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: Derrindaffe

The Bad Old Days

St. John’s, Listowel in March 2022. Photo by Éamon ÓMurchú

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Market Street, Spring 2022

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Nurse O’Donovan’s

This is a private nursing home which was located on Church Street, Listowel.

The photo is in Tipperary Studies Photos of Munster

Once upon a time there were lots of private nursing homes in Listowel. Maybe someone in your family was born in one.

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Old School

If you have someone in your house who felt frozen to death during the Covid restrictions, show them this from the schools’ folklore collection of the 1930s. Sitting beside an open window and wearing a mask is small hardship by comparison with what our ancestors endured in schools like Derrindaff.

About sixty years ago there was an old school in Meenganare. It had a thatched roof and only one small window to let in light. The floor was an earthen one. In wet weather the roof let in the rain and it formed into pools under the children’s feet. The seating accommodation consisted of long planks placed on two blocks of wood. There was only one teacher in this school Mr Purcell, a native of Cork. He lodged near the school. He was paid every Friday evening.
Irish and English were the only subjects taught, Irish was spoken by master and pupils. The teacher wrote on a large stone flag placed against a wall : the pupils wrote on slates.
Mr Purcell taught in that school from 1844 to 1879 . Told by Mrs Quill of Derrindaff.

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Covered dining in Listowel Town Square

This is the scene in the Square. Work is underway to prepare for the erection of the canopies to cover our new dining and performance area.

Our returning emigrants won’t recognise the place when they come home.

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A Poem for our Times

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Something to Look Forward to

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A Worthwhile trip to Ballylongford

From The Advertiser

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NKM Leaves Listowel, Account of an Old School in Derrindaffe and North Kerry MS Fundraiser

Photo: Chris Grayson

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Two Gentlemen

The late Jim Cogan and the late Dan Browne stop for a chat on a summer morning in 2004.

May the sod lie gently on both their souls.


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Maurice Mul in Ballybunion



Poster thanks; Liam OHainnín

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Listowel’s First Strike

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An Old School 


(In the Dúchas Folklore collection )

Mrs Quill of Derridaff told this story to an unnamed schoolgirl. 

There was a school in Meenganare. It was a low thatched building with only one very small window.The floor was earth and in Winter, when the roof leaked, the children’s feet were mired in muck.  Seating for the pupils was a plank of wood resting on two blocks of wood.

It was a one teacher school. The teacher was a Mr. Purcell, a native of Cork. He taught there from 1844 to 1879. Mr. Purcell lived in lodgings near the school and he was paid every Friday.

Both pupils and teacher spoke only Irish. The only subjects that were taught were Irish and English. The teacher wrote on a large stone flag which rested against the wall and the children wrote on slates.

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M.S. North Kerry Fundraiser


On Saturday February16 2019, I spent a very pleasant morning in Tomáisín’s in Lisselton. My old friends in the North Kerry branch of MS Ireland were holding their annual Valentine’s coffee   morning.

The confectionery was mouthwatering, all made locally by volunteer bakers. The company was good and there were lovely raffle prizes. It was a very enjoyable event.

Here are some of my photos from the day.

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Mystery Solved




I asked someone who knew. It’s a traffic counter according to Jimmy Moloney.


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