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: Eily Walsh

Two Strange All Ireland Stories and James Kissane Remembered

Listowel Courthouse

August 26th. 2019

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Where Stories Begin

Maurice Kelliher and his friend, John Leahy (reluctantly) posed for me beside Kempes photo in the collage of Town faces on Lawler’s window.

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Take the Soup


A story from Mattie Lennon for All Ireland Final weekend

Take the Soup

Up to today no senior Wicklow football team has ever graced the hallowed sod of Croke Park on the penultimate Sunday of September. Even Mick O Dwyer couldn’t do anything for us. Imagine letting soccer and rugby into Croke Park before Wicklow got a crack at an All- Ireland final. . and then the Queen . . . and The Pope.  And we almost had Obama. I suppose we’ll soon have Trump.

    But Wicklow men and sons of Wicklow men have played for many another county’s winning team.  

Such was the case in 1928. It was the first year of the Sam Maguire Cup and Kildare met Cavan in the final. One of the Kildare forwards was of Valleymount parentage and, of course, the locality claimed him as its own. Now, money wasn’t plentiful  in the West-Wicklow of 1928. The Wall Street crash was in 1929 but we were well ahead of them. The people in our area couldn’t afford to travel to Dublin for a match. But they were a  resourceful people. And they did a very clever thing. They took up a collection and appointed one man, a sort of an emissary, to go to the match and bring back the information. The man selected as representative was a farm-labourer, Matt Colley, who had a phenomenal memory, a good eye and ear for detail and was a good storyteller (sometimes with a little bit of embellishment).

   Though times were hard subscriptions surpassed expectation. With the proceeds Matt boarded the steam Tram, in Blessington, and set out on his journey to Terenure  or Roundtown as it was called at the time (where the tram terminated) He walked, at a leisurely pace into the city centre and in the unfamiliar surroundings of the main thoroughfare of the Metropolis he spotted an impressive building; The Gresham Hotel.  When he entered the posh foyer of the Gresham, of course the head porter and others were amused by his mountainy walk.

  He took his seat in the dining room but didn’t consult the Menu. With all due respect to the man, he had a near photographic memory, was a gifted raconteur but the written word meant very little to him. A liveried waiter with notebook, and pencil poised, materialised at his elbow. ” Soup Sir?”?

“I don’t want any soup”, says Matt.

“But the soup of the day, Sir is the Chef’s – “

“Amn’t I after telling ye I don’t want soup.”

 “All right Sir, the main course – “

   The waiter goes on the list the many choices, only to be told, “I don’t want any o’ that, I want a feed o’ bacon an’ cabbage an’ a few good floury spuds. Have ye any bacon an’ cabbage?.”

Taken aback and getting annoyed the waiter says, “I’ll see what we have in the kitchen.”

 “I don’t want to know what ye have in the kitchen, I want bacon, cabbage and potatoes.”

 The waiter now decides to teach this Russ-in-Urbe a lesson. He brings out a large serving dish (like the big Willow-pattern dishes that Matt’s mother kept on the top shelf of the dresser). It was heaped to capacity.

Matt ate and he ate and he ate – and then he ate more.

   He ambled upstairs and spotted, through an open door, a double bed. It wasn’t near match time so he stretched out on the bed; face down. Of course he was asleep in seconds.

Now – as luck would have it, sometime later, the male guest in the adjoining bedroom “took a bit of a turn.”  The Doctor was called and promptly arrived accompanied by a nurse. Seeing the prostrate figure of Matt, with a belly like a poisoned pup, he made a rapid diagnosis. “I know what’s wrong with this man,” says he.

   Without any further instruction the nurse left and reappeared quickly with a red rubber hose, tapered on one end and a funnel on the other. The necessary garments were removed, a large white enamel jug of warm, soapy, water was produced and a certain medical procedure got under way.

  Halfway through the irrigation process Matt woke up. And would you blame him?  

The match was over. He had no information for his financiers. He hadn’t done what he was sent to do.

He headed for Terenure and the tram but he wasn’t walking too well.   On the tram he met a few fellows from Brittas and Manor Kilbride who filled him in on the main points of the game.

By Tallagh he knew that Kildare been awarded ten frees in the first half and that the score at half time was one two to three points in favour of Kildare. Jobstown saw him rehearsing his “report.”  “Cavan won the toss and played with the wind, from the Railway end, for the first half. Smith of Cavan got the ball at the throw-in and passed it to Higgins who was fouled.  

Devlin of Cavan scored the first point after twenty minutes of play.  

Fitzpatrick of Kildare was injured and spent a long time on the ground. Joe Loughlin of Kildare was injured and replaced by Dan Ryan.”

   As the tram passed the brick-works in Tinode , Kildare was playing with the wind in the second half.

When Matt alighted at the tram-sheds in Blessington, in his head the match was over.  Cavan was two goals and five points and Kildare was two six and the final whistle blew.  There were men there to meet him from Kylebeg, Lacken, Blackrock, Lugnagun and Ballinastockan.

   It was like a press conference. They were shooting questions at him from all sides. ” Who won Matt?”, “Was it a good game, Matt?”, “What was the score Matt, “ “How did our man fare, Matt?”

   During a lull in the interrogation he put up his hand: “I’ll tell yez all about the match in a minute, But first I want to tell yez this, If any o’ yez ever goes to Dublin and yer in a place called the Gresham Hotel, if they ask ye d’ ye want soup, for Christ sake take it. For if you don’t they’ll put it in a big enamel jug an’ they’ll get a length o’ hose an’ a tundish. They’ll take down your trousers an’ savin’ yer presence they’ll  administer it in the most undignified manner . “

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James Kissane


 At the Ballydonoghue WW1 commemoration on Saturday August 24 2019 the soldiers who fought were remembered by their relatives. No descendant was more proud than Eily Walsh who has researched in detail her soldier relative, James Kissane.

Eily is a very keen family historian and the acknowledged expert on the Kissanes of Kilcox.

James was the second youngest of 12 children of John and Catherine Kissane. He is the man at the back in the bow tie in this family photo.

He was born in 1889. James had a first cousin who had risen to the rank of Inspector in the Cairns Police Force in Queensland, Australia. James and this cousin, John Quilter, corresponded and James decided to seek his fortune in that police force down under. James emigrated to Australia in 1910 and immediately joined the Australian Police force. 

In September 1915 James took leave from the police force and joined The Australian Imperial Force. The army took him to Egypt, to England and eventually to Flanders in Belgium.

At the Battle of Ypres he was in charge of transport and supple of ammunition to the front line. Ammunition in that battle had to be transported by cart and mule in horrendous conditions.

It was for acts of gallantry  on October 12 1917 that he was awarded the Military Cross.


This is Britain’s third highest honour.

This extraordinary achievement and James’ outstanding war record could never be acknowledged at home by his very republican family.

After the war James returned to Australia. In 1924 he took up a full time paid position as Secretary of the Queensland Irish Association. He changed jobs a few times more, got married and raised a family. The family home in Brisbane was named Listowel.

James passed way in 1954. His family are tremendously proud of their Irish roots and his Irish cousins are proud of him too.

Bridget O’Connor and Eily Walsh, cousins of James Kissane at the Ballydonoghue WW1 commemoration on Saturday last.

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For the Weekend that’s in it


Mattie Lennon has been in touch with a tale for you.

The All Ireland Walkover.

Come this time next week there will be a lot of sore heads around the Town as Dubs supporters celebrate having Sam AGAIN’..as they begin to contemplate is it worth their while removing the buntings and flags from the front of their gaffs, after all they will have the hassle of getting out the ladders and going over the same routine come Sept 2020 when the Dubs are certain to be back at Croker picking up Sam Maguire yet again !

Anyway before a ball is kicked in Croke Park I can hear the mutterings from the Kingdom in ‘Healy Rae language’ about the advantage the Dubs had because the game is in The Capital, or how expensive it is now for a day out in the ‘big smoke’ for the small farmers etc etc etc. 

So here’s a true story that can be told relating to a Kerry Team from 1910 that can be discussed over a ‘sangwich’ on the train to Dublin.

In 1910 Kerry were due to play Louth in the All-Ireland.  There was great interest in the Kingdom and Louth for the game and a huge crowd in excess of 16,000 were expected to attend, a large majority would have been supporters who had attended the Final that was held in Jones Rd the previous year in 1909.  That year Kerry beat Louth 1-9 to 0-6, that 1909 final had attracted 16,000 supporters which was enormous for its time.  By 1910 there was great expectation from many Louth supporters who were hoping that their team could exact revenge for the previous year’s result.

So, understandably enough, all the culchies were looking forward to their day out ‘up in Dublin’, but there was a problem and that came from the expense that was incurred in getting to the venue.  In those days, by all accounts, the train fare from both counties would have been expensive, many of those travelling would have had the extra expense of at least one night if not two in Dublin, a few pints, something to eat and perhaps a ramble around the Monto’s streets (just to have a gander at the ‘quare wans’ as ye do) wouldnt have left much change out of a £5.

So hearing the mutterings from the locals, the Kerry team took the bull by the horns (as ye do in Kerry) they approached the Railway company Great Southern & Western railway and asked them to reduce their fares for those travelling for the Match, quoting the huge interest in the game, the extra business, and numbers expected to travel…the Railway wouldn’t have a bar of it, they refused point blank the Kerrymen’s request, so as a point of principle the Kerry team refused to travel and Louth were awarded the All-Ireland as a ‘walkover’.

I hope the Kerry Team spent their train fare in the Pub.

That’s an absolutely true story.  I Googled it.

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Showing our colours




Blasket Donkeys and the Current State of Presentation Convent, Listowel and Kissane Clan Gathering


Gymnasts in The Square


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Athea Mural Update



Do you remember I told you that the figure that the artist, Jim Dunn had added to his mural was a well known local man. The stethoscope protruding from his pocket now gives the game away, it’s Athea’s very popular  G.P.

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Blasket Donkeys


Chris Grayson took these interesting photos of Blasket Island Donkeys.

The very hairy one looks like a different breed. Or is he just very old and no longer losing his winter coat?

I read somewhere that the island people used to only keep female donkeys. If they had both sexes the males would get frisky and might fall off the cliffs and into the sea so they had to bring the mares to the mainland for the mating pourposes.

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Snapped in Listowel



I ran into Tralee people, Seán Lyons and his lovely daughter. Maeve, recently.

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Update on the Convent


Whenever I’m in the vicinity, I take the opportunity to document the slow decline into ruin of Presentation Convent, Listowel.

I took these photos on August 1 2017. They speak for themselves.

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Kissane Clan Gathering



You’ve seen the photos, now help them celebrate family.

The planned gathering will open with a gala banquet on Friday evening August 18 2017.

Tickets (€50) are available at Listowel Arms Hotel reception. All Kissane of Kilcox descendants won’t want to miss this one. Anyone with an interest in this family is welcome to the banquet.

On Saturday August 19th, proceedings move to The Thatch in Lisselton for the launch of “Descendants of John the Elder”, a hard back book including over 90 photographs. This promises to be a great night of family history and reminiscence. The launch will be followed by a night of music and craic with family, friends and neighbours.

A highlight of the weekend will be the Walk and Talk with Eily Walsh. I’m reproducing here Eily’s guidelines for those Kissanes planning to attend the walk. This is one for the descendants.

On Saturday Afternoon
19th at 3.p.m. and, again on Sunday Morning 20th August  at 12.30 p.m. The Thatch will also be the
Gathering Point for the “Walk and Talk” to be held in Kilcox throughout the
weekend. (Weather permitting) We expect tickets for these walks to sell very
quickly. There are only 25 places MAX for each walk.  Your name will be held on a Booking list and
your ticket may be collected at the Thatch Bar a half hour before the walk
starts. The Thatch will be the Gathering Point for the Walk, and we will drive
in convoy to the two adjoining Kilcox Farms (Scralom Entrance) where the “Walk
and Talk” will start. There will be ample parking for up to 20 cars. Tickets
are 10 euro each. The walk is very easy and will last approx. 75 minutes.
Suitable footwear or flat shoes are advisable. Please bring a jacket as you
will be on exposed ground  – whether the
sun shines or not. The walk itself is flat and easy, and suitable for all ages
with only a slight incline at the end. There are wonderful panoramic views so be
sure and bring the camera! 


Sunday August 20th will see the gathered Kissane clan in Coolahan’s of Tarbert at 2.30p.m. for an afternoon of music and “sheer joy”.

Family gathered for the gathering weekend will be anxious to visit the Kissane tombs in Killeheny. The two tombs will be marked with an identifying marker for the weekend. Ballybunion church will also be open to visitors.

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We are Family



The Kissane family of Kilcox in North Kerry has spread far and wide. There are branches of the family in the U.S. and Australia and representatives of all of this scattered clan are coming home to Kerry this weekend for this great celebration of family.

I was privileged to be in St. John’s on Saturday Aug 11 2017 as the exhibition of family photographs to accompany the Kissane Gathering was launched by Eamon OMurchú. Eamon is justly proud of his Kissane ancestors. As a photographer, he knows the importance of family photographs and their role in family history. If you are in Listowel, call in to St. John’s to see this important collection of Kissane family history and memorabilia.

The collection was curated by Eily Walsh (here on left of Eamon ÓMurchú). Eily has invested hours and hours of time and effort into collecting the photographs and researching the family history. This weekend gathering and book are all due to her tireless work.

Keelin Kissane of Kerry and Dublin with Barbara Kissane of New York. The ladies are standing in front of a photograph of Barbara’s parents on their wedding day.

Barbara’s dad, Pats Kissane, was the first president of the New York Kerryman’s Association. Keelin is the current chairperson of the Dublin Kerryman’s Association.

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Our Very Own Disney Princess




I met this lovely Rose in The Kingdom Greyhound Stadium last night. She is Elizabeth Marine, the Florida Rose.

She is mighty proud of her Listowel connection. She feels that her presence here is in honour of her grandfather, Tom O’Donoghue of Tannavalla who left Listowel for Pittsburg with a heart full of hope and a head full of dreams. He made a success of his life in the land of the brave and the home of the free. He never forgot his Kerry roots and he steeped his family in Irish traditions and Irish culture. He loved Irish music, song and dance and above all he was passionate about Gaelic football. He, himself was a handy footballer with the Six Crosses team.

Elizabeth, his granddaughter, is a singer and dancer. I don’t know about the Gaelic football. Her cousins look after that tradition. She is in Tralee with her mother and her sister. Her dad had to stay behind in Florida to look after her severely disabled brother.

If you run into The Roses this week, be sure to single out the Florida Rose. Tell her you are from Listowel and she will be delighted to meet you.

Kissanes of Kilcox, The Harp and Lion then and Now and Busking for M.S. in the small square

Family History Lesson from the Kissane Clan Gathering





Every family should have a family historian. Few families are as lucky as The Kissanes of Kilcox for they have their very own amateur genealogist in Eily Kissane Walsh. Not only is Eily a thorough researcher and a dogged chaser after family lore, but she is unstintingly generous with the information she has gathered and she shares it with her clan in a entertaining and informative way.

Last year she mounted an exhibition of family photographs telling the story of her ancestor, Richard Kissane and his descendants. This year she took the descendants of brothers John and Richard Kissane on a walking tour of the old homestead, pictured above in Bridget O’Connor’s photo.

Above is a small section of the participants in the Walk and Talk with Eily Walsh in the centre.

Here is an account of that day from one of the participants;

On Friday August 5 2016 I did the  ‘Walk & Talk tour of the Kilcox Kissane farms with Eily Walsh. It was amazing!

From the top of Scralom hill we were looking right down onto the farms of Richard, The Elder, and that of his brother John, The Elder. I was thrilled to be walking  in the footsteps of my Kissane ancestors.


Eily covered a huge span of history from the late 1700’s to modern times. She was so informative! She was able to tell us exactly who our ancestors were & what they did for a living. Her niece Meghan Kissane, Dick’s daughter, had a map of the farms printed out for each of us, naming each field by the name it was known back in the day. 

No stone was left unturned. 

Eily spoke at 5 viewing points along the way. The sights were breathtaking.  We could see 3 counties, Kerry, Clare & Galway. We were also entertained by Meghan who recited an aptly chosen poem, ‘The Boglands’ by William A Byrne. 

The purple heather is the cloak
God gave the bogland brown,
But man has made a pall o’ smoke
To hide the distant town.
Our lights are long and rich in change,         5
Unscreened by hill or spire,
From primrose dawn, a lovely range,
To sunset’s farewell fire.
No morning bells have we to wake
Us with their monotone,         10
But windy calls of quail and crake
Unto our beds are blown.
The lark’s wild flourish summons us
To work before the sun;
At eve the heart’s lone Angelus         15
Blesses our labour done.
We cleave the sodden, shelving bank
In sunshine and in rain,
That men by winter-fires may thank
The wielders of the slane.         20
Our lot is laid beyond the crime
That sullies idle hands;
So hear we through the silent time
God speaking sweet commands.

……………..

 Eithne, Eily’s daughter, sang in Irish ‘Táimse im’ chodhladh is ná dúistear mé’, i.e.  ‘I’m asleep and don’t waken me’. 

Tráthnóinín déanach i gcéin cois leasa dom
Táimse im’ chodhladh is ná dúistear mé
Sea dhearcas lem’ thaobh an spéirbhean mhaisiúil
Táimse im’ chodhladh is ná dúistear mé
Ba bhachallach péarlach dréimreach barrachas
A carnfholt craobhach ag titim léi ar bhaillechrith
‘S í ag caitheamh na saighead trím thaobh do chealg mé
Táimse im’ chodhladh is ná dúistear mé

……..

This is a lovely Aisling poem. The poet is asleep and he wants to continue dreaming forever because in his dream he sees Ireland as a beautiful woman who will free Ireland from the yoke of English rule.

 Eithne sang this plaintive song as she stood in front of the ‘Cillín’. This is an ancient burial ground on the farm. It is one of 400 in Kerry which date back to  pre-Christianity. The Cillín is a breathtaking sacred place surrounded by trees and framed by the lovely river Shannon. Cillíns were ancient pagan burial places which were used in Christian times as the resting place for unbaptised babies, people who died by suicide, or anyone who was deemed to have died ‘in sin”. 




You can see the cillín beautifully preserved within the circle of trees.


The whole experience was very moving.  

To top it off we had a picnic in the lands of our ancestors! It was absolutely perfect.


Eily plans another gathering in 2017. It will, no doubt, be equally informative and entertaining. 

Thank you, Eily and everyone who helped make this year’s event such a success.


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A Work in Progress



The same shopfront in August 2016

This painter obviously relishes a challenge. He is starting with a clean slate. He has hours of painstaking work ahead to repaint this iconic Listowel shopfront.

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Busking for M.S.


The weather delayed fundraiser took place in town on Friday August 12 2016

Junior Griffin was making his contribution from his car.

They could be sisters! Barbara Walsh was out collecting for the local branch of the M.S. Society when she ran into her mother.

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Then and Now




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