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: Chicago

Ard Curam Concert, Bogs, Convent Street and Moyvane Post Office closure

Irish Wildlife Trust Photography Competition Finalist

Martin MacNamara; Irish short- eared owl

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Ard Churam Choir



Recording is done on the EP and practice is continuing for the Listowel Writers’ Week concert. Be sure to book your ticket in good time. The concert will take place in Listowel Community Centre on Thursday May 30 2019. Tickets may be booked online

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Bog Bodies


These items of children’s footwear were dumped in a bog not far from Listowel. I don’t think it was the children who dumped them.

Nearby in the same bog, beautiful Nature flourishes despite man’s indifference.

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Convent Street aka Gleann an Phuca


Photo: Johnny Hannon

This is how Convent Street used to look.

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Listowel Man Remembered in Chicago

Mark Holan who writes a marvellous blog about things Irish spotted this memorial paving stone in Chicago.

It is on the pavement outside the Irish American Heritage Center.

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Moyvane P.O. 



Northkerry blog marked the retirement of the last Moyvane post mistress with this snippet;

FAREWELL Mass and tribute was paid to Mary Collins in the Marian Hall on Tuesday night 30th April 2019. Mary was Moyvane’s last Post Mistress. Previous postmasters include; Bridie Sheehan for 21, her husband, the late Dick Sheehan for 41 years. Catherine Shine, died 1983; J C Shine died 1965; Nora Richardson died 1922. Richard Barrett, Post Office, Newtownsandes, there in 1857; Regulation 1914, In future all female officers will have to resign on marriage, but will be eligible for a marriage gratuity on resignation.

Currently in 2019, An Post is spending €5million on rebranding. The title Post is being changed to An Post, the green colour is being changed to an lighter shade of green. There is another small tweak or two planned but basically the changes are cosmetic , not so the loss of a post office to a rural community.

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Three Generations of “Scribes’ ladies




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Winners Alright




This is the Prosperous Dramatic Society who yesterday won the RTE All Ireland Drama Festival in Athlone.

On the far left of picture is Dave O’Sullivan who does so much work for Listowel Connection. He played the part of Peter Stockman in Prosperous’ winning production of An Enemy of the People. Well done all.

My trip to Chicago

Chicago from the plane


Chicago is huge. This is just a small section I photographed from the plane.

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This is the air traffic control tower in OHare. On the day I arrived, Sept. 26 2014  it was totally out of action due to a fire.

 Sign in the taxi from the airport. Big Brother is everywhere.

 The view at night from the Hancock Building

Reminder that you are in the USA where guns are everywhere.

Chicago is one of the seven architectural wonders of the world. This carpark is one of the iconic buildings that mark Chicago. According to our tour guide, you drive your car in and onto a lift and it is transported to its slot.

I took this photo of the car park from our tour boat on the water. You  can see the cars neatly slotted into their parking spaces.

This is the very tall and very shiny Trump Tower.

There is poverty here as well. I photographed this poor man from the bus on our city tour.

I was in Chicago Zoo. I saw this rhino.

 This charming drinking fountain is in Chicago Zoo.

 Listowel has something in common with Chicago…a statue of Schiller.

This cheeky bird hung around us on the tour boat waiting for crumbs to fall.

 Some of Chicago’s skyscrapers. Many Irish names appear among the list of the city’s architects.

There are various romantic stories about how the great fire of Chicago 1871 was started. Whether it started on a boat or not, many boats were destroyed in the massive conflagration. When I was there flimsy makeshift boats were being put on the water in preparation for a festival when they were to be burned.

There are 42 bridges in Chicago. Three of them are drawbridges and are opened regularly.

Like Venice, Chicago has water taxis.

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