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: Console

TV Licences, Console

He’s Come a Long Way


 Pat Shortt is in the centre of this RTE photo. That was back in the day when he was part of the hugely successful D’Unbelievables. Now Shortt has  become known as a serious actor. His latest venture is Gerard Barrett’s Smalltown. Apropos of that, a little birdie tells me that Miriam O’Callaghan might have a few guests we will all know on Saturday night.


This contraption was supposed to detect if you had a TV so that the TV licence inspector could call and frighten the life out of you if you didn’t have a licence



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They Haven’t Gone Away, You Know




 Spotted this week in Ballincollig

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Question in Parliament 1899


From this exchange in parliament in June 1899 it would appear that the idea of Muckross as a National Park was mooted well before the Bourne Vincent bequest 



Mr Lough asked the First Lord of the Treasury whether £90,600 had been realised by the sale of Quit and Crown rents in Ireland between the years 1891 and 1897, and since 1864 nearly a quarter of a million had been obtained from this source; and whether these monies were being used for the purchase of estates in Great Britain; if so whether the Government would be prepared to appropriate a portion of this Irish fund, which is being withdraw from Ireland at the rate of about £2,000 a year for the purchase of the Muckross demesne at Killarney as a national park ?

Mr A J Balfour—The statement of figures is, I believe, quite accurate, but I do not think this can be made a question a between the expenditure of Imperial money in Ireland and expenditure of Imperial money in England. None of the money which has come from the sources referred to has been expended in England upon parks outside the metropolitan area. The policy of purchasing public parks so far from great centres of population, and which would not be of great value to the public during many winter months, seems very doubtful, indeed.

Mr MacNeill-Is the right hon gentleman aware  that a good deal of this money has been expended in connection with the Royal palaces ?

Mr Balfour—I was not aware of that. It may be so, but I have made no inquiries on that point.

May Day, Writers’ Week and Cycle Against Suicide

Lá Bealtaine traditionally marks the beginning of summer.  Herds are driven out to summer pasture. Summer, the season of growth and abundance is here. Our ancestors lit bonfires on hills to greet the season of energy and fulfillment. This year has been a dreadful one for farmers. There is no growth, and the land is bare and sodden.

Lets hope that from today we see an improvement and the beginning of a better season for us all.

My friend in Ballybunion Sea Angling took this on Saturday morning last.

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Another pic to remind you of the calibre of people coming to this year’s Writers’ Week. This time it is poets Rita Anne Higgins and John Montague.

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The Writers’ Week Childrens’ programme is out and it’s a cracker. Listowel is set to greet its very own answer to Thomas the Tank Engine in the form of Larry Lartigue. There is a Teddy Bears’ picnic, Baby Boogie, A Big Fat Bug Wedding, a rapper and a bookmaking workshop with The Happy Artist. These are just some of the events planned for the June Bank holiday weekend. Read the brochure here

http://writersweek.ie/2011/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Children-Festival-2013.pdf

And if you have a small person who wishes to participate, book your place fast.

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On Friday last I chanced to be in Listowel Town Square around 2.30 where I met this lady.

Anne Marie was waiting patiently for her husband to come through town with 

Cycle Against Suicide

I waited and took a few snaps of the happy cyclists.

And would you believe it…..I got Bressie! He is on the far left in the 3rd photo down.

These are just a small fraction of the photos I took.  There were so many cyslists, I’m afraid I could not identify the local lads. Well done, everyone!

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The Germans are coming!

Guten tag!

Dont forget to look out for these guys at the Military Tattoo next weekend.

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Sinead Gleeson and Anne Enright with Console CEO, Paul Kelly pictured at the launch of Silver Threads of Hope, a fundraising book of short stories by established Irish writers. The book is available in book shops

Console’s  new centre in Tralee

National suicide prevention and bereavement charity Console has opened Ireland’s first suicide resource centre in Tralee.
The Console
Centre will provide a broad range of community-based supports, services and
resources for those affected by, or at risk of suicide.
The facility is based
at the McAuley Centre, Balloonagh, which was acquired by the charity from the
Sisters of Mercy and refurbished and redeveloped with the help of Kerry
Group.
Launching the new Console Centre, Kerry Group CEO Stan McCarthy says
Console plays a crucial role in supporting family members, friends and
colleagues who suffer the bereavement of a loved one through suicide.  (from Radio Kerry website)

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