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: Brosnans

The First of the Christmas Stuff

Courthouse Road in November 2024

The Only Upside of a Funeral

Meeting relatives whom you rarely meet is one of the lighter sides of the very sad occasion that is a family funeral.

The four older people in this photo have all descended from Benjamin Brosnan of Ballybahallow, Freemount.

L to R. Sheila (O’Callaghan) Healy, her grandmother was a daughter of Benjamin’s, Mary (Ahern) Cogan, her grandfather a son of Ben’s and Norah (Ahern) ORahilly and Morgan Ahern, their grandmother was a daughter of Ben the weaver.

This is an excerpt from the school folklore collection of 1937…

“Weaving was carried on by Ben Brosnahan and his son Johnny. They lived in the townland of Ballybahallow at the eastern side of Tim Mullane’s haybarn. They worked at two looms and made “bundle-cloth” from linen thread, and blanket and frieze from woolen thread. When the woolen stuffs were woven they were taken to the “tucking mill in Coolbane owned by O’Shaughnessy’s in order to be properly shrunken before wear. “

Isn’t family history fascinating?

Last stop on the Food Trail 2024

Jumbo’s family restaurant has been feeding North Kerry people since 1983. Jumbo’s snack box, curried chips and more are the stuff of legend.

For Listowel Food Fair, Jumbos offers a specially curated and assembled burger.

All the ingredients are local and even the serving board is from Ríocht.

One of the ingredients in this special burger is John Relihan’s prizewinning Proper Meat Sauce.

Damien is the very genial proprietor and always treats his customers to an excellent dining in or take away experience.

The place was packed on Saturday as well.

A Christmas Treasure

This little booklet was once given away free. Mary Sobieralski of the Vincent de Paul shop gave it to me free as well with my haul last week.

It is actually priceless.

This is the back cover of the booklet and the language suggests to me that it was printed and distributed sometime close to rural electrification when electric cookers were only just making an impact. Rural electrification began in 1946.

The writer of the booklet was Maura Laverty. Maura died in 1966. She was a prolific writer, journalist, food writer and script writer. She is famous for writing the script for Ireland’s first soap opera, Tolka Row.

I’ll share more from this little treasure tomorrow.

Listowel Tidy Towns Local Awards

The local committee of the Tidy Towns organised a great award event on Friday November 15 2024 in the Family Resource Centre. John Kelliher took the photos.

These are some of the Tidy Town team who were there on the night.

I was honoured to be invited to be the guest speaker.

All the category winners are on Listowel Tidy Town Facebook page

A Fact

Bears have an excellent sense of smell, better even than dogs.

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Listowel and Ballybunion

Listowel Town Square, August 2023

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Quirky Sights in Listowel

At the back of Brosnan’s pub.

On the wall at Pierce and Fitzgibbon

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From the Newspaper Archives

(thanks to Jer Kennelly)

Kerry Evening Post Wednesday, 01 December, 1897; Page: 4

EVENING CONCERT IN LISTOWEL.

One of the most successful concerts ever hold in Listowel was the grand evening entertainment which came off in the Hall of the Total Abstinence Society, Listowel, on Wednesday evening. From every point of view the concert was a most pronounced success. The fact that the entertainment was held under the auspices of the society, and in aid of the funds of the organisation, fully accounts for the large and fashionable attendance ; but the enthusiasm of the audience can be accounted for only by the fact that the various contributions were performed in the most capable and finished manner. The programme was varied and interesting in character, judiciously drafted and calculated to appeal to every taste. In addition to local artistes, a number of other ladies and gentlemen also contributed to the programme.

The vocal items were rendered in fine style, and did not fail to draw enthusiastic plaudits from the audience; but the success of the entertainment must, to a great extent, be attributed to the recitals by the Misses Rahilly, and the instrumental contributions, which rank amongst the finest performances ever witnessed at a local concert. Every one, of course, expected that Miss Florence Rahilly would sustain her widespread reputation in a department which she has made peculiarly her own; but the excellence of the performance of Miss Tessie Rahilly, on the occasion of her first public appearance, took everyone by surprise. Needless to say, her reception was of the warmest character. The instrumental items: particularly the contributions of the Misses Creagh, were rendered in a style which betoken splendid musical ability and an appreciation of the composer’s work as admirable as it is rare, at a local entertainment, and which reflects infinite credit on local talent, which never showed up in better form than on Wednesday night.

The arrangements left nothing to be desired with the result that, though the hall was crowded to its utmost capacity, no inconvenience was caused. A special word of praise is surely due to Mrs Fitzpatrick, to whom, in a great measure, the success of the entertainment is to be attributed. She conducted the practice meetings with a degree of success, which only wide experience and splendid abilities as an instrumentalist and vocalist rendered possible. It is to be hoped, she will be long associated with our local entertainments.—Correspondent.

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A Gift of Ink….Update

Philip O’Carroll is sorted. Many people have offered him digitised versions of the LP . Philip and his family are remembered with great fondness in Listowel and many of his old friends were only too willing to help him. Thank you everyone who offered to source the album for him.

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Aspects of Ballybunion

The Beach Mission, always a reliable on the beach in August is back this year.

Signage on the beach has greatly improved. Clear flagging of areas of rip current means that the beach is now safer for everyone.

A Feature of the beach in recent years is beach art. It is a lovely way to send greetings for a birthday, wedding other celebrity occasion.

Seats are often memorials where a visitor can rest and remember someone who loved this spot.

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Summer? Brosnan clan and more people at The Rás start

Those were the days! Could we ever be in for a fine spell?

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Another clan Gathering

Peter Brosnan and sisters lacca East, Kilmorna circa 1988

The Brosnan Clan are planning their gathering to take place in Castleisland from July 25 to July 28. I might even be there myself since my mother came from the Cork branch of the clan. It is believed that all the Brosnans trace their ancestry back to Brosna in Co. Kerry.

Behold this for a lovely Brosnahan family from New Zealand

Hugh Brosnahan and family, Canterbury

If you are a Brosnan, read all about the Clan Gathering here ;

https://www.facebook.com/BrosnanClanGathering

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Back to An Rás Day 2

 This cyclist was having a massage before the off

 Local man Paul Henry has a strong cycling connection.

Peter O’Sullivan and Tony Flavin were out to see the excitement.

The man on the back is a photographer.

 Norella Moriarty with PJ and Joan Kenny

Rider, Sean Lacey has a Listowel connection.

Sean and Mary Comerford with Sean Galvin

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Dates for the diary

Tomorrow May 31 2013 there will be a mass for all exam students in  St. Mary’s at 7.00 p.m.

Saturday June 1 2013 Sacred Heart Shape Note Singers will be singing in the church from 9.00 to 10.30 p.m. Admission free.

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I took lots of photos at the opening of Writers’ Week. I’ll post them next week. This week I am too busy enjoying the festival and the fine weather. Today its a walk around town with historian, Vincent Carmody and tomorrow is The Great Famine overload.

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