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: Craftshop na Mear Page 2 of 10

Craftshop na Méar, Fast Fashion and recycling and Fr. Gerry Roche R.I.P.

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On January 26, 2018

In Uncategorized

Photo: Pat OMeara, Mallow Camera Club

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Memories of Craftshop na Méar

This photograph was taken at our Cois Tine event at Christmas 2013

Alice Taylor happened to be in town that day and she dropped in.

The canon blessed the venture. Here he is greeting his good friend, Anne Moloney.

In the early days, craft classes were a great success.

Some of the lovely local crafts which were sold in Craftshop na Méar

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No One Wants your Used Clothes anymore


This headline in an online article by a man called Adam Mintner caught my attention. Because I am a great fan of pre loved clothes and a firm believer in recycling, I read on and my eyes were opened for me.

You buy clothes. You wear them. You give them to the charity shop or pass them on to a friend. But at the end of the cycle when they are too tatty to be of use to anyone, what then?

A global network of traders collect all the useless garments and recycle them in poor countries either to be worn again or turned into stuffing or into a new material to be used again in cheap clothing.

Panipat in India is the centre of the industry that recycles clothes into yarn. There are 200 business in Panipat devoted to recycling clothes!!!!

They make a cloth known as shoddy. The cloth is made from low quality yarn recycled from woolen garments.

In the year 2000 Panipat’s shoddy factories made 100,000 blankets a day, 90% of the relief blanket market.

But things have changed since then. Now Chinese factories can produce new polar fleece blankets more cheaply than recycled ones. These Chinese factories are locating in Panipat and replacing the recycled shoddy with a new cheap material.

Here’s a shocking statistic; Between 2000 and 2015 global clothing production doubled.

Thanks to the new phenomenon of “Fast Fashion” the tide of second hand clothes is growing as the market to reuse them declines.

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On the very same day as I read this article online I read in the newspaper that the chain, Dealz is introducing a clothing range. Most of the garments will cost under €5 and there will be 100s of product lines.

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Fr. Gerry Roche of Athea R.I.P.

While I was in Athea last week inspecting the damage done to the mural I strolled up to their lovely church.

On the left of the door is a memorial to a local hero. The whole story is carved in stone,  in this lovely tribute.


Craftshop na Méar, Pat Shortt and a competition winner

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On January 25, 2018

In Uncategorized

A Relic of Auld Decency


Photo; Lisa Egan, Mallow Camera Club

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Craftshop na Méar, a Resumé

This is how Kiely’s of Church Street looked.

In November 2013 Namir Karim’s craftshop moved in and set out to find a name for the new venture. In the window was a big yellow fibreglass pig who became the mascot for the early days. The name that the crafters settled on was Craftshop na Méar, using a naming method I first heard used by Clare GAA.

(There is a GAA rule that every member must be registered with the Irish version of his name. This proved a bit problematic when they had a player called Mosajee Bhamgee. Some genius came up with the nearest Irish equivalent and he was registered as Muiris Bean Sí)

Namir didn’t have an Irish version of his name so na Méar was agreed on as the nearest match. Besides in fitted well with the produce which was to be handcrafts.

A competition was held to name the pig. The late Dan Green, who was a big supporter of the shop, hit on Crubeen, the perfect name.

Namir and his daughter, Roza were very involved in their new venture.

Maureen Connolly, Mary Boyer, Eileen Moylan and Isobel Barrett were among the early crafters.

 The shop stocked a wide variety of produce.

 This photograph was taken at the official opening in 2013

Mary Keane cut the ribbon and she was one of the first customers.

Maureen, Mary Anne, Una, Eileen, Mary and Anne enjoyed the opening ceremony as well.

This photograph was taken on one of the “big days” in the shop as the crafters pose with the award for the widow display at Seachtain na Gaeilge.

I have a few more photos but I’ll keep them to tomorrow.

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Unbelievable!

Pat Shortt shared this photo of himself and Jon Kenny taken backstage at an early gig in Limerick

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A Prize wining essayist 

Craftshop na Méar is closing, Maidhc Dainín again and aspects of Ballybunion

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On November 3, 2017

In Uncategorized

Magnificent Stag

Photo: Jim MacSweeney

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End of the Road for Craftshop na Méar

If you want to pick up your Michael Tea tea cosy or a beautiful Claddagh Design Listowel pendant, do drop in to Craftshop na Méar on Church St. before it closes its doors at Christmas 2017.

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Maidhc Dainín ÓSé;  Another Listowel Connection


Local writer and musician, Neil Brosnan sent me this photo. It was taken in Dingle in 2010 when Maidhc Dainín OSé launched Neil’s first anthology, Fresh Water and Other Stories. Maidhc and Neil played many a tune together over the years.

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Ballybunion After the storms


Having been confined to the house during storms Ophelia and Brian, it was a great pleasure to go to Ballybunion and take the bracing cliff walk.

Those white specs and the smudge on my lens is foam churned up by the rough seas.

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Doon Sculpture



Killarney House and Gardens, Craftshop na Méar and another instalment of Vincent’s racing memories

By

On September 14, 2017

In Uncategorized

Chris Grayson took this photo of a peacock butterfly….more beautiful than any best dressed lady

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Killarney House and Gardens


Since it opened to the public I have been planning a visit here. It is breath taking. If you can at all, go there before the winter. I’m sure it will be still lovely but at the moment its magnificent…and it’s free.

This is the entrance on the Muckross Road. These things on top to the wall and gates look to me like a sceptre and crown, letting you know that this is no ordinary estate you are entering. It was once the seat of Lord Kenmare. It is now part of The National Park.

The restored gate lodge

The avenue at the front of the house is beautifully kept and the lawns are pristine but nothing prepared me for the staggering beauty of the formal borders and gardens behind the house.

The house itself is a fine house but it is the gardens that make a visit here a must. This present house of the McShain family is actually converted stables which was transformed into a dwelling house after their other house burned down.  The McShain family sold their estate to the Irish people for a peppercorn rent. The state spent seven million euros on the restoration work.

The restoration work here is faultless. Killarney House is now another jewel in the crown of Killarney’s many visitor attractions.

The dining room and living room are furnished just as the McShains left it. Mrs McShain died in 1998.  Many of the furnishings and fittings are relatively modern. In this it is very different to Muckross House. Both houses are well worth a visit.

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Listowel Tidy Town’s Vintage Day at Listowel Races


Saturday is my favourite day at The Races.  As they ramp up the excitement for this year’s event, Listowel Tidy Towns Committee have mounted a photo collage in their window display. There I am enjoying Vintage Day 2016..   Happy memories!

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Perfect Pairs Stylish revamp




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The Work of Some Local Artists on Craftshop na Méar Church St. Window


My Silver River Feale pendant by silversmith, Eileen Moylan

Listowel drawings by Maurice Hannon

Donkeys by Viveca Amato



Michael Tea Cozy by Frances O’Keeffe



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Some photos from Vincent Carmody

Here are some more of the photographs which I took on the trip over to the racecourse last Sunday morning, September 10 2017.

Nos 1 & 2 The entry to the stands from the town end along the river bank.

For those unfamilar with the course, it  is linked to the town by two foot bridges, one just off The Square and the second from the Greenville road.  There is a roadway that runs directly from the Tralee road to the racecourse.

There has been a tradition among traveller children to stand in the river under the bridge, crying ” Throw me down something, ” to those passing on the bridge above.  This year, I am afraid, due to the floods, the habit will be dis-continued. 

No 3, The Castle in the backround continues to play an important role in the tourist attractions of Listowel. Even though the races were first run in Listowel in 1858, the Fitzmaurice Castle has been the central and focal point of the town since the 1300s.

No 4,  A fellow course spotter that I met on Sunday morning, I suppose if you met him there next Saturday evening, he would be called,, ” The Last Man Standing”

No 5,  Gypsy Kathleen has a very prominent location in the Square. She might, just might, have a few winners before the week is out. One would never know what she would see in that crystal ball.

Dublin in Summer 2017, Craftshop na Méar and St. Michael’s

By

On September 4, 2017

In Uncategorized

Phlox in summer 2017

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O’Connell St. July 2017


I never travel without my camera. On my recent trip to the capital, I snatched a few quick snaps as I waited for a bus on O’Connell Street.

The GPO, historic building and symbol of our struggle for independence.

 Love it or loathe it, the spire is a symbol of the new Ireland.

In a doorway nearby, another potent symbol of modern Ireland.

And they laugh at us in Kerry when we mention fairy forts.

The Luas, modern transport in a modern metropolis

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Craftshop na Méar


I haven’t visited this lovely craft shop in Church Street for a while now. When I went there last week it had a Kerry’s green and gold theme going on.

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How Football eclipsed hurling



(Con Houlihan)



When Michael Cusack founded the GAA in 1884, his big ambition was to revive hurling. He invented a game from the the best elements of soccer and rugby and cleverly called it Gaelic football, giving the impression that it went back a long way. The ironic outcome of this was that Gaelic football almost wiped out hurling. It was a simple game to understand and, above all, it caused little injury. This was in an age when a man’s hands were important to him. Hurling can be hard on the hands.

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An Taoiseach in St. Michael’s

Fine Gael and the GAA were very much to the fore in the turning of the sod ceremony in St. Michael’s on Friday Sept 1 2017.

Photo: Radio Kerry

Leo was in Kerry for the tribute night to Jimmy Deenihan in Tralee. Earlier in the evening he turned the sod for the new technology room in St. Michael’s.  The school threw a little party for him with some excellent singing and dancing by some very talented  pupils.

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Red Hurley in Duagh




Michael Dillane met Red Hurley at the very successful concert in Duagh Community Centre.

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