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: Christmas in Listowel workhouse

Bike as Ornament, Paradise Place in Cork and Christmas in 1909 Listowel and Jimmy Moloney Snr. R.I.P.

By

On August 26, 2019

In Uncategorized

Bike at Yummy, Tralee


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A Corner of Cork

The Catholic Young Men’s Society Hall is located at Paradise Place. It is no longer in use as a hall but is the location of several shops and services.

This is the inscription on the red and white utilities box at this corner. Terence MacSwiney was a Lord Mayor of Cork during the War of Independence. He was arrested and imprisoned in Brixton. His death in a British jail after a long hunger strike and unsuccessful attempts at force feeding, gained world wide attention for the cause. He had a huge funeral in Cork where he was regarded as a martyr.

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Christmas Party in Listowel Workhouse 1909


Jer. Kennelly has done a bit of research for us on Bibiana Foran and he found this account in The Kerry Sentinel of 1909.

Christmas 1909 Kerry Sentinel

X Mas Tree in Listowel Workhouse, presented by Mrs B Foran, P.L.G. UDC, she invited a large number of ladies and gentlemen to a party held at the workhouse. Toys, oranges, sweets and cakes were in abundance. Only one girl was sad her doll had a leg and a half, it was soon remedied by giving her another one. 

Mrs Foran assisted by Mrs Daly, also Misses O Shaughnessy, misses Lyons, Miss Lillie Cotter, Miss McElligott, Messrs Richard O Shaughnessy who took several photographs of Father Christmas Dan Aherne and the children of the institution, P O Shaughnessy and others also there.

Several songs and recitations followed with music by Michael Carmody labour master, on the violin, the temperance band could not come due to member being absent. Singers included, Misses Mandie Collins, The Misses Daly, Miss Lillie Hannon, Miss Katie Dillon, Miss Katie Buckley and Miss May Kathleen O Sullivan. Also present, Mr and Miss Cleary and Master and Miss Cleary of Provincial Bank. Mr Wilson and Master Boysie and Freddy and Miss Wilson of National Bank. Mrs O Halloran, Master and Miss O Halloran of Killocrim. Mrs Master and Miss Pierce. Mr T O Connor RDC, Tarbert Island. Mr Wm. And Mrs T Twomey of Church Street. P B Cronin PLG. Mrs Barry Billerough; Mrs Dillon and Miss Scanlon; Mrs T Collins and Miss Collins. Mrs Enright, Misses Buckley, Main Street. The Misses Buckley, The Square. Mr R and Mrs Walsh; The Misses D Browne Church Street. Messrs Tom and James Walsh. Mr John and Master Hannon, Mrs Callon, Mrs Fitzmaurice, Miss Cantillon. Mr Ned Healy, Miss Moore.

Child Ellie Doner aged 3 and a half sang Guardian Angel. Lizzie Power recited, Hole in my Pocket. Jack Enright , known as Jack the cot, an invalid, recited and sang in a most creditable manner. Entertainment continued with a splendid dance, just like a marriage ball. Mr T M O Connor, proposed a vote of thanks to Mrs Foran, bringing the nights pleasures to a conclusion.

 ( Isn’t it beyond sad that a little lad known as Jack the cot, and we can guess why since he is described as “an invalid” sang and recited for the great and the good of the town?)

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The Late Jimmy Moloney


Jimmy Moloney passed away as he had lived, quietly, On May 28th last. May his gentle soul rest in peace.

Here is an obituary sent to us by his daughter, Maeve


Obituary for Jimmy Moloney, Snr

Jimmy Moloney, Snr, passed away unexpectedly at home on May 28th 2019, at the age of 75, 8 months after the death his beloved wife of 54 years, Anne (nee Scully). 

Jimmy was born in Listowel on April 2nd1944, the youngest of three children of Dan (D.J.) Moloney (Lyreacrompane) and Margaret Moloney (née O Connor, of Springmount, Duagh). His earliest years were spent in the Bridge Road, Listowel. In 1948, his parents bought and restored Gurtenard House in which he grew up, brought up his own family and lived until 2006. 

As the younger brother, it was often said his more outgoing older sisters, Kay and Marie, overshadowed him. Quite the contrary; clever and reserved, Jimmy simply watched, observed, and quietly got his point across in his own gentle way. 

He was educated in the Boys’ School and St. Michael’s College, Listowel and Newbridge College, Co.Kildare later studying commerce at University College Cork and engineering at Bolton St. College, Dublin.  

At the age of 16, he spent a summer in Ventry to advance his Irish language skills at the first Irish college of its kind in the Corca Dhuibhne Gaeltacht. It is questionable whether his Irish improved, however it was there that he met Anne Scully (also 16, daughter of Dr. Paddy Scully, Dingle). His courting strategies included cycling his bicycle along the round topped stone wall opposite Paidi OSé’s family home and “borrowing” cars from Moloney’s Garage to meet Anne in Tralee for dances at the Brandon Hotel.

Anne and Jimmy had a Christmas wedding at Muckross Church, Killarney on 29thDecember 1965, both aged just 21.They honeymooned in London and the south of Spain, where they would return many times. They lived at Gurtenard House and Jimmy successfully ran Moloney’s Garage in Market Street and William Street, Listowel until the mid-1980s. 

Moloney’s Garage, a Main Ford Dealership, had been founded in 1945 by his father, D.J., and was a thriving business and employer in the town for many decades. At a time when opportunities for school leavers in North Kerry would have been few, scores of young trainees arrived at Moloney’s Garage as apprentice mechanics, pump attendants, panel beaters, accountants and secretaries and learned their craft in their own hometown. The regard in which Jimmy and D.J. were held was deeply felt by the Moloney family at Jimmy’s funeral where dozens of former employees and colleagues from years gone by paid their respects and told stories of a wonderful workplace and how they “got their start” at Moloney’s. 

Not surprisingly, he was an avid fan of motor sports in all its forms. A founder member of Kerry Motor Club and its secretary for much of the 1970s, Jimmy was an accomplished rally driver in his own right, competing in rallies all over Ireland and the UK. He was a talented mechanic and restored numerous vintage and veteran cars as well as being an early and enthusiastic member of the Kingdom Veteran and Vintage Car club founded in 1979. The club, which celebrates its 40thAnniversary this year, organised veteran and vintage car runs throughout the county and beyond, most notably the Annual Ring of Kerry run. There are many accounts from those times of blown gaskets, runaway cars, golf clubhouses being mistaken for hotels and many other (mis) adventures. In 2010 he was awarded the Automobile Association’s commemorative centenary award as Kerry’s longest serving member as well as having led numerous emergency rescues to car crash sites and breakdowns throughout the county for the association.

Anne and Jimmy successfully ran Gurtenard House as a Bed and Breakfast for over 20 years from the 1980s until their retirement to Cherry Tree Drive in 2006. Like Gurtenard House, the door in Cherry Tree Drive was always open and friends and family alike were welcomed for a chat and the inevitable glass (or more) of wine. 

Jimmy could fix anything and was as comfortable up a ladder as under the bonnet of a car. One of his many hobbies was woodturning, reflected in his numerous intricate sculptures and woodcarvings. An innovative problem solver, his many inventions included some unusual security and surveillance systems as well as a number of quite peculiar washing machines, ironing contraptions and pest deterrents.    

Widely read and widely travelled, Jimmy had been planning a tour of Holland, Germany, France and Switzerland at the time of his death, one of the highlights of which was to be a high-speed drive on the German autobahns with his son-in-law, Frank. 

On the Sunday evening before his passing, he had attended the count of the recent County Council elections and proudly saw his youngest son, Jimmy re-elected to Kerry County Council to represent Listowel and Fianna Fáil.

Jimmy Snr died as he had lived, quietly and without fuss. He will be sadly missed by his sisters Kay and Marie, sons Dan, Conor and Jimmy, daughter Maeve, grandsons Isaac, Oscar, Max and Tom, daughter-in-law Una, son-in-law Frank and his wide network of relatives and friends. 

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At the Conservation Seminar


At last week’s conservation seminar in Kerry Writers’ Museum, we looked at how we are doing so far with the work of maximising our existing heritage assets and how we can improve on things in the future.

We identified Childers’ Park as one of our greatest amenities. It is the only green flag municipal park in Ireland.

Work is continuing on accessing the lios (ring fort) after which the town is named.

The suggestion to erect a tourist information kiosk in the Square was not proceeded with and “Tourisn Ambassadors” were appointed instead. Since Kerry Writers’ Museum is already  a tourist information centre, it was decided to erect better signage to direct people there.

We have 400 free car parking spaces. These should be more than adequate for visitors and shoppers.

The work of the Tidy Town committee was widely praised and the Listowel Business and Community Alliance has already got stuck in and its new website, Listowel.ie will be launched in the very near future. A website with up to date information on what is going  on in town is a necessity.

The success of the recent Revival music festival was mentioned and all of the town’s many festivals were noted a major assets to the touristm offering in Listowel.

Pauline Dennigan sent me the below photos



Kerry County Council staff and consultants with the mayor of Listowel Municipal District, Michael Kennelly and Julie Gleeson and Mary Hanlon of Listowel Tidy Towns Committee.



I met Martin Chute, master painter and sign writer at the seminar

Building the new stand, Christmas Day in Listowel Workhouse and G.A.A. Social in 1960

By

On February 18, 2016

In Uncategorized

Heron in Beale

Photo: Ita Hannon

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John Kelliher Records Progress at the Racecourse



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Ireland in 1908


Junior Griffin ponders what Ireland was like when Listowel Badminton Club came into being.

The year of
1908 was still in living memory of the great famine, Ireland’s own holocaust.

There were
several workhouses set up around the Listowel area to cater for the destitute
men, women and children during the famine period and there was at least one
still in use in the early years of the 20th century .  This was
located around the area where the hospital is today; indeed many older people
still refer to the Mass in the hospital church as “the workhouse Mass”.

The workhouse
was under the auspices of the “Listowel Board of Guardians” and the “Kerryman”
report of the childrens Christmas party under that body in 1907 read as
follows;

Christmas treat to the Children of Listowel Workhouse

“The Xmas
treat entertainment which has become a pleasing annual event in the lives of
the little children of the Listowel Union, was carried out in an admirable
manner on the night of New Year’s Day.

Mrs. Foran,
Lady Guardian for Listowel, and vice-chairman of the board, was-as been her
wont since she became a guardian of the poor-the central figure, as well as the
originator of this year’s Xmas tree entertainment, and the manner in which the
various details incidental to such pleasurings were carried out, as well as the
considerateness with which she contrived to give pleasure to the individual
little ones of the Workhouse by her kindly and tasteful distribution of the
good things provided, gives evidence of her thoroughness of head and
heart.  The delight of the little ones was apparent in every nook and
corner, where they could be seen gloating over their presents either singly or
in groups.

The Ladies
who were present were and who assisted in distributing the toys, etc., were-
Miss J. Broderick, Miss Hartnett, Miss Lyons, Miss Nolan, Miss D. Nolan, Miss
McElligott, Miss O’Donnell.  The Matron of the workhouse and the school
mistress were most assiduous in securing comfort for the children.

The band of
the Listowel Total Abstinence Society attended the entertainment, and ably
rendered choice selections of music from 8 to 10 o’clock.  This did much
towards enhancing the pleasure of the little workhouse children, and enough
credit can hardly be given to the band, individually and collectively for their
decent, humane and manly action in their giving to the children of the very
poor, if even for only two short hours in the year, a glimpse into the joyful
and mirthful things of life, which are by forces of circumstances to them
denied, and which to the more fortunate little ones outside the workhouse walls
are matters of daily, perhaps hourly occurrence. It is particularly creditable
that each individual member of the band played his part with much zest and
earnestness for those little waifs and strays of humanity as he could have done
in the palace of a King and for the most select of audiences.  They well
merited the thanks which Mr. Maurice Griffin, editor of the “Kerryman”,
bestowed on them, and the proceedings terminated, leaving everyone with the
pleasurable knowledge that those for whom the treat was inaugurated were for
this one night as happy as if there was never a shadow of a care or sorrow in
this vale of tears.

The
following are the contributors- Mrs. R.H. McCarthy, The Glebe, box of toys;
Miss McElligott, Mount Rivers, beautiful dressed doll, boxes of sweets, cakes,
chocolates and picture books; Miss Hartnett, two gipsy dolls; Miss Foynes,
mother-hubbard doll; Miss Stewart,  Sailor doll; Miss McAuliffe, box of
toys; Mrs. Barry, tin of biscuits; Mrs Crowley, 2 boxes candy; Mr. T Walsh,
oranges; Mr. Daly, oranges;

Mr.
Corridan, box of sweets; Mrs. Foran, £2.

That was the
Listowel around the time that the Badminton Club was founded, indeed harsh
times for very many. 

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G.A.A. Social in 1960



Margaret Dillon / Ward sent me this photo from 1960. It was taken in Walsh’s Ballroom.

Left to Right; Seated is Bryan MacMahon paying the waiter for his orange juice. The waiter might be Paddy Moloney from Charles St.  Next to Bryan is Thomas Ashe, Margaret Dillon, Garda René Farrell (Kilavullen) R.I.P., and Vincent Moloney, Bridge Rd. The man on the left with his back to the camera is Tony Barrett and John Keane is on the right. Of significance is the glasses of minerals on the table and the pioneer pins in the lapels.

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Tidy Town Volunteers Gardening on Market Street This Week



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Then and Now




Páidí ÓSé R.I.P.; The Workhouse 1908 and more photos from THE launch

By

On December 17, 2012

In Uncategorized

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+ Laoch eile caillte ag Ciarraí+

Another one from the archives of Páidí and friends in happier times.

Páidí OSé who passed away so tragically on Saturday had a Listowel connection. He studied for a year in St. Michaels’ where he was a star on the playing field.

Páidí is now the third of that Golden Years Kerry team to have died before his time. May they rest in peace.

>>>>>

CHRISTMAS
TREE AT LISTOWEL WORKHOUSE

A treat in
the form of a Christmas Tree was given the children of the Listowel Workhouse
on Saturday evening, commencing at 5 pm, and terminating at 10 o’clock. Mrs.
Foran P.L.G. was the good Samaritan of the occasion and well might she be
congratulated on the success of her charitable action.  There was never such a heavily-laden tree and
never such a picturesque variety of toys, fruit etc.  presented to the eager eyes of the poor
little children of this institution, and indeed, too, never was there more
genuine gratitude displayed and expressed by the receivers of these happy
little reminders of the Great Festival. 
Besides the inmates of the house, there was a large number of the
inhabitants of the town admiring observers of the pleasant proceedings.  The well-trained brass band of the St.
Patrick’s Total Abstinence Society, supplied the music, while dancing and
singing were kept up with great gusto by some of the more aesthetic young ladies
and gentlemen of the town.  on the whole
a very enjoyable night was spent not only by the children of the house, but by
many of the more fortunate children of the town, who were kindly invited by
Mrs. Foran.  It should be mentioned that
Mrs. Foran was untiringly assisted by the following ladies and gentlemen:  The Misses O’Shaughnessy, Miss Lyons, Miss
Nellie Quill, Miss Enright, Miss Cotter, Miss O’Halloran, Miss Mollie and Nora
Kerns, Miss May K. O’Sullivan, Messrs T.F. Cotter, James Cotter, R
O’Shaughnessy F Leahy, M. Kerin, J. Kerin.

     At the conclusion of the happy
proceedings, Mr. Cotter proposed a well-merited vote of thanks to Mrs. Foran
for the great interest which she has always practically evinced towards the
inmates of the Workhouse and particularly so with regard to the children and
aged people.  He also included the band
in the vote for the willingness with which they invariably responded when requisitioned
to lend their valuable services towards the promotion of any good or charitable
cause. 

Needless to
say the vote was passed with acclamation and the night’s entertainment brought
to a pleasant conclusion.

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While Junior Griffin was trawling through the papers for references to badminton he was distracted by other items besides the workhouse Christmas.

“Listowel around the time that the Badminton Club was founded, indeed was experiencing harsh times for very many. As the Badminton dance was just a matter of days before Christmas the shops at that time, as they are today, were displaying their wares for the festive season.

 Indeed, two adverts that appeared in the “Kerryman” on Dec. 12th, 1908 are as follows;



For younger people it is worth noting the poultry prices.  Those were the days when there were 240 pence to the pound; 12 pence to the shilling and 20 shillings to the pound.  The shilling was denoted as “s” and the penny was “d”. There was a half crown coin which was worth 30 pence and eight of these made up a pound.  So as one can see from the above ad a full goose, which in those days was more popular than the turkey, could be purchased for 2s and 6p  The turkey price was 7d per lb.(pound)

The advert, John Ross, Jeweller, Listowel, Yes that is the same John Ross who has always been associated with Tralee.

A native of Aberdeen, John Ross came to Listowel in 1899.  For some reason Listowel reminded him of his native Aberdeen and he set up business in William Street as noted on the 1911 census. A qualified horologist (watch and clock maker) he soon built up a respected reputation as a purveyor of exquisite jewellery.

Who knows, maybe John Ross played Badminton in Listowel.

He sold his Listowel business in the late 1930’s and moved to Tralee where at one time he had no less than three shops and a farm from which the produce was also sold.

The information received from his great-grand daughter was that one would find jewellery, watches and clocks on one side of the counter and just a few feet away one could purchase, potatoes, cabbage and carrots.

Such was the norm for business in those days, a little bit of everything.


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 A few more photos from Vincent’s launch

Geraldine Neville
Mary O’Hanlon and Teresa Molyneaux

Eamon OMurchú and Máire Logue
old friends
O’Briens and Behans
Anne and Cathal Fitzgerald
Kay Caball

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Pictures of yesterday’s Santa parade here

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.388142864606529.94957.179242688829882&type=1

1908 in the workhouse and people at a book launch

By

On December 14, 2012

In Uncategorized

Today’s account of Christmas in Listowel workhouse is from the Kerryman of 1908 and I’ll give it to you as Junior Grifin wrote it to me. 

He came across the article when he was researching the origins of badminton in Listowel.


“What was Listowel and Ireland like when they commenced Badminton?

The year of 1908 was still in living memory of the great famine, Ireland’s own holocaust.

There were several workhouses set up around the Listowel area to cater for the destitute men, women and children during the famine period and there was at least one still in use in the early years of the 20th centaury.  This was located around the area where the hospital is today; indeed many older people still refer to the Mass in the hospital church as “the workhouse Mass”.

The workhouse was under the auspices of the “Listowel Board of Guardians” and the “Kerryman” report of the childrens Christmas party under that body in 1907 read as follows;”

 

Christmas treat to the Children of Listowel Workhouse

“The Xmas treat entertainment which has become a pleasing annual event in the lives of the little children of the Listowel Union, was carried out in an admirable manner on the night of New Year’s Day.

Mrs. Foran, Lady Guardian for Listowel, and vice-chairman of the board, was-as been her wont since she became a guardian of the poor-the central figure, as well as the originator of this year’s Xmas tree entertainment, and the manner in which the various details incidental to such pleasurings were carried out, as well as the considerateness with which she contrived to give pleasure to the individual little ones of the Workhouse by her kindly and tasteful distribution of the good things provided, gives evidence of her thoroughness of head and heart. The delight of the little ones was apparent in every nook and corner, where they could be seen gloating over their presents either singly or in groups.

The Ladies who were present were and who assisted in distributing the toys, etc., were- Miss J. Broderick, Miss Hartnett, Miss Lyons, Miss Nolan, Miss D. Nolan, Miss McElligott, Miss O’Donnell.  The Matron of the workhouse and the school mistress were most assiduous in securing comfort for the children.

The band of the Listowel Total Abstinence Society attended the entertainment, and ably rendered choice selections of music from 8 to 10 o’clock.  This did much towards enhancing the pleasure of the little workhouse children, and enough credit can hardly be given to the band, individually and collectively for their decent, humane and manly action in their giving to the children of the very poor, if even for only two short hours in the year, a glimpse into the joyful and mirthful things of life, which are by forces of circumstances to them denied, and which to the more fortunate little ones outside the workhouse walls are matters of daily, perhaps hourly occurrence. It is particularly creditable that each individual member of the band played his part with much zest and earnestness for those little waifs and strays of humanity as he could have done in the palace of a King and for the most select of audiences.  They well merited the thanks which Mr. Maurice Griffin, editor of the “Kerryman”, bestowed on them, and the proceedings terminated, leaving everyone with the pleasurable knowledge that those for whom the treat was inaugurated were for this one night as happy as if there was never a shadow of a care or sorrow in this vale of tears.

The following are the contributors- Mrs. R.H. McCarthy, The Glebe, box of toys; Miss McElligott, Mount Rivers, beautiful dressed doll, boxes of sweets, cakes, chocolates and picture books; Miss Hartnett, two gipsy dolls; Miss Foynes, mother-hubbard doll; Miss Stewart,  Sailor doll; Miss McAuliffe, box of toys; Mrs. Barry, tin of biscuits; Mrs Crowley, 2 boxes candy; Mr. T Walsh, oranges; Mr. Daly, oranges;

Mr. Corridan, box of sweets; Mrs. Foran, £2.


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Some Christmas windows

Listowel Travel

And a Christmas window dresser

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This is the view up up Church St.      Do you like our new Christmas light feature?


St. John’s with tree

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People who attended the launch of Vincent Carmody’s book



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Some photos of Listowel people in the Memory Lane section of this week’s Kerryman




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Don’t forget the Santa parade at 1.00p.m. on Sunday and the Craft Fair in The Seanchaí.

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