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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Halloween, Sarah Curran and Photos from the Launch of A Minute of Your Time

By

On October 29, 2019

In Uncategorized

A Little Egret




Chris Grayson photographed this fellow in The National Park, Killarney

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Sarah Curran

Sarah Curran (1782-1808) was the daughter of lawyer and orator John Philpot Curran and love of Robert Emmet. After Emmet was executed she was disowned by her father who disagreed with their relationship and she went on to marry army officer Henry Sturgeon. She died at a young age suffering from tuberculosis and her wish to be buried with her sister in a grave at the family home in Rathfarnham Dublin was refused by her father, who had her buried in his original hometown of Newmarket Cork.

Bernard O’Connell posted the above picture and caption on Facebook.

Since she comes from my corner of the world I was interested to check the pictures I had posted here in 2017.

This is what it says about Sarah in Newmarket, Co. Cork

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Some people at the launch of A Minute of Your Time



Breda Ferris was the busy photographer on October 19 2019. She did a great job. My only apology to you is that I am in all of the pictures. I’m usually at the other side of the camera so not used to seeing myself in every photo.




Elaine Kinsella launched the book.

I was surprised and delighted to see Helen and Aidan. Helen and I knit in the knitting group in the library in Ballincollig. Helen is originally from Ballylongford and combined the book launch with a visit home.

Betty and Maria Stack bought an extra book to give to my old friend and now their friend too, Anne Leneghan.

Billy Keane took time out from his busy Saturday night  to attend.

Robert Bunyan was there.



One proud Nana with my 5 grandchildren

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Halloween Windows in Listowel



Lynch’s has a ver spooky window display




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Féile an tSolais 2019




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Lost and Found




Anyone missing this umbrella since the night of the launch of my book? It was found in St. John’s and I now have it and would like to reunite it with its rightful owner.

A Touching Note, Christmas goodies, Tidy Towning and Men at The Ballybunion Marconi Station

By

On October 25, 2019

In Uncategorized

Phot: Lisa Egan of Mallow Camera Club

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A Love Letter found in an Old  Bible in Tralee


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Marconi Station, Ballybunion




Liam OHainnín posted this photo of workers at the Marconi Station in Ballybunion on Facebook. He was wondering if anyone had any names for these men. Maybe someone else has the phot with names or maybe it appeared in some publication.

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Christmas Goods on Display at Listowel Garden Centre

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Tidy Towning


I met Julie Gleeson freshening up the display at St. Mary’s. There is a lot of hard work and relentless slog goes into getting that Tidy Town gold medal.

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Halloween in Ballybunion and Knocknagoshel



Remembering, an anniversary poem, Convent Cross and Halloween at Kerry Writers’ Museum

By

On October 16, 2018

In Uncategorized

Trees in John Paul 2 cemetery

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Poem from Richard Moriarty on a wedding anniversary

REMEMBERING

Just thinking back on yesteryear and how it used to be

When love was new to me and you, and life a mystery

How I’ve cherished all these special years, since we first said “I do”

Just like a dream, or it would seem, with someone as dear as you

I wander back to when first we met, we’d walk down by the strand

We’d kiss each other on the cheek and hold each other’s hand

How we strolled along the boardwalk and gazed out on the sea

Those endless days of happiness, the way ‘twas meant to be

Together all the things we’ve done, and all the things we’ve seen

The little gifts that we have shared and the places we have been

Those simple times like holding hands, when all the world seemed still

Or saying such things as “I love you” and I know I always will

And there were times when I felt down and life seemed all so grey

But you were there to show you cared, with a gentle word to say

And when things went wrong, as they sometimes do, and woe was all about

You’d smile and say

“Don’t worry now, this too we will work out”

All through these years of joy and tears, you’ve been a friend to me

A union blessed, at God’s behest, for all the world to see

And in years to come, on that special day, just like we’ve done before

We’ll hold each other in our arms and say it just once more

You bring me joy this very day as you have for all these years

We’ll kiss each other on the cheek while holding back the tears

Again we’ll stroll down by the strand, we’ll gaze out on the sea

And with love we’ll share some other care,

And another ANNIVERSARY.

Richard G. Moriarty

Richard now lives in San Diego, California but he hails from Lisselton.

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At Convent Cross




The postbox is Elizabethan.



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Thinking Ahead to Halloween





Dare to enter the Haunted Writers’ House at the Kerry Writers’ Museum, Listowel this Halloween where ghosts & ghouls lurk around every corner. Follow the haunted trail and find the clues hidden within. A thrilling, heart-stopping, fun-filled experience the whole family will enjoy.

Open daily from October 31st to November 2nd from 3 to 6 pm. Tours every half hour.

Suitable for children age 6 to 10 years.

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Molly was back



Molly came to Listowel with her forever family for the weekend. She has grown up a bit and matured …a bit.

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Positive Ageing



If there is a better depiction of active ageing, I haven’t seen it.

Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh abseiling…….photo from Twitter


Halloween, Jimmy Hickey story continued, Daisy Kearney honoured and Santa in Patrick, Street, Cork in October 2016

By

On October 31, 2016

In Uncategorized



(photo; Chris Grayson)

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Halloween


This year Halloween has taken on a sinister aspect with these prank killer clowns popping up unexpectedly. I preferred it when we prayed for the salvation of the souls of our dead relatives at this time of year.


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North Kerry, Cork and Limerick Dancers and Musicians at the Eistedfodd


It is often claimed that
Riverdance first introduced Irish dancing to a world audience. It did not. 

Jimmy Hickey
of Listowel had already made that introduction.

This is a postcard of the lovely village of Llangollen where the annual Eisteddfod takes place.

One year at the Eisteddfod,
while they were waiting to perform in the marquee, Jimmy and the troupe put on
a performance in the local square. The local people loved it and the prolonged
applause echoed all over the town square. These open air performances became a
feature of the Irish visitors schedule as did visits to old folks homes and
schools, reaching an audience who would not otherwise get to see the show. The
directors of the festival were very impressed with this.

The whole purpose of the Eistedfodd was to introduce the countries of the world to each other’s cultures and in this way to promote peace and understanding. When Jimmy and his dancers were there there were 42 other nations taking part. In 1993 BBC Wales decided to follow the preparations of three of the participating countries. Ireland was chosen.They sent a camera crew to North Kerry and they filmed the dancers preparing, the late Mary Doyle, Kathleen McCarthy and a group of women making the costumes, a cross roads dance and a feis in Ballybunion.

The camera crew filmed the dancers dancing at Finuge crossroads and then in the programme this footage came first and then cut to the same dancers dancing in a pub in Wales.

Jimmy and his dancers appeared several times on RTE in the Bibi Baskin show, on the Late Late Show with John B. Keane and in numerous foreign television channels.

.Jimmy Hickey and his dancers at festivals and on TV

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Daisy Kearney


The special guest at this year’s Gary MacMahon Singing Festival was storyteller Daisy Kearney.


Daisy Kearney tells a story

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Santa Has Landed



Where else but the real capital of Ireland, Cork. I just hit Pana in time to see his arrival at Brown Thomas for his photo shoot.



This lanky fellow who could be straight out of Dickens was offering us all mince pies.


Listowel, Jimmy Hickey and His Dancers in Wales,

By

On October 28, 2016

In Uncategorized

Welcome Weather

We have had an unseasonably mild October in 2016. This thought struck me the other day as I walked through the Square. Shops still have their advertising outdoors, an unusual sight for late October

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Change of Scene for the Roadworks



Just sweeping up.  William Street is all done and dusted for the time being. It will have to be revisited again but for now it’s the turn of Market Street .

The road is temporarily resurfaced and life can get back to normal for a while for Lynch’s Cafe and Mags Deli.

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An Example to us all

This hardy lady was out bright and early do her shopping.

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Jimmy Hickey in Wales



The first time Jimmy attended the Eistedfodd was in 1982 with this group from the Sliabh Luachra area.

Let me fill you in on the background.

This is how his involvement
started. Jimmy’s dancers from Sliabh Luachra were performing in a hotel in
Killarney. The organisers of the Welsh Eisteddfod were there and were very
impressed with what they saw. 

 (An eisteddf is aWelshfestivalofliterature,musicandperformance. The tradition of such a meeting of Welsh artists dates back to
at least the 12th century, when a festival of poetry and music was held byRhys ap GruffyddofDeheubarthat his court inCardiganin 1176, but the decline of thebardictradition
made it fall intoabeyance. The current format owes much to an 18th-century revival
arising out of a number of informal eisteddfodau.   Wikipedia)

In lay man’s language it is a
kind of Welsh fleadh cheoil.

The directors of the
Eisteddfod saw Jimmy and his dancers in Killarney and invited them to come to
Wales. They were only delighted to go and they returned there to great success
year after year.

On one occasion Prince
Charles attended the eisteddfod and he asked Jimmy if he could teach him to
dance. He was asking the right man.

Terry Wogan was the M.C.
another year.

This was the year they met Rolf Harris

Jack Leahy R.I.P. used to work as a ticket collector on the trains in London. He remembered watching the hoards boarding the train for the Eisteddfod every summer and  he envied them. He had to pinch himself to believe that not only was he finally attending the festival but he was participating.

Here is a link to video footage of Jimmy and crew chatting with Prince Charles and then putting on their show with the prince in the audience. Around 7,000 people attend the Eisteddfod every year.

 If you keep watching you will see the dancers performing at the Harmonie Festival in 1999. I’ll tell you more about that anon.

Jimmy Hickey and Sliabh Luachra Dancers in Wales and Germany

I talked to one of the
ladies, Sheila O’Connell of Ballydesmond, who went on that first trip to the
Eisteddfod and she remembers it very fondly, They were all very aware that they
were representing Ireland. They dressed in Irish traditional costumes and they
carried the flag everywhere they went. They were accommodated in local houses
and became firm friends with their local hosts.

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Halloween Parade

This is the home of Listowel KDYS.

This is what they are planning for Halloween, October 31 2016

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