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

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Departures in early 2025

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On January 22, 2025

In Listowel, Listowel Races

Birds at a feeder in Kanturk

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Go nÉirí an Bóthar Leat

Farewell to a smiling face and a marvellous business in Listowel town Square. Brendan Mahony will be missed.

The shadows were lengthening over Brendan Mahony’s shop when I called last week. Brendan is not being forced to shut shop by falling trade or any other economic circumstances. His business is booming and he is still doing what he enjoys. He is a people person and he loves the interaction with his customers. But 31 years is a long time in one job. Brendan is ready for a new challenge while he is still young. Life for a sole trader can be very tough.

Brendan Mahony Butchers will close in The Square on Saturday, January 25th 2025. it will mark the end of an era which began at No. 2 The Square in 1993. Time now for Brendan to have a holiday before starting in his new role.

Bridget O’Connor in the shop on Friday January 17 2025

Time now for taking a break, having a holiday and maybe even attending a few hurling matches.

Another very successful Listowel business is celebrating its 25h anniversary this month. Finesse Bridal Wear is a lovely business run by two lovely sisters. Liz and Mags offer a caring and professional service to brides. They know their business thoroughly, they work very hard and their care and attention to their brides is legendary.

The two ladies are a huge asset to the town, giving much back in the way of fundraising and Tidy Towning. Long may they continue.

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Death of a Chief

This was the scene in Listowel Town Square on Jan 1 2025 as the funeral of former Fire Chief, Antony McAuliffe, made its way from St. Mary’s.

Antony was one of the first people I got to know in Listowel. He and his late brother, Ray, built our house. When they opened a hardware shop at the end of our road, I was a frequent visitor. Antony was invariably kind and patient.

His cortege was accompanied by his colleagues in the fire service and friends from his days with Listowel Drama Group.

Many people also rmembered Antony from his evenings as a volunteer Bingo caller.

The funeral procession passing through the Small Square where so often Antony led his men in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

May he rest in peace.

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A Brehon Law explained

The Brehons were Ireland’s early lawmakers. I came upon a little book of some of their laws and I have been sharing them here. I have been surprised at how interested people are in their now quaint laws.

Many of the Brehon laws involve the husbandry of animals and many of the punishments involve the forfeit of some valuable livestock.

I shared this law concerning trespass by farmyard fowl. I confessed that I had never heard of a withe.

Then I received the following from Thomas Buckley;

Apparently it’s not such an obscure word after all. These withes were used in the making of St. Brigid’s crosses.

Every day is a learning day. Thank you, Thomas.

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A Fact

When the Races relocated to Listowel in 1858, there was no bridge to the course from the town side. A temporary bridge seved to access the course in 1911.

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The Good the Bad and the Ugly

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On December 2, 2024

In Listowel, Listowel Races

Lower William Street

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Some Stories from floods of November 24

The story of the floods in Listowel is a heartening story of neighbourliness, community solidarity and goodness.

An older lady was pulled through her window by her neighbours because opening the front door would have let in a deluge.

A quick thinking man knocked a few bricks out of the lower part of a perimeter wall. This allowed the water to run right through and saved some homes from flooding.

Teenage boys formed a meitheal to deliver sand bags and to help people to move their property to higher ground.

Then there was the group who came together to collect replacement clothes and toys for people who had lost theirs in the flood.

A local firm worked late into the night to pump water away from houses under threat.

Businesses gave soup and food to the emergency service workers and volunteers. Others offered accommodation.

The GAA put a call out for volunteers to redirect traffic away from Bridge Road

A local businessman organised a supply of industrial dehumidifiers and another local businessman delivered them to the flooded houses.

A restaurant offered lunch to families who are out of their homes.

A supermarket held a bucket cash collection.

These are only some of the many many stories of people helping people. I feel so blessed to live in Listowel.

Brenda OHalloran took this photo of myself and Jed Chute as we watched the story unfold.

Larry Guiney turning back traffic at the Custom Gap.

Traffic cop for a day on Church Street

Hurdles standing clear of the flooded racecourse

Listowel Town Park

Not such a green way today

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A Christmas Window

Fairytale of New York is the theme for 2024.

This is Finesse window

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From the ESB Christmas Cookbook

A few more from Maura Laverty

I love her use of household items like a bread grater, a jam jar or milk bottle.

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A Fact

On December 24 1929, during a party hosted by First Lady Lou Hoover for children of staff of The White House, a fire broke out in the West Wing. The press room was completely destroyed and some damage was done to the Oval Office.

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Christmas in Listowel Started

By

On November 29, 2022

In Listowel

Presentation Primary School band of yesteryear

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Some Christmas Windows 2022

This year’s theme is The Grinch.

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My Weekend Visitors

Clíona and Aoife picked a good weekend to visit. Lots going on. Aoife slept through most of it though.

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A Christmas Belief

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A Lifetime in Pitch nd Putt Rewarded

The late Tony O’Callaghan was a very talented artist. He produced a huge body of work in his lifetime and many a Listowel home treasures one of his pieces. The one above was presented to John Joe Kenny by Listowel Pitch and Putt Club to acknowledge his years of service to the club.

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Pub names in Irish in 1920 and Listowel Food Fair 2019

By

On November 13, 2019

In Uncategorized

William Street

November 10 2019

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Listowel Food Fair 2019



I missed most of this year’s food fair as I was busy book promoting but here are a few of the lovely windows.

Finesse showcased the delicious local Brona chocolate in all its flavours.

NCBI was all aprons and cookbooks with a few glamorous shoes for good measure.

Perfect Pairs and its Mom’s Porter Cake display was mouthwatering and tasteful.

Flavin’s display incorporated some food ingredients and cookery books surrounding a beautiful antique platter.

As I was passing by John R.’s on my way to the Listowel Arms for A Taste of Italy I spotted some friends still enjoying afternoon tea even though it was now evening.

Jim and Elizabeth Dunn and Catherine Moylan were holding their Listowel Writers’ Week Art subcommittee meeting over pastries and meringues. Trust the Art crowd to do it in style!

These lovely ladies were just leaving after a lovely afternoon of talk and tea.



Some of the organisers of Listowel Food Fair were taking a brief moment to enjoy one of the highlights of the Food Fair. The verdict from everyone I spoke to was that Listowel Food Fair 2019 was the best yet.

Not only is Listowel now the literary capital of Ireland, it is fast becoming the food capital as well.






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Setting the record Straight


I had always believed that in the 1920s vintners changed the signs over their premises because they got in trouble with police if they displayed signage in Irish.

This apparently is not 100% true according to below extract from the parliamentary records;

15 November 1920-Volume 134

Mr. MacVEAGH- asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland on what authority the police in Listowel, Co. Kerry, have ordered all shopkeepers in that town to withdraw or delete all signboards containing names in the Irish language?

Sir H. GREENWOOD- It is not the case that the police in Listowel have ordered all shopkeepers to withdraw or delete all signboards containing names in the Irish language, but where owners of licensed premises, have their names in Irish characters only over their premises, they have been ordered to affix their names in English in compliance with Section 25 of the Excise Licenses Act, 1825, and Section 11 of the Licensing Act, 1872. I may add that repeated efforts have been made in Listowel by persons styling themselves the Irish Republican police to compel shopkeepers to put up their names in Irish, that some who refused to do so had their signboards tarred, and that local painters were prevented from removing the tar stains. From House of Commons

Lovely Listowel

By

On July 26, 2019

In Uncategorized

Lovely Listowel, My Home Town

Every emigrant knows that you can have two homes. It is no disloyalty to the place where you were born to love your now home, the place where you were welcomed and made to feel at home and part of the community, the place where you raised your family, where you worked and lived and made so many friends. 

For me, Kanturk was my first home and I give it my love and loyalty always. Listowel is my home now. It is the town that took me to its heart, welcomed me and made me feel at home. It is where I have lived, worked and loved for nearly a quarter of a century in the midst of a generous community that nurtured and took care of me and mine. It is where I now feel most at home.

I was never more proud of my town than I was yesterday, July 25 2019 when the Entente Florale adjudicators came to town.

We rolled out the red carpet, we baked the cake, we painted, clipped and washed and the lovely Tidy Town folk picked up every last bit of litter.

Whenever we have important visitors coming to our homes it is usual to do a bit of tidying before they arrive. This might consist of pushing the newspapers under the cushions, hoovering like a mad thing and putting everything untidy under cover. This was not what happened in Listowel yesterday as the finishing tidying was being done for our VIP guests. I was in town with my camera and today I am devoting my whole blogpost to images of my beautiful second home; beautiful, beautiful Listowel in July 2019.

Flower boxes, hanging baskets and window boxes appeared in places where we weren’t even aware there was a ledge or a window.

Then the shops came on board and business people arranged window displays with symbols of the participating countries

The local Tidy Towners were out in force on the morning of Judgement Day.

The judges were given a whistle stop tour of a list of pre agreed venues. They gave nothing away, made no comment or appeared to enjoy or be impressed by the display Listowel put on for them. They are impartial judges after all.

I went around slack jawed with my camera in obvious awe at what was on display. I am only giving you a small taste of the showcase Listowel people gave our lovely town on July 25 2019.

The Garden of Europe with its new planting looked its best ever.

By the river there was some plain air painting going on.

The Square was buzzing. Ballydonoghue Comhaltas was putting on a concert. John Stack’s set dancers who were still celebrating their Fleadh Cheoil success at the weekend danced a set and Katie MacNamara’s musicians played.  Heavenly!

Visitors from Dubai were delighted they hit town on just the right day.

The proud mammies and supporters were holding the coats.

Brian Mulvihill, home with his family from the Caymen Islands was enjoying the spectacle.

As I approached the Small Square I ran into the judges and entourage. I ignored them in case they thought I was trying to influence their decision in any way. There was a mini market going on here with lots of local crafters and producers displaying their wares.

Kissane Candles and the Olive Stack Gallery had a display.

Breda, the less camera shy of the two “Dawn Raiders” who head out at the crack of dawn every morning to pick up litter, was admiring Woodford Pottery display.

Mon’s Porter cake sold out everything she brought.

You could buy Kefir, a hat, some veg for the dinner or organic seaweed cosmetics in the Small Square in Listowel yesterday.

The Tidy Towers posed for a quick pic.

Everywhere a Tidy Towner

Local ladies dressed in the native costumes of the seven participating countries. I’m told that Olive Stack and her mother made the costumes. What an achievement!

The very best of traditional music  by the very best musicians

 appreciative audience enjoying the sunshine the music and the craic

Hard working Listowel people taking a welleparned rest

I went to The Listowel Arms where the red carpet was out metaphorically and literally.

Lots of floral displays here (and mirrors)

Some American visitors were enjoying a taste of Listowel at the Tidy Town seat.

and Martin Chute got Jumbos painted in time.

Well done Listowel…definitely a winner in my eyes.

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