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
Molly and I ventured on a short walk on the greenway
Im sure that young people and technologically literate people find this most useful.
Molly looking back on her last glimpse of The Kingdom for a while.
I was reminded of Coleridge’s lines
Like one, that on a lonesome road Doth walk in fear and dread, And having once turned round walks on, And turns no more his head; Because he knows, a frightful fiend Doth close behind him tread.
Happily reunited with Cora.
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Building the Ark
St Swithin has brought us biblical rainfall. Lets hope not for for 40 days though.
River Feale on July 15 2023
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Seeking your help
Jeff and Lois Mathews from Delaware with Vincent Carmody in Listowel in May 2023.
Vincent is helping Lois and Jeff to piece together aspects of their search for Lois’ Irish ancestors.
One piece of the puzzle lies in Ballylongford. There was a fire in the presbytery in St. Michael’s Church in the 1980s when Fr. Ferris was P.P. and many of the records were lost. (Incidentally it was the late Garda Jerry McCabe, who died so tragically later in Adare, who rescued Fr. Ferris from the fire).
Here is the paragraph from Lois’ letter.
“I have one more shameless request, Mary. Do you by chance know the parish secretary at St. Michael’s Church in Ballylongford? In May, we stopped at the church hoping to get some key questions answered, but the parish secretary was on holiday. The kind priest, Fr. Hussey (sp?) suggested I write to the parish and pose my questions. I sent an email to ballylongford@dioceseofkerry.ie, but have not received a reply. That is the parish where my great-grandfather in Pittsburgh (John Stack b: 1866 d: 1938) was baptized. I am trying to find out what happened to his parents, Michael Stack & Margaret Donohue. I am even more curious about them now that I read about the civil strife in Ballylongford. “
Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.
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Visitors
I met these two lovely Kilkenny ladies last week. I told them I’d put them in my blog. I hope you are continuing to enjoy your holiday, in spite of the weather.
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A Most Unusual Wedding Dress
(Thanks to Dave O’Sullivan for finding this)
When Stephen Rynne came to town on July 6th. he brought with him his mother’s wedding dress and the papal blessing illuminated by Michael O’Connor which was his present to them on the occasion of their wedding in 1967.
The dress is beautifully embellished with celtic embroidery and the Papal Blessing scroll is a beautiful piece of Michael O’Connor artwork
Aideen Rynne with her wedding dress in Listowel on July 6 2023
Another Prestigious Prize for a journalist with a Listowel Connection
This is Malachy’s father, David Browne’s Facebook post
“Proud and privileged to witness the announcement of the Pulitzer Prize Award to my son Malachy last Monday in the New York Times offices. His team were acknowledged for their unflinching coverage of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, including an eight-month investigation into Ukrainian deaths in the town of Bucha and the Russian unit responsible for the killings.’
Malachy Browne with Donnie O’Sullivan at Listowel Writers’ Week 2022
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A Settle Bed
This is a picture of an old farmhouse from Floklore.ie. On the left of the picture is what was known as a settle bed. The bedclothes were stored underneath the seat and brought out when the bed was dressed for someone for the night. This was a fine cozy bed beside the fire and often used by visitors or travelling workmen.
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Listowel’s Newest Amenity
“My heart, tonight, is home again in Ireland
Upon thy banks, my silver river Feale.”
Bryan MacMahon’s words were sung to us by his son, Owen, at the launch of Listowel Kayaking Club on May 14 2023.
The sun shone. The water was resplendent. The birds sang. A small crowd gathered (small, for health and safety reasons) and Jimmy Deenihan presented us with his latest project, a kayaking club. Jimmy and friends have brought this to fruition in jig time.
Jimmy Deenihan
I was delighted to meet this group of my former pupils, all involved in this healthy outdoor activity. Lovely to see these young ladies emerging as leaders in their community.
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A Welcome Treat
On my way to town on Friday, I met these lovely young people at the gate of their school, Coláiste na Ríochta. They were inviting me to their Bake Sale in aid of Áras Mhuire.
I took up their invitation and a lovely young man accompanied me to the classroom where selling, eating and chatting was in full swing.
I even met someone I knew. I bought some cakes . They were delicious.
Well done enterprising seniors in Coláiste na Ríochta.
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A Coronation Tale
Did we ever think we would see Kay Caball, cousin of Canon Declan, renouned historian and genealogist and a pillar of respectability feature in The Irish Daily Mail?
Don’t panic. Kay was merely telling the tale and it all happened in the eighteenth century.
This is the coronation connection. Lady Fiona Petty Fitzmaurice is Queen Camilla’s best buddy.
The Fitzmaurice connection: Fiona’s husband. is one of the once Lixnaw based Fitzmaurices who used to own most of Kerry.
“After a gatherer comes a scatterer” they say and the Fitzmaurices had the father of all scatterers. Kay told the story replete with “Petticoats up and pantaloons down” to a journalist from The Daily Mail and below is a photo of the centre page in the paper on Saturday.
If you missed the paper, Kay will tell it all again on Jimmy Deenihan’s walking tour at Listowel Writers Week on Friday June 2 starting from Kerry Writers’ Museum at 10.00 a.m.
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I told you so
In 2018 I posted this picture on here. It is cyclist Dillon Corkery being greeted by his grandparents at the stage finish of the Rás in Market Street.
Pic : Lorraine O’Sullivan
Yesterday Dillon won Rás Tailteann outright as part of Team Ireland. I told you he was destined for great things. My exact words were ” Is Dillon the next Sam Bennett?”
The Listowel Connection?
I went to school in Kanturk with his grandmother and still count her as a friend today. I’m over the moon!
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A Fact
The word NEWS comes from the fact that stories were gathered from all corners of the world. News is actually an acronym North East West South.
Photo taken by Edel O’Connor as she left St. Mary’s on Sunday October 30th 2022
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The Lartigue Little Theatre
The Kerryman April 1 1972
The Listowel Notes announced the beginning of this iconic Listowel theatre. The first fundraising efforts were very modest i.e. a jumble sale..
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Local People at the Official Opening of the Listowel Abbeyfeale Greenway
Margaret, Daisy and guest
Damien brought his dog. Dogs are welcome on the greenway.
Christy, Damien and Moss were there to witness history being made
Keen cyclist, Jimmy Moloney, stopped for a chat with his neighbour, Marie Regan on his way home from the opening ceremony.
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Our Newest Mural
Garrett Joyce has finished our latest mural by now. When I visited him on October 28th 2022 he was nearly finished.
If you can at all, do go and see it for yourself. My photos don’t do it justice.
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End of an Era
Breda Canty, photographer, took the photo of fisherman on The Cashen at 5.30 am one morning. Breda was doing a big clearout of her stock at Listowel Food and Craft Fair. I bought this never to be repeated image,. I was tempted to buy the lot. She has some beautiful pictures of North Kerry.
Celtic Crosses in St. Michael’s graveyard, Listowel in October 2022
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Leahy from Lisselton Wounded in 1922
This is just another in a long list of sad stories of young men caught up in the terrible conflict that was the civil war in Ireland. The story comes from Offaly Live blog of the Offaly Express website. I’m just printing here the bare bones of the story. Click on the link if you would like to read the full story.
Scene of the ambush near Tullamore, Co. Offaly
Raymond Cullen Offaly Live
THE Lieutenant featured in this article was my granduncle Matthew Cullen and Monday the 29th of August 2022 marked the 100th anniversary of his death, when he, along with a small party of National Troops [Free State army] from Tullamore Barracks were attacked by about fifty Irregulars [Republican IRA) at Bonaterrin [Bunaterin] Hill, near Blueball, Tullamore. Lieutenant Matthew Cullen, (3rd Southern Division ﾓglaigh na hﾉireann) was only 21 years old. Born 25th May 1901 in Ballymorris, Portarlington, County Laois, he was one of five boys born to Timothy and Mary Cullen. Matthew joined the Free State Army on 16th of March 1922 as did his two brothers Thomas and James (my grandfather) and by August 1922 were all stationed at Tullamore barracks. Matthew was also an ex-internee of the Rath Camp in the Curragh of Kildare and was there in Hut 9 on the 9th of September 1921 when the great escape happened.
Before he was stationed in Tullamore Barracks [the barracks was at High Street now Donal Farrelly’s house/ and Charleville Castle] Matthew spent over five months in the Nenagh Barracks, and since the opening of the Civil War was involved in almost every engagement in the Nenagh area. He was only a week in Tullamore when the fatal ambush happened.
First Reports: News reached Tullamore on Tuesday evening about 7.30 p. m, of a very painful and distressing character, which cast a gloom of sorrow and depression over the town and district. It was that a party of National troops had been ambushed at Bonaterrin, some four miles from Tullamore, and about a mile from Blueball, and that Lieut Cullen, a native of Portarlington, an ex-internee had been killed, and that Lieut Leahy, a native of Listowel, Co. Kerry, had been seriously wounded. Both were officers in the Tullamore garrison headquarters, were very well known, and much esteemed by the townspeople. Particulars to hand state that three cars carrying a party of about 20 officers and men from Tullamore, had been out in the neighbourhood of Kilcormac and Mountbolus engaged in clearing road obstructions.
When reinforcements arrived from Tullamore the attackers had disappeared, and no trace of them could be found. They had three miles of wood cover under which they were enabled to retreat. Lieut. Cullen was struck on the chest with two bullets, which made a terrible gash. The military are communicating with Lieut. Cullen’s family conveying the sad news, and with a view to arrangements for his interment.
They are also trying to get in touch with Lieut. Leahy’s people (who live on or near Listowel, Co. Kerry). Lieut. Leahy was Brigade Chemistry Officer to the Offaly No.1 Brigade. Lieut. Cullen took part in recent fighting in Tipperary, and was only a week in Tullamore.
Lieut. Leahy is a native of Lisselion Cross a place between Ballybunion and Listowel, Co. Kerry, and belongs to the farming class, his people been extensive farmers. He is a young man of fine- physique.
(I’m presuming Lisselion is a misprint for Lisselton)
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Bush Kids
Bushcraft and survival expert, Tom Bán, takes to the wild in the second series of Bush Kids traveling across mountains and rivers, teaching the Bush kids how to find food and build shelter to survive.
Bush Kids follows four families, each brought to a different habitat to learn how to survive in the wild, where bushcraft survival expert, Tom Bán, will shares his skills.
With just their backpacks, the Bush Kids, aged 5–12 years and accompanied by a parent, explore their given habitat and learn how to survive using only what they find around them.
Join Tom and the Bush Kids and learn how to build camping shelters, light fires without matches, prep and cook food on the open camp fire, while they explore the wonders and discover the resources in some of Ireland’s most remote areas.
Tom Bán is from Tipperary and spent most of his time growing up hunting, fishing and spending countless hours outside exploring the landscape around him and learning local history. He is dedicated to learn the skills required to survive in the wild and the bushcraft needed to do so. Tom has brought his passion for the outdoors into his carrier and now teaches bushcraft and nature classes to groups of kids and adults all across Ireland.
The Enright family from Kerry brave possibly the most difficult habitat in the series, the mountains and rivers!
Travelling with just what’s on their backs, Bush Kids Máire, Robert and Brian and their mum, Éilín, spend three days surviving in an area with very little resources and a terrain that would be difficult for any explorer. The Bush Kids explore hidden caves, travel through fast-flowing rivers, and catch and cook their own food. They encounter many challenges along the way, including rapidly changing weather and plagues of biting midges but Tom Bán is on hand to guide them on their journey.
Maire learning some survival skills
The episodes featuring the Enright children will be broadcast on Weds and Thurs. next and will be available on the rte player.
Proud mother Éilín, told me that they had great fun filming the series, despite being eaten alive by midges and encountering a little drama with an accidental cut. Dad, Darren, made himself useful on location with a few survival skills of his own.
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Official Opening of The Greenway
This was unveiled on Friday October 28 2022.
We had politicians, advisers, media and dignitaries galore on a beautiful sunny morning.
Owen O’Shea was in change of getting the show on the road for Kerry County Council.
Our mayor, Aoife Thornton, praised everyone who had brought this great amenity to us.
Moira Murrell was delighted that this project had been delivered “in house” i.e. by Kerry County Council.
Our canon, Declan O’Connor blessed the venture and prayed for everyone who will enjoy this greenway.
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Food and Craft Fair in Listowel Arms
Sunday October 30 2022
It felt like old times to be back in the ballroom of The Listowel Arms for the great food and craft fair at Listowel Food Fair 2022.
I met lots of lovely people , crafters and buyers.
Nora Sheahan was there with her son Noel.
Ruth OQuigley is a founder member of Listowel Food Fair. I met her with her three grandchildren. She told me that their roles are reversed nowadays and her lovely girls are minding her.
His friends in Presentation Primary School helped their dancing teacher celebrate a big birthday lately.
They shared the pictures on Facebook.
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A Poem about Ballinruddery
From North Kerry Landscape
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Point to Point
I love this book. It’s the third in Healyracing’s horse racing books and, in my humble opinion, the best.
If you love horses; if you love history; if you love photographs; if you love stories, if you love people, they are all here in Point to Point.
Many p to p races are held in gorgeous settings, a photographer’s dream.
It’s not all glamour. Many big day winners at Cheltenham or Fairyhouse started off in muddy fields in rural Ireland.
There is the usual sprinkling of dramatic dismounts.
I love this book and I’ll be dipping into it for a while yet. You dont have to know anything about horses or racing to enjoy this one. It will be a best seller.
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The Greenway
I went to investigate where the greenway enters the park. Here are a few photos to give you an idea. This section is not finished yet.
