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: Flavins Page 3 of 4

Fr. Pat Moore remembered, Basketball in the 1980s and Jack Flavin has passed away


Photo: Chris Grayson

<<<<<<<<


After we are gone


I was clearing out my inbox when I made the discovery. I came across an old notification from WordPress that Fr. Pat Moore had posted a new blog. It was the lovely piece that I have reprinted below. As soon as I read it I wanted to read more so I went to the his website and ……

you guessed it…..all gone.

It is apt that this essay is about birth, death and regrowth. Enjoy it.

There has been wonderful moonlight these last few nights. Go to the window in a darkened moonlight night and you see a shadowy reality outside, then turn on the light in the room and the world outside becomes totally dark. I remember John Moriarty making the point that in the same way we can be looking for answers to questions with the wrong search lights. If I want to see the fox passing in the night from my window,the light on in room won’t help. As John said,”It is with that that eclipses God that I seek God .” But God isn’t the fox that passes in the night!

Jim Kennelly tells me that when a kitten is born it’s blind for nine days. In the same way there are inside of all of us, huge awakenings. It’s as if we’re here to wake up as we begin to realise why we are on the planet at all. So that might be why we are here at all. We have to wake up from waking as Jim always says. “When your heart speaks,take notes.”

Over fifty years ago alot of neighbours around here visited the friendly garden centre in Beale, Hannons, where famously they ‘sell every blooming thing.” The Hannon family introduced the countryside to the Asian plant  cordyline. Lots of these plants started to appear down Littor Road. There was one planted in our front garden. It grew over six feet high. Then when we got severe cold weather four years ago alot of the cordyline died, including the one in our garden. This spring when we cleared away the growth seven new trees have grown and are thriving. From the death of the old plant, new life, seven new plants! Is it any wonder Jesus used the image of the seed dying in the earth and from that comes forth new life when he explained the mystery of life?  

>>>>>>>


Correcting the Tiger  by John Gardner


The tiger is a perfect saint

As long as you respect him:

But if he happens to say ain’t,

You’d better not correct him.

<<<<<<<<


Basketball  in Pres in the 1980s


If you are in this photo, please remember that we are still looking for reminiscences from the 1980s for our Pres. commemorative book.

<<<<<<<



Another Familiar Face gone from Church Street




<<<<<<<<<<


Turf Shed Theatre


Vincent Carmody remembers a time when every boy in Listowel was a performer, an actor or a scriptwriter.


I would assume that Billy McSweeney is right, as Eamon Keane used usually take his walk up and down the Bridge Road and around Gurtinard. His memory of Turf Shed Theatre was identically repeated in most backways of the town. We in Pound Lane had a thriving theatre group, with plays and concerts being regularly performed in our back shed. One memory is of my sister Nora, having been sent out to get turf, stopped a performance which was in full flow, then proceeded to tear up the stage which we had built  on what turf  was left in the shed. The show had to be abandoned. As the paying customers were leaving, my neighbour and friend, Liam Nolan, lifted a clenched fist as Nora was leaving with her turf and shouted, ‘The Stage will never Die’, to which Nora replied, ‘Its dead now’.




Connect Ireland, Flavins and a Coolard School History is Launched

Breakfast like a king,

Lunch like a prince 

And dinner like a pauper.

This ancient nutritional advice seemed to be the order of the day last week when I was invited to attend a breakfast meeting in The Horseshoe. The invitation came from my lovely past pupil, Lisa O’Carroll who works in the local Enterprise Office.

This is Lisa with her good friend, Jennifer Scanlon of Coco, Listowel

This is Tomás Hayes of the Enterprise Office who welcomed us and told us what this gathering was all about. Lisa and Tomás are the people to contact if you are an entrepreneur starting up a business or expanding an existing one in the Kerry area. They are all about job creation and they will help you with every aspect of doing business in Kerry.

Below you will see many of the local people who were in attendance.

The special guest was Tom Dowling.

As soon as he got up to speak, I knew I’d met him before. Tom was none other than the judge who came to town last summer to see our town put on its best face for The Pride of Place competition.

My photo shows Tom and his wife in The Seanchaí last summer, chatting to Eddie Moylan of Listowel Vintage Wireless Museum.

On Wednesday, February 24 2016 Tom had his other hat on. He had come this time to talk to us about Connect Ireland. This is an initiative to bring employment to rural Ireland. It’s all about the emotional connection.

Many Irish people abroad would love to relocate a business here or would love to start up a new one here. Many other people know people who are thinking of locating a business elsewhere but might be open to coming to rural Ireland. Connect Ireland is all about getting the message out there that Ireland is a great place to do business.

If you know someone like this, Connect Ireland will give them every help to start up here.

Take a look at the Connect Ireland website . You’d never know, this could be the start of something.

<<<<<<<

Flavins has a new shop assistant



 The fifth generation Flavin is too small to stand behind the counter but Clara posed with her mother, Anne and her aunt Joan in Flavins of Church St. Listowel last week

<<<<<<<

Chimney and Roof Repairs at Allos and Lees


Up on the roof in Church St. Listowel on February 24 2016



<<<<<<<


Big Night planned for Coolard Scholars




The above photos from the great Kennelly Archive were taken in December 1957 when Santa visited Coolard.  These children are all grown up now. I wonder do they remember that day in 1957. No doubt this and many other school memories will be relived as people dip into Maurice O’Mahony’s History of Coolard school which will be launched in St. John’s on Saturday evening next March 5 2016.

Flavins of Church St. the last of a kind, 1908 in Listowel and a Listowel connection to Florida

Is Time Running Out for the Owner Occupied shop?

This is Joan Flavin in her shop, Flavin’s of Church St. Listowel, one of the last of an endangered species: the shop run by the owner who has his/her home upstairs. 

Coinnigh do shiopa is coinneoidh do shiopa thú. This Irish proverb says “Keep your shop and your shop will keep you.” Not any more I’m afraid.

There are only about 3 such shops left in town.

  A Flavin has traded in this spot since 1880.

Market forces are working against the small newsagent. By the time the news gets to the paper now it is old news. I have heard a newspaper described to a child as “that big paper thing your grandfather is reading while you are catching up with the news on the internet.”

I love a newspaper myself, not so much for the news as for the features, the puzzles and, of course, the photographs. I would hate to see small local retailers like Flavins leave our streets. They are what adds the local colour and individuality to our town.

And lest I start a rumour, Flavins is open for business seven days a week and Joan is determined to keep the family tradition going for a long time yet. She deserves our support.

<<<<<<

John Ross for Jewellery ………..         and a head of cabbage?

Junior Griffin ponders on changed times as evidenced in two advertisements from 1908.

Two
adverts that appeared in the “Kerryman” on Dec. 12th, 1908 are as
follows;

For younger
people it is worth noting the poultry prices.  Those were the days when
there were 240 pence to the pound; 12 pence to the shilling and 20 shillings to
the pound.  The shilling was denoted as “s” and the penny was “d”. There
was a half crown coin which was worth 30 pence and eight of these made up a
pound.  So as one can see from the above advert, a full goose, which in
those days was more popular than the turkey, could be purchased for 2s and
6p  The turkey price was 7d per lb.(pound)

The advert,
John Ross, Jeweller, Listowel, Yes that is the same John Ross who has always
been associated with Tralee.

A native of
Aberdeen, John Ross came to Listowel in 1899.  For some reason Listowel
reminded him of his native Aberdeen and he set up business in William Street as
noted on the 1911 census. A qualified horologist (watch and clock maker) he
soon built up a respected reputation as a purveyor of exquisite jewellery.

Who knows,
maybe John Ross played Badminton in Listowel.

He sold his
Listowel business in the late 1930’s and moved to Tralee where at one time he
had no less than three shops and a farm from which the produce was also sold.

The
information received from his great-grand daughter was that one would find
jewellery, watches and clocks on one side of the counter and just a few feet
away one could purchase, potatoes, cabbage and carrots.

Such was the
norm for business in those days, a little bit of everything.

<<<<<<<


” Such stuff as Dreams are made on”

This is Sarah Murphy, Montessori Teacher, Artist, Art Therapist and Author.

Sarah is passionate about children. She paints them, teaches and helps them and her latest venture is an unique book concept. Her book, What if? is meant to be read by an adult and child together. The text and pictures are a conversation starter. Sarah explores common scenarios like what would happen if I ate too many sweets or if my ball rolled on to the road. The adult and young child talk together about what is the best course of action and the consequences of making a wrong decision. The idea behind the book is that when the real life situation comes up the adult and child go back to the book and revisit the conversation. Simple but effective.



So where does Minnie Mouse come in and what is the Listowel connection? I’ll answer my second question first. Sarah launched her book at Listowel Writers’ Week in 2014.

Sarah on the far right  with Listowel friends, Mary Salmon and Eileen Moylan.

Sarah at her workshop in Craftshop na Méar on May 31 2014 as part of Listowel Writers’ Week fringe programme.

Sarah with some of the young artists.

Recently Sarah was on holiday in Orlando, Florida and she visited Disneyland. She bought a book in the Disneyland book kiosk and she fell to chatting with the shop assistant.

Sarah told her about her book. The shop girl contacted her boss. Now they have agreed to stock What if? in the Disney store in Florida.

If you are lucky enough to go to Disneyland, be sure to look out for Sarah’s book in the bookshop.



<<<<<<<



Another One Gone



It is sad to see this once very busy and popular public house closed.

<<<<<<<



Sounds Good but not True…or so I’m told







School play over 20 years ago,The Garden of Europe and an old book by a prolific novelist.

Cormorant photographed by Mike Enright

<<<<<<<<


The Good Old Days!



This photo was taken in the ‘lunch room” of the old Pres. Listowel Primary School. These young ladies who were then in 5th and 6th class were staging a kind of countries of the world Christmas play. They will probably recognize themselves and I’ll spare their blushes by letting the naming to themselves.

<<<<<<


Garden of Europe in Winter


 Schiller looks a little forlorn and bare those days.

 A lone crow searches for worms.

All looking bleak and deserted

<<<<<<<



Flavins Bookshop and Library




This old treasure/ piece of junk came into my possession lately. It is a novel called The Search Party which was borrowed by persons unknown from Flavin’s library in Church St. Listowel.

As well as the Carnegie Free Library, Listowel had a library and bookshop in Flavins.

North Kerry has always had a love of books and literature.

Rattoo Abbey, Dec. 6 2015 in The Square and a view from Cnoc an Óir

London Irish News


 Dermot O’Leary has been revealed as the new charity patron of theLondon Irish Centre. Dermot is very proud of his Irish heritage and is looking forward to helping the centre to promote Irish culture and to look after vulnerable people in the London Irish community.

<<<<<<


The Boys of Scoil Realt na Maidine have Built an Igloo

They made it from recycled 2 litre milk containers. Great work, boys!

<<<<<<<<<


Another Great Night in Mike the Pies

Mundy is pictured here with Caitríona MacCarthy. Photo by Denis Carroll

<<<<<<<<<

Rattoo Abbey in the snow

Padraig O’Connor of Ballyduff photographed the abbey in the snow a few years ago.

<<<<<<<<

People in The Square on December 6 2015



 Damien O’Mahoney promoting Love Listowel

 Pierse Walsh of John R.’s Food Hall

These two from Apache Piazza on Bridge Road were very popular with the children.

Listowel’s tree 2015

 Hanleys and Hanlons


 Flavins

<<<<<<<

From Cnoc an Óir



Mike Enright took these great photographs from the top of Cnoc an Óir, outside Ballybunion.


Ballybunion

Ballybunion Golf Club and Cemetery

Mouth of the Cashen

Monastery and tower on Scattery Island

Scattery

Boat in the estuary

<<<<<<<<<

Emigrants full of hope

Vincent Doyle sent me this picture which was taken in 1962. It shows Vincent from Inch, Liam Hayes of Tannavalla and Tommy Behan of St. Brendan’s Terrace. These three friends worked together in Moloney’s Garage before deciding to set out to explore greener faraway hills. They emigrated to Birmingham.

Vincent later moved to London where he still lives. Liam has returned to Listowel with his wife, Una and sadly, Tommy has passed away.

Page 3 of 4

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén