Men were reluctant to parade up the church. From biblical times going to the top pews was seen as a symbol of arrogance and hubris.

Jimmy Hickey once told me a great Listowel story. Jimmy’s father was a shoemaker and he had a shoemaking factory employing several shoemakers. New shoe leather was stiff and squeaked until it was “broken in” Some customers asked the Hickey shoemakers to leave the squeak in so that, when they walked up the church on Sunday, people would know they had brand new custom -made shoes. Hubris or what?

Some churches even had seats reserved for families who were particularly generous in their dues. In a church near my home parish a wealthy local man had his seat in the sanctuary, i.e. inside the altar rails.

When he was thrown out following Vatican 2, he took umbrage and frequented a neighbouring parish for the rest of his life.

Thankfully those old hierarchies are no more.

<<<<<<<<<<

Setting the Potatoes

Good Friday was traditionally the day for setting the potatoes (for some reason we didn’t use the very “sowing” for potatoes).

Here from the Schools’ Folklore Collection is an account of how it was done in 1938 in Beale.

Potato crop – preparation of the ground
We set potatoes at home. We usually set an acre or so of them. We set them in drills and ridges. If it is on drills we set them the ground is ploughed once or twice and then harrowed and rolled to make the earth fine. Then the drills are opened with a common plough. Then the manure is drawn out and spread between the drills. Then bags of seed are brought to the garden and the neighbouring men and women come to help spread the seed.

When the seed is spread the drills are finished with a plough-both manure and seed are covered by splitting the drills. When they set them in ridges the manure is sometimes spread on lea ground and some farmers wait until they mark the ridges. When the ridges are made the manure is spread on them and three cuts are made in the breadth of the ridge to receive the seed. Now the earth on the furrows must be made fine. This is done by a machine called a scuffler and by getting a horse to draw a stone over the earth to make it fine. This fine earth is put up on the ridges with a spade and this finishes the preparation of ground and the planting of the seed.
Michael Griffin
Bromore
Ballybunion
11-11-38

Gloss; lea is fallow ground, maybe a headland

Furrow is the earth between the ridges

To scuffle the earth was to break it up, dislodging weeds and unwanted growth.

…………..

The potato crop- and its after cultivation.
Soon after the steaks (maybe stalks) appear above the round they require some weeding. The owner of them will come on and weed them either with the hand or hoe. When the stalks are strong they are scuffled with a machine called a scuffler. After this the broken earth that is between the furrows is made smoother still by means of a big flat stone attached to a horse. When this is done the earth is put up to the side of the drill by means of a double boarded plough. Then they are sprayed by means of a spraying machine. This is the after cultivation of a potato crop.
Kitty Griffin
Bromore,
Ballybunion
Nov 11th 1938

<<<<<<<<<

At Canon’s Height

“Poems are made by fools like me

But only God can make a tree.”

Joyce Kilmer

<<<<<<<<<

A Fact

Each king in a deck of playing cards represents an actual king.

Spades- King David

Clubs- Alexander the Great

Hearts- Charlemange

Diamond- Julius Caesar

<<<<<<<<<<

River Works

Photo; Éamon ÓMurchú

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

River Feale Development

Barbara Walsh has been keeping an eye on the massive job underway on the River Feale behind Convent Street.

The fine weather has meant that work is proceeding without delay with the crew working long hours and the huge logistic operation moving smoothly.

<<<<<<<<<<<<

My Fact of the Day

In January 1964, Nelson Mandela, leader of the African National Congress was jailed for life for sabotage and plotting to overthrow the South African Government. (Source; Irish Examiner)

<<<<<<<<<<<<

A Highly Respected Listowel born Priest

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIV, Issue 50, 9 April 1897, Page 15

THE LATE REV. FATHER O’CONNOR.
(From our Christchurch correspondent.)
Very great and widespread regret is felt at the demise of the Rev. Father Daniel O’Connor, who died somewhat unexpectedly at his late residence at Rangiora at 4 a.m. on Wednesday, 31st ult. The rev gentleman, who was parish priest of Rangiora, had not been in robust health for some time. Yet no serious results of his indisposition were anticipated until he visited Wellington in the early part of the year in order to consult Dr. Cahill, who informed Father O’Connor that his malady was a hopeless consumption.

In accordance with the doctor’s advice Father O’Connor abandoned his projected visit to Napier and returned home. He became rapidly worse and succumbed to the desease.

He was going about on Tuesday last and apparently fairly well. On the night of the same day he retired at eight o’clock but became restless and unable to sleep. Father Tubman, Miss Kellier and the Rev. Mother and the Sisters of St. Joseph were with him to the end.

Father O’Connor, who was approaching forty years of age, was born in l858 at Listowel, County Kerry, Ireland. He studied at St. John’s College in Waterford, and was ordained priest on the 18th of June, 1882. Immediately after his ordination he came to Christchurch, under Archbishop Redwood, who appointed him to Greyniouth. Thence he came to Port Lyttleton, where he remained several years. For the administration of that parish he received warm praise from Archbishop Redwood.

Ten years ago Father O’Connor was appointed parish priest of Rangiora, where he has done most excellent work. He was always most generous in supplementing from his own pocket the funds for the maintenance of the schools, and in every way sought to promote the cause of education. The whole parish is left absolutely free of debt.

During his residence in the Rangiora and Kaiapoi districts he has endeared himself to all classes of people. His house and all that it contained was open to every one. As an instance of the warm affection of his people for him, some of the ladies of the parish waited upon him a few days before his death in order to present him with a purse of sovereigns wherewith to meet the extra expenses of his illness. This thoughtful action made a deep impression upon the dying priest, and he was most anxious to acknowledge the gift through the newspapers. This he did not live to do.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume 04, Issue 6, 4 June 1897, Page 16

The Rangiora Standard has the following. The following was received by a private letter at St. John’s Roman Catholic Church, Ireland, when a cable message was received there of the death of the Very Rev. Father O’Connor, at Rangiora, N.Z., this church presented a most mournful appearance on the 3rd of April, when Requiem Mass was celebrated, and thirty-five priests with their bishop, were present. Also at Listowel, a Requiem Mass was held at the church in which the late lamented priest said his first mass. This indeed was the most impressive, as all the relatives of the deceased priest were present. 

<<<<<<<<<<<

Veno’s Soothes your Cough in Seconds

Irish Examiner Archive

Speed seems to have been the USP of this old cough medicine. In the days when T.B. was rife across the land, anyone coughing was looked on with suspicion. Nowadays with Covid among us, we dont like to have anyone cough near us either.

<<<<<<<<<<<

Beautiful Cong, Co. Mayo

Photos; Éamon ÓMurchú

>>>>>>>>>>>

Move Completed

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Lovely Listowel, A Pharmacy on the Move and Repairs to St. John’s Steeple

“Oh, would some Power the giftie gie us

To see ourselves as others see us….”

Éamon ÓMurchú was home in Listowel and he took a few photos with his phone. The photos show us Listowel as it is these days, lovely as always but undergoing change. This one shows the unchanging River Feale in all its magnificence.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Different Times

In June 1950 Fine Gael T.D. Captain Patrick Giles told the Dáil that “only big swanks with money to burn” could buy tomatoes. (Irish Examiner)

<<<<<<<

On the Move

Broderick’s Pharmacy is relocating to Market Street.

<<<<<<<<<<<<

Kathy Hochul is New York governor

John Anthony Hegarty sent the picture and Kay Caball provides the story of the Kerry connection. Below is the link to Kay’s account of the governor’s Cournane/ Courtney ancestors. It is well worth a read.

Kerry Ancestors/ N.Y. Governor

<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Scaffolding Everywhere

The scaffold at St. John’s has reached the top of the spire.

Máire tells us that the clock face is down for repair.

This reminded me of a story Junior Griffin told me.

Here is is again.

John Griffin of Bridge Road was the local expert watch repairer. Archdeacon Wallace approached him to ask if he would repair the St. John’s clock.

St. John’s was then a functioning protestant church.

In the 1940s it was forbidden for a Catholic to enter a Protestant church. Mending the clock, however, would not involve entering the church as there was no access to the clock from the church. To solve this problem John Griffin constructed a kind of primitive cherry picker. This contraption was a kind of cage that he would enter on the ground and using pulleys and ropes he would hoist himself up to the clock in order to access the movement of the clock.

John Griffin of Bridge Road, Junior’s dad

Junior’s mother was worried sick that some harm might come to her husband in this makeshift hoist so she sent Bert and Junior to the Catholic church to light candles and to pray that no harm would come to their dad.

<<<<<<<<<<

A Sobering Fact

In April 1954 Michael Manning was the last person to be executed by the state. He was convicted of murdering a nurse, Catherine Cooper.

(Irish Examiner)

<<<<<<<<<<<

We’re all Mayo Supporters now

Éamon ÓMurchú took this photo on his Wild Atlantic Way trip.

I think we’ll be seeing a few posters like this in Kerry now.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Old Killorglin Postcard, Halo Health, Some Bog Pictures and a Feared Princely Visit in 1885

Photo: Tom Fitzgerald

<<<<<<<<<


Yarn Bombing



Marie Moriarty spotted this intriguing piece of craftwork in Listowel Town Park.

<<<<<<<<<


Charles Street Neighbours


Dermot Mahoney shared this photo on Facebook.

The ladies are Maggie Stack holding Edward Grimes and Kitty Mahony holding baby Dermot.

<<<<<<<<


William Street Upper



Halo is open.

Work has begun on Dress to Impress.

<<<<<<<


On Church street

I met Jimmy Deenihan, Donal O’Sullivan and Charlie Nolan.

<<<<<<<<


A Very Old Killorglin postcard


Judy MacMahon found this old postcard during her Covid  clearout.

<<<<<<<<<<<


2020 A Good Year for Turf

Photos; Bridget O’Connor

<<<<<<<<<<<

The Prince of wales  was Not Welcome in 1885

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén