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
I had Clíona and Aoife for the weekend, always a pleasure.
Our three year old loved Listowel children’s playground.
Sunday was sunny so we headed to Ballybunion.
We didn’t bring a bucket and spade as we thought it was a day for a brisk walk. Aoife made a sandcastle of sorts using only her bare hands. The overcoats and sunglasses sum up the kind of weather we are having lately.
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An Australian with a Listowel Connection
We’ve had an email from down under.
Hello Mary,
My great grandfather Dr Jeremiah McKenna (same name as your hardware founder) emigrated on the famous and ill-fated SS Austral in 1882 at the age of 24-25 years to Melbourne – I believe he also came from Listowel, because his older brother certainly did – about a decade prior – Archpriest McKenna – both gentlemen appear numerous times in our national archives for very different reasons !!!
My imagination was captured by your article on McKenna’s of Listowel, and I was just wondering if there was a family connection with the hardware store Jeremiah McKenna founder ? I know both parts of the name were quite common in those days ? – If it helps, Archpriest McKenna was born in I think in the Rathea district of Listowel.
Cheers,
Mitch McKennna – Melbourne Australia
Maybe someone can help Mitch with an account of his famous ancestors before they left these shores.
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St Patrick’s Day Parade
The world’s worst wound
The awful war in Gaza was highlighted by this dedicated group. Israel, with the full backing of the US, has resumed its slaughter of men, women and children in this poor ravaged country.
Matt Mooney, who has a long association with the St. Patrick’s Day parade was marching the streets to raise awareness of this cause which is close to his heart.
Trojan Boxing Club was represented by these young boxers.
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Tom Waits
Turns out, everyone knew Tom Waits. In fairness, I would have known his voice. His face was a mystery to me.
Anyway, in case you didn’t know, I will now tell you what I have learned. Tom Waits spent his honeymoon in Tralee in The Brandon Hotel. Waits’ wife is Kathleen Brennan, whose Irish roots are in Tralee. Waits recorded tracks for an album in Ballyseede in 1981.
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A Concert
John Hooton found this treasure and posted it on Facebook
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A Fact
George Washinton’s second inaugural address was the shortest ever by any US president. He spoke 135 words.
Donald Trump’s 2885 word “weave” was twice as long as his first speech in 2017.
Martin Chute’s mural is on my way to town so I stopped by often to document progress. One day as I observed Martin putting the finishing touches to his masterpiece, the lovely Anne Marie ORiordan passed by. She stopped to admire the artwork and she kindly posed for a photo with Martin. Anne Marie had fond memories of that back lane in the days before Listowel murals when she and her friends were caffling and having fun. She remembers the odd stolen kiss in the nearby carpark too.
Martin’s work will evoke memories for many.
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Mystery Solved
Joe Cahill did the research for us;
M.J. Reidy was a writer known as Mossien Tommy Reidy from Cordal. He passed away on 1988.
Joe found him on a site called Find a Grave where people are invited to share memories of the dead loved one.
Here is what a relative wrote about our poet.
From “The Claddagh” a family newsletter for the O’Flaherty Reunion in Fort Valley, VA, in May 2000. Maurice J. Reidy, Poet and non-fiction storywriter. Known as “Mossien Tommie” Reidy, this was a term of endearment to those around Castleisland, Co. Kerry, Ireland, where he grew up. He was a local sports hero while in the secondary school system and later his work was used in the school curriculum. He grew up near Cordal where both sets of his grandparents had lived. He was the son of Helen Flaherty Reidy and the grandson of Maurice Flaherty, the youngest brother of my great-grandfather, Daniel. Declan Horgan, a retired school teacher from Tralee, some 25 miles away to the west, said that his writings were very good but his antics were just as meaningful to locals. He related two stories about “Moss” that we would find of interest. It seems when Mossien developed an interest in horse racing and began to trade and build his stables he had no “colours” for his jockey. Since this was more or less a “Landed Gentry” sport he was probably ridiculed. Since our cousin was a great athlete in his own right he had a friend on the All-Kerry Football (soccer) team. This friend loaned him the green and gold jersey and this allowed him to meet the “Rules of the sport”. Don’t believe Mr. Horgan said whether he won or lost that day but he won over 200 races in his shortened life. Another story was: It seems in the medical system in Ireland, like England and Canada, one has to wait their turn for care, unless it is life threatening. It happened our cousin needed a hernia operation and while on a trip to Dublin, feigned a collapse on a downtown street where he was taken to the local hospital and they fixed his problem on the spot. Doesn’t that sound a great deal like Uncle D.C.? Later I ask his brother John if this was all true and he said, “It tis.”, as a big smile spread across his face. M. J. Reidy was the author of the followingworks: Borders of Hope (1978), Borders of Joy (1975), First collection of stories (1978), Mirror of Truth (1980), Rays of Cheer (1978), (1979), Pleasant Holidays (1983), Shades of Fancy, with Jacinta O’Manoney, (1981), The Kerry Piper (1974).
From Mirror of Truth we include a small sample: Ode to Poetry
Oh, you, the one true art from high To mortal ever given, Such sweet fond music from the sky With jewelry of Heaven. Your sacred light, Keep blazing true, When injured here below. You tended, this life’s hospital, With care, for pain and woe, Your oil and wine will polish mind, And brightly cheer alway. And only refuge each one find, To help all night and day. Thy blush, one fond, true friend can find, To speak the color of your mind.
I was fortunate to have read most of his work at the Trinity College Library while my wife, sister and niece were out shopping all day. It left me feeling a small portion of the loss his family must have felt in his passing. His sisters, Julia and Kitty, along with a brother, John, still live in the old Reidy homestead at “High Trees”, Glenlaran, Cordal, Castleisland, Co. Kerry. He left a son, Dan, and a daughter, Helen, as well as, six grandchildren. May he have eternal peace with our Lord and Savior.
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Last few Races photos
Clíona met up with Mary Ellen and Aisling
Anne met Bridget and Carmel
In John Kelliher’s photo are Imelda, Joan, Julie, Helena and liz, just some of the local Tidy Town people who organise what was always my favourite event of Race Week. These people have no part in the judging. That is done by fashion experts and a representative from An Taisce.
I didn’t go on Saturday this year because the weather forecast was for very bad weather. I stayed home, child minding. I depended on Clíona, Breda and of course, John Kelliher, for news of the day.
Playing This little Piggy with Aoife
This event is all about reusing, up cycling and making fashion sustainable. Vintage has now become mainstream so it was no surprise to me that a professional upcycler took the prize.
These are some of the finalists. Cathy Troth, second from right, came first.
The very stylish John and Viveca both won prizes, John was the best dressed man and Viveca came second in the ladies’ section.
Here I must give a shout out to local girl, Maria Stack. Maria is a dedicated upcycler and reuser. She is a great supporter of this competiion. She has entered it every year since it first began. She not only wears the vintage outfit but she sources gloves, bag and other accessories. This year she wore a beautiful tara brooch which was a prize won by her mother. She always has the provenance of her attire and she has the best stories. Every year she makes the final but she just can’t win.
Another stylish lady who just can’t win is my friend, Anne Leneghan. This year she was too late to be considered.
My friend, Margaret came across this when she was looking for something else. Has anyone any idea who this Kerry Piper is?
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Listowel Races 2023
The weather was not the best for this year’s race week and I’m afraid I’m a fair weather race goer. I only made it to The Island on one day, Friday, Ladies Day.
My three children, Clíona, Anne and Bobby at Friday’s Races.
All of my grandchildren had school, except Aoife who is only 2. She was enjoying her first Harvest Festival of racing.
Clíona and Aoife posed for me outside the box where Clíona sold racecards many moons ago.
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Murals, New and Old
My visitors beside the newest mural and the oldest
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A Sobering Fact
The period 1347 to 1351 was a dreadful time in Europe. The pandemic known as The Black Death killed one third of the population. Physicians at the time had no clue what caused the pandemic but they recognised that it was highly contagious. To protect themselves against the disease they wore an elaborate beaked headpiece. This protective mask had a large beaklike container which sat between their mouths and their noses. The “beak” was filled with vinegar, sweet oils and other strong smelling compounds. It’s purpose was to counteract the stench of putrid flesh from the dead and dying plague victims, whom they were helpless to cure.
Folklore has it that this is the origin of the title quack as applied to a doctor.
Statue of Schiller in Listowel’s Garden of Europe in April 2020
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Football in New York in 1926
Tom Fitzgerald sent us this great photo of the New York Kerry football team in 1926. His uncle is third from the right in the second row. People may know some of the other players.
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Strange times indeed!
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If Only!
Mary Fagan holds the microphone for Clíona McKenna during the Saturday morning walk at Listowel Writers Week 2019. Just about now I should be contacting my able assistants and putting this year’s Walk together.
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Sheahan’s Cottage, Finuge
A Phoenix from the ashes, Sheehan’s cottage was rebuilt following the devastating fire.
Photo; John Kelliher
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Hope in Troubled Times
Mattie Lennon with The Seanchaí, Eamon Kelly
There’s a Brightness
As a child I remember small farmers
Being depressed at some times of the year,
With climatic conditions uncertain
Turning hopes of their harvest to fear.
Whenever they cursed the bad weather
As the elements failed to rescind
My father, with wisdom, would tell them:
“There’s a brightness at the butt of the wind”.
When teenage ambitions got twisted:
My identity crisis would loom.
Rejection and fantasy mingled,
Resulting in pictures of doom.
Then………the Power of Good to the rescue
To counter each negative trend.
My thoughts would somehow be diverted
To that brightness at the butt of the wind.
Chorus;
When the weather of life it looks hopeless;
And dark clouds with disaster seem twinned,
Remember that God will send sunshine.
There’s a brightness at the butt of the wind.
When the storms of anguish are beating
And I’m lashed by the gales of defeat
When the forecast of life holds no promise
It’s still not the time to retreat
A fresh glow appears in my vision
Like a night sky by bright stars sequined.
Then I know then I haven’t forgotten
That brightness at the butt of the wind
At last when I’ll see the horizon
And that mist (self-deception) has cleared
I’ll ponder the journey before me
And confront all the things that I’ve feared,
Expecting a turbulent crossing
As the Clergy point out that I’ve sinned
But knowing that Salvation is certain
By the brightness at the butt of the wind
Chorus.
(c) Mattie Lennon 2005
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Old Papers
Damien Stack found this from 1941 when the carnival was in town.
Jim and Liz Dunn work well as a team. But I don’t think Liz would really claim to be an artist. To illustrate that this was a project in which anyone can have a go Liz took up a brush and coloured in a bit.
From the wife of an artist to the mother of an artist, Helen Moylan chanced her arm at painting in a section. She did a good job too.
In between interruptions/assistance, Jim took the opportunity to advance his project a bit.
Next up was Seán Comerford. Seán displayed an amazing (to me anyone) aptitude for this kind of thing. He is actually a quite good artist.
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Listowel’s Millennium Arch in 2018
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Friends’ Meeting
Summer in Kerry is a great time for meeting up with old friends
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From the John Hannon Archive
The late Eleanor Moore and Mark Walsh
Seán Moriarty
The play was in The Lartigue. Seán told me that he remembers a matinee dress rehearsal for children to iron out any glitches in the production. At one stage Seán’s character tells Getta Grogan’s character that he would like a brandy. As she is pouring the drink, he overhears one child saying to another, “She is giving him whiskey and he asked for brandy.”
Seán also remembers Mark Walsh’s character is shot. In rehearsal they just made a gunshot noise but in this final dress rehearsal, they had a genuine sound effect and Sean says he saw the fear in Mark’s eyes as he feared that the very real looking gun was an actual loaded firearm.
Happy days in the old Lartigue.
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Opening Soon
At 53 Church Street
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His Dream Job for a Genial Listowel Young Man
Story and picture from Mark Boylan of Racing Post
A familiar voice will greet racegoers in the post-Dessie Scahill commentary era with Jerry Hannon set to become Ireland’s primary racecourse commentator.
Scahill will depart from the commentary box on July 26 following an end to his contract with the Association of Irish Racecourses (Air).
Hannon said: “My dream has become a reality. I’m very grateful to the association for recognising the hard yards and sacrifices made over an 18-year period to get to this point.
“It’s on days like these that my late dad and the late Liam Healy are very much in my thoughts.”
The 37-year-old, who began his commentary career in pony racing in 1999, said of Scahill’s influence: “He’s been an inspiration of mine and I wish him all the best for his retirement.”
Paddy Walsh, chief executive of Air, said of the decision: “The model we have operated off in the past has been with one full-time worker for the association who looks after most of the commentaries and that has historically been Dessie. Jerry has been absorbing that role over the past number of years and he will now take over that function.”
Scahill’s retirement and Hannon’s increased role will lead to opportunities for new faces to join the commentary roster, according to Walsh, with Gary O’Brien expected to feature on the schedule, although plans have yet to be finalised.
Walsh added: “We have a panel of commentators to choose from when we have double meetings, holidays and other events. Peter O’Hehir and Richard Pugh have been members of the panel for a long number of years and they will continue to fulfil roles with us. We hope to be adding another couple of names to that group.
Saturday will mark Scahill’s final commentary of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby and the 69-year-old said that although he felt he could have continued on a reduced schedule he had no complaints about the decision.
Walsh said: “I can’t get into the details of arrangements we have with Dessie or any of our other employees but all I can tell you is that arrangements for Dessie’s retirement were all done in full consultation – and agreement – with himself.
“I’d like to wish him all the best on his future as he’s been a great contributor to us for a long time, giving us great service.”
