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: Bryan MacMahon

Joan Mulvihill sings, emigration, Duagh Griffins and the storm of Feb 12

By

On February 14, 2014

In Uncategorized

A taster of what is in store for listeners to Radio Kerry on Saturday Feb. 22 2014 in Frank Lewis’ Saturday Supplement from Listowel at 9.00a.m.

http://youtu.be/fY2tt5ZOdGA

Lovely singer

The man who wrote the lovely song; Bryan MacMahon

<<<<<<

Ireland’s most iconic DJ, Larry Gogan, is scaling back to weekend broadcasting.

<<<<<

Set dancing in Chicago (photo from the Facebook page of the Francis O’Neill Club)

<<<<<<<

I found this photo on Inside History Magazine. It is an Australian publication. I don’t know where the stone stands.

It refers to emigration and roughly translated says, As far as this spot came the friends and relatives of the person going abroad. Here they parted. This is the Bridge of Tears.

So sad that many of those who parted here never saw one another again.

<<<<<

Irene Breen from Abbeyfeale is researching her family tree and she needs help with something on the Griffin side of her family. Below is what she posted on the genealogy forum.

“I was told at some stage within the past year that a newspaper article was written in the early/mid 1930s about James Griffin of Knockalougha, Duagh and his remaining siblings at the time. These were possibly Daveen Griffin and his sister Peg Nash who would have been in their 80s/90s by then-hence the article. I know it’s a really long shot but it would be great if anyone has info that could help me locate this. It’s more likely that a clipping was sent over to emigrants and was treasured by them and this post may jog someone’s memory. Fingers crossed!”


I tried Mike Lynch, the county archivist but without an exact date or even an idea of which newspaper, the task is too great. Mike tells me that there were several Kerry newspapers in those years.


<<<<<<<<


Always Take the Weather with You


We have had some horrendous weather in these parts of late and Wednesday last, Feb. 12 2014 has to be one of the stormiest days I have ever witnessed. My lovely niece came to rescue me and take me home with her. I took a few photos of the destruction wrought by the storm on my way to North Cork.


Road to Abbeyfeale completely blocked

at the bridge

 fallen trees on the Tralee road

Millenium Arch destroyed

 Debris strewn along the Tralee Road

This tree fell into a field taking a large section of ditch with it

I woke next morning to frost and snow

I’m putting in here two video clips of storm damage in The Cows Lawn sent to me by Marie Moriarty. I haven’t done this before so if it doesn’t work, sorry!

Local Writers celebrated at Writers’ Week 2013

By

On June 12, 2013

In Uncategorized

One of the best parts of Writers’ Week for most local people is the opportunity to meet up with old friends who come home to Listowel for the festival. What better place to meet these friends than at a “local” event. One of these events this year was a tribute by Owen MacMahon to his late father, Bryan. Owen managed masterfully to show us what made Bryan MacMahon ‘tick”.

Our own local “údar agus oide” was brought to life before our eyes but we also got a glimpse of the great man as father and husband. Owen shared his unique insights into everyday life with a disciplined writer, a man of fixed habits but above all a story teller extraordinaire. Maybe a more fitting title would be ” údar, scéalaí agus oide” .

Owen’s enormous pride in his father shone through in every anecdote. Bryan MacMahon was a writer deeply rooted in his native place. He respected and honoured his own people: he celebrated them in ballads and stories but he always treated them gently and with a tolerant teacher’s understanding of the shortcomings of the human condition.

The singing of Karen Trench, Philip Enright and Sonny Egan added to this gem of a performance; for me the theatrical high point of this year’s Writers’ Week.

<<<<<

I met a group of old Listowellians, pictured below, reunited as they left St. John’s after another vituoso local performance from essayist, Cyril Kelly. Cyril has the gift of turning the minutae of everyday life as he lives it, into charming evocative pieces with  universal appeal. 

His essays are a delight to read on the page but far far more delightful when read in his distinctive musical voice.

Cyril Kelly reading in St. John’s
Vincent Carmody introducing Cyril to the audience.

Cyril gave a second performance on Saturday in Tae Lane Store where he spoke about growing up in the house of a milliner. I’ll tell you more about that tomorrow.

School friends and old neighbors, Máire MacMahon and Anne Cogan met up during writers’ Week 2013.

 Joan Regan and Jim Cogan take a stroll before the theatre on Sunday night. They saw King of Carnage, an enjoyable light hearted farce, just the ticket for those suffering from literary overload.

<<<<<<<<

This picture of Ballybunion on Friday June 8 2013 comes from

https://www.facebook.com/pages/BALLYBUNION-not-just-a-placemore-a-way-of-life/125749737436255

Official opening of the Lartigue Museum

By

On May 7, 2013

In Uncategorized

Ballybunion Sea Angling’s gorgeous photo of Ballybunion Castle at night taken last week.

<<<<<<

I am suffering from photo overload but in the interests of variety I’ll drip feed them to you for the next while. I’ll start with the official opening of The Lartigue Monorail Museum by the French Ambassador on Saturday, May 4 2013. I snapped a goodly few of the attendees.

This is a section of the large crowd who attended

The ambassador is a lovely lady. At one stage when a little boy appeared tired of standing, she just took him on to her lap.

Here she is with Jimmy Deenihan signing the visitors book

Unveiling the plaque

Last year’s Kerry Rose, Anne Marie Hayes was there.

Cathal Fitzgerald and Anne were there.

Anne Keane was there accompanied by her sister Laura and Anne’s boyfriend.

<<<<<<<

This is one of the treasures that Máire MacMahon has shared with us.

Máire writes:

“As a former teacher, I thought you might be interested in the copy of the teaching dipolma obtained on the 30th April 1903 (almost 110 years to the day), from the Marlborough Street teaching College (which I now think is the headquarters of the Department of Education)  by my great grandmother Johanna Coughlin  McMahon. She qualifed as a teacher and then went to teach in Tormorden in the UK, and I have her original photograph album from that time period. She married my great grandfather Patrick McMahon in 1906 and taught in Clounmacon National School for the rest of her teaching career. “


Johanna Coughlin was Bryan MacMahon’s mother.

>>>>>>>

 Máire also found this old postcard. It shows children in the River Feale. The river is almost completely dried up.

I am making slow progress in identifying people in the other 3 photos that Máire found. Rosarie Buckley is on the case and I am reliably informed that she has nearly got them all. 

All will be revealed!

Writers’ Week and shop windows

By

On March 15, 2012

In Uncategorized

Bryan MacMahon at the railway station addressing a group during Writers’ week.

Sean MacCarthy and ?

Theresa Cahill and the late Mick Relihan

Ted Hughes in St. Johns

All photos are the property of John Pierse.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>

That was then , this is now.

Here is a selection of windows decorated for Mother’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day.

…………

Just in: a brilliant photo from Michael Dillane of Stag employees on a trip to Germany.

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

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/nike-apologises-for-black-and-tan-runners-that-evoke-memories-of-notorious-paramilitary-unit-3051024.html

This poor guy seems to have got his great marketing idea all wrong. Or are we being too sensitive?

Memories, memories!

Town Criers and Schoolboys

By

On January 27, 2012

In Uncategorized

Photo from North Kerry Camera by Vincent Carmody and what sound advice it is too.

Michael Lane was Listowel’s first town crier. Matthew James was the last and there were several who held the post for periods in the intervening years between these two.

The crier rang his bell and made his announcements at regular intervals while walking around the town.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Town_crier

The above link has lots of information about town criers in countries around the globe.

One of Bryan MacMahon’s plays features a town crier. Many years ago when there was talk of making the play into a film, Burl Ives was talked of as someone who might play the part.

The town crier or bellman also posted bills. Billposter is a phrase that has fallen into disuse so, for the benefit of my younger readers, he put up posters or flyers.

One such was this following riddle;

Ding dong, ding dong

Lost but not found

From Collopy’s Corner up to The Pound

A whole in the middle and furry all round.

What was he talking about?

I won’t keep you in misery. The answer is a lady’s muff. My younger readers might have to look that one up too.

Vincent is my source for this town crier information. He also told me, because I knew you would be wondering, that in the 1800’s Collopy’s had a hotel at the corner where Jimmy Deenihan now has his office. The pound referred to is probably in William St.. There was a pound in the premises that now houses an Indian Chinese restaurant.

Vincent also had a few names for my boyeens and he can tell us when the photo was taken. The photo was taken outside St. Patrick’s Hall in the 1930’s. This was Bryan MacMahon’s third class. They were having class here while the school was being refurbished.

In the front row 4 from left is Sean Kirby, 3 from him, the last boy holding the slate is Sean O’Sullivan and next to him is Roly Chute. The boy right in the middle of the next row back is David Fitzmaurice.

Vincent says that Sean MacCarthy or one of his brothers is in the photo. There too is Maurice Stack, and Kevin Donovan.

Thank you, Vincent for all your help. I would really love it if anyone could identify a few more or help in any way with naming the girls.

Omission yesterday:Cian Keenan of Dromclough is also a finalist in the Doodle4Google competition. You can vote for him here 

http://www.google.ie/doodle4google/2012/vote.html#d=d3-12

AND

Congratulations to Jim Quinlan whose lovely photo of our bridge at night was featured on TV3 weather last night.

This picture is Paul O’Connor’s but you get the idea. Jim’s is not up on the TV3 website yet but watch out for it in the next few days.

Page 10 of 10

Previous

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén