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 5 of 10

Listowel People, A River Walk and Craftshop na Méar

By

On May 15, 2015

In Uncategorized

People I snapped on the street on Saturday and Sunday of the May bank holiday weekend


The Leahy family had a First Holy Communion.

 Other people had a wedding

This Greenville gang were enjoying the spectacle.

Garret and Trevor had the advantage of height to view the battle.

Donal O’Sullivan was working but he took a minute to pose with his daughter and granddaughter.

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Writers Week

The only horses in the picture for this year’s Writers Week will be in a great exhibition of photographs by the world class photographing firm of Healy Racing which will be part of this year’s festival.

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River Walk


I walked with visitors recently along the Feale from the Big Bridge to The Listowel Arms. It is a lovely peaceful spot for a stroll.



Visit Charlie Nolan‘s Facebook page to see the excellent video he made of wildlife on the Feale.

It’s super!

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Craftshop na Méar


This is crafter, Máire Gleasure in Craftshop na Méar. 

Above is some of Máire’s table linen and a tea cozy from Frances O’Keeffe adorning a table in the U.S.

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A Day for Ducks


This duck is being judged at The Kingdom County Fair. There were lots of animals and fowl in Ballybeggan on Sunday and they all looked in fine fettle to me.

Every time I encounter this lovely lady at an event I buy one of her homemade ice creams. Her wares are delicious and always dispensed with a smile even when the weather is the polar opposite of ice cream weather.

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Darkness into Light in New York



Fittingly our minister for the diaspora participated in Pieta House’s fundraiser in New York. Cathy Dunne sent me this picture of Jimmy with her daughter, Cora and the below one of some of the walkers.

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Sharing Duagh Stories




Duagh emigrants, John Relihan and John OConnor who left Duagh for the U.S. at age 16 met up recently and exchanges a few Duagh memories.

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Awards Night in St. Josephs, Ballybunion


(photo:Marie Rohan)


Organisers with guest of honour, Adi Roche

1960s advertising, Kanturk and some Church St. people

By

On April 20, 2015

In Uncategorized


It’s Official; Summer is here



Yes, we know one swallow doth not a summer make but I’m still delighted to see that Mike Enright spotted this little harbinger of sunny days in Ballybunion last week.


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Wild Flowers in the Park

Primroses and buttercups on the bank of the glaise that flows through the park

“Bare ruined choirs where late the sweet birds sang.”

This section of the pitch and putt course is covered in daisies.

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Back to my Roots


Kanturk in Times Past

Ger Greaney alerted me recently to this great old series of photographs of my hometown. Looking at the comments when he shared the Youtube video I realized that you don’t have to be from Kanturk to enjoy this one.

The sequence opens with an old railway carriage in the train station at Kanturk. The station is now only a memory but what a memory!

The ballad of The Bould Thady Quill has a line, “Proceed to Banteer to the athletic sports and hand in your name to the club committee”. In my youth the way to proceed to Banteer was by train. It cost 3d for the short train journey and I can only remember making it on Sports Day.

Michael O’Sullivan, who made the slide show, is the next generation of O’Sullivan’s from Klamper who have left their mark on the town forever. The O’Sullivan brothers emigrated to the USA where they did very well. They brought their wealth back to Kanturk, set up several businesses in retail, catering and the licensed trade and they transformed the face of Kanturk. They brought with them a whiff of US glamour and they opened our eyes, in the Kanturk of the 1950s and 60’s to a world we only saw in the movies (films we called them then.)

Just doors away from the local cinema the O’Sullivans opened a café, the like of which had not been seen before in Kanturk. It had a juke box!!!

Do you know the lyric? “Please Mister, please, don’t play E17. It was our song; it was his song but its over…..”

Only people who remember a juke box will have any idea what this is all about. Each record had a number and for 6d. you could choose the song you wanted played. Through a glass, you could watch the drum turn the records and then  the selection tool would take the chosen record and place it on a turntable, the stylus would come across and the whole café listened to your selection. There was a kind of honor system in operation where people took turns to pay for the music. He who paid the piper always called the tune despite much pressure. The proprietors got in new records regularly and there was great clamouring to listen to the latest arrivals.

One of the photos in Michael’s slide show was taken in the café. The machine in the photo is a weighing scales and, sadly, not the juke box. There are also other familiar local scenes like the official opening of the Marian grotto, the mammoth Corpus Christi procession, Fancy Dress parades, firemen, FCA and much more.

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Talented sisters

Rosaleen and Patricia hard at work in Craftshop na Méar. These two are multitalented and make many of the lovely items available in Craftshop na Méar in Church St.

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Bang for your Buck

Listowel people were well versed in the art of advertising back in 1960. Who could resist these bargains?

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Snapped in Flavins, Church St. April 15 2015




Flavins is an old style newsagents where the personal touch is valued. In the words of John B. in another context, “Courtesy and civility guaranteed at all times.”  Long may it continue!

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Well done, girls!


(photo: Listowel Celtic)


Listowel Celtic U12 girls after winning their match away to Killarney Celtic 6.0. They are now JK Sports U12 league champions!

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2015 Nano Nagle Poker Run

These and lots  more lovely photos from Saturday’s bike run in aid of Nano Nagle school  here;

John Kelliher

Craftshop na Méar, a teacher contract and St. Patrick’s Day of yesteryear

By

On March 16, 2015

In Uncategorized


St. Patrick’s festival in Pittsburg



In Pittsburg they do our national holiday in style. On the far left is Hannah O’Donoghue who is Miss Smiling Irish Eyes. Hannah’s grandad was one of the O’Donoghue’s of Tannavalla and she is very proud of her Listowel heritage. Listowel can justifiably be proud of her too as she has a very impressive cv for such a young lady.

Next to Hannah in the photo is Pat O’Brien, parade chairman and a frequent visitor to Listowel where he stays with Nora Sheahan.

Hannah with her proud parents, Patty and Jack O’Donoghue.

Patty with St. Patrick

 with her two proud Listowel aunts, Maggie Cloonan and Eileen Curran

with her lovely niece, Ruby O’Donoghue.


Hannah will be visiting Ireland in August to take part in the Maid of the Mourne festival and after that she will be coming with her Dad to visit the Listowel branch of the family.

Methinks I see a future Rose of Tralee contestant or two here.

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St. Patrick’s Days  of Yore


To whet your appetite for this year’s Listowel parade here are a few photos from former years



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Craftshop na Méar gets ready for the national holiday 2015

Karen and Viveca dress the shop window for St. Patrick’s Day.

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St. Patrick’s Day blessing for tomorrow

Lucky stars above you,

Sunshine on your way,

Many friends to love you,

Joy in work and play-

Laughter to outweigh each care,

 In your heart a song-

And gladness waiting everywhere

All your whole life long!

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In Ohio in 1923 Teachers truly had something to complain about!

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New Kid on the Block

Frances O’Keeffe welcomes Jean Thomas to Craftshop na Méar

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The photo of Keane Stack’s from Vincent Carmody’s book brought back happy memories to many people. Hilary Kelly remembers the barley sugar sticks and Cathy Dunne remembers Mr. Keane Stack in a bowler hat and from Liam Murphy in the USA came this memory;

” More of long ago memories recalled,  from the age of four to fourteen I wore prescription glasses that were filled by Willie Keane- Stack. I remembered young John B behind the counter on right when you entered the shop and getting  from a tall jar “Barley Sugar” that as I recall was only sold in chemist shops. But have clear memory of them when I went with my late father there early 50’s.”     

Cashen sunrise and preparing for St. Patrick’s Day

By

On March 11, 2015

In Uncategorized

Sunrise at the Cashen, March 2015


(photo: Mike Enright)

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More Green Shoots



Refurbishment going on here too

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Getting Set for St. Patricks’ Day

If you need a hat in the national colours, drop in to Craftshop na Méar .

Easter chicks and daffodils, it must be spring.

Affordable ceramics and signs proclaiming your love for Listowel make lovely gifts for those visitors coming home for the national holiday.

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Counting our blessings



Fr. Pat Moore as he faces into cancer treatment is supported by the love and good wishes of his many friends.  In his blog, he shares this poem by Moya Canon. It is called Introductions.

Some of what we love we stumble upon



A purse of gold thrown on the road



A poem, a friend, a great song.





And more discloses itself to us- 



A well among green hazels,



A nut thicket-



When we are worn out searching for something quite different.





And more comes to us,



Carried as carefully as a bright



Cup of water,



As new bread.’

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Great Idea for next weekend



I’m going to  Kanturk Arts Festival 2015 next weekend. It promises to be another great event for this very hard working committee.

Most of their events are free.

I’m reading a great novel by Hazel Gaynor called A Memory of Violets. Hazel is the invited author at the Kanturk festival. I’m hoping she will tell us all about the research she did for this book. She is an expert on child flower sellers in Victorian London and the great philanthropist who rescued them and built a home for them.

There is also yoga, an animation class, a photography workshop and a poetry slam.

Some recent local photos

By

On February 27, 2015

In Uncategorized

Signs of Spring spotted on Market St.


 Seed potatoes


Lawn mowers lined up outside McKenna’s

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Three local Historians




Snapped on the street on Ash Wednesday 2015, Jer. Kennelly, Denis Carroll and Damien Stack, my fellow keepers of the flame of Listowel memories.

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Then and Now

Below are the three most recent locations of Listowel post office in chronological order

Upper William Street is very quiet these days. Getting a parking space to visit the shops here is no bother at all these days.

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At Craftshop na Méar



If you would like a novelty tea cosy, these beautiful creations, all hand made, including the rosary beads are available in the craftshop in Church St. Lots of other beautiful things on offer as well.

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Parking in Super Valu


These signs have appeared recently. I don’t know what the punishment is for exceeding the 2 hours.

There car park was very busy on the day I visited, with big lorries delivering and cars everywhere.



This is a new one on me. Again I don’t know what the penalty is for exceeding the time.

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Emigrant Girls From Killarney

Thirty five Killarney girls were meant to sail on the Elgin from
Plymouth to Adelaide, (Southern Australia) on 31 May 1849.   Finding
the identity of these thirty five girls has been a major problem for me, since
starting the research on the book The Kerry Girls:  Emigration &
the Earl Grey Scheme. 


Thus begins another great essay on the fate of some Kerry girls during The Great Hunger. 

Read Kay Caball’s blog post here;

   My Kerry Ancestors 

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