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

Tag: Iceland

Story Behind The Rose of Tralee Festival

By

On August 21, 2023

In Listowel

Rewilded meadow in Childers’ Park in August 2023

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Then and Now

I’m sure plans are afoot to redo the mural. In the meantime, the blank wall has its own significance. The Famine was a time of wiping out, whole families, whole neighbourhoods “bánaithe”.

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Date for the Diary

September 14 to 17 2023

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The Rose of Tralee

Mick O’Callaghan writes a very entertaining blog

A Rambler’s Blog

Last week he filled us in on the back story of the Rose of Tralee.

The Mary referred to in this love song was Mary O Connor who was the beautiful daughter of a local shoemaker living in the appropriately named Brogue Lane at the bottom of Rock Street, Tralee. For visitors to the town of Tralee many of you will have seen The Brogue Inn which is the territory we are speaking about.

She got a job minding children at age 17 and there she met William Pembroke Mulchinock, who was a protestant, and, in those days, mixed marriages were frowned upon. William was wrongly implicated in the death of a Daniel O Connell supporter, and he was forced to emigrate to India where he worked as a war correspondent. He returned to Ireland in 1849 to marry his Mary having got engaged to her before he left for India. On the day he returned to Tralee, there was a funeral of one Mary O Connor aged 29 years. William was broken hearted. He later met Alicia Keogh whom he married, emigrated to America, and had a family. This marriage broke up and William returned to Ireland in 1855. He turned to alcohol, did some writing, and died in Ashe Street, Tralee in 1864 aged 44 years.

It was in his final years here that he penned the last verse of The Rose of Tralee

In the far fields of India mid wars dreadful thunder

Her voice was a comfort and solace to me,

But the cruel hand of death has now rent us asunder,

I’m lonely tonight for my rose of Tralee.

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Iceland

The sign says that the closure is temporary.

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A Fact

An ostrich’s eye is bigger than its brain.

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TCD, The White House and Church Street

By

On February 28, 2023

In Just a Thought, Listowel

Taelane Store, Church Street, February 2023

The Taelane Store isn’t in Taelane. It’s on Church Street.

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Reprieved!

The new owners of the Iceland chain have had a change of heart. Iceland, in Mill Lane, Listowel is staying open.

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In Listowel Library

Vincent Carmody and Kathy Buckley’s niece, Orla Buckley.

On Friday February 24 2023, local historian, Vincent Carmody introduced us to one of Listowel’s most illustrious emigrants. Kathy Buckley of William Street, Listowel was the White House cook for three U.S. presidents.

Kathy’s Listowel home

Plaque unveiled by the US ambassador during Listowel Food Fair a few years ago.

Sections of the audience as we listened in fascination to Vincent’s story of this formidable lady who represented us so well in the U.S.

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Uplifting poem

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A Bookplate

This is another chapter in the MichaelO’Connor story. The Cork Examiner account found by Dave O’Sullivan explains this novel fundraising initiative by Trinity.

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Fact of the Day

Butterflies smell with their antennae and taste with their feet. The monarch butterfly’s feet (proper name tarsi) are approximately two thousand times more sensitive than a human tongue.

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Just a Thought

My last week’s reflections as broadcast on Radio Kerry

Just a Thought Feb, 20 to 24 2023

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If Music be the Food of Love, Play on

By

On January 26, 2023

In Ballybunion, Poem

Snow – Killarney – 18-01-2023 Photo: Kathleen Griffin

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Fleadh Cheoil Chiarraí 2023

Photo: The Kerryman

The Kerry Comhaltas committee organising the forthcoming County Fleadh. Back, from left, Sean Dee, safety officer, Karen Trench, assistant secretary Kerry County Board, Finola Fogarty, Fleadh Vice Chair, Martina O’Connor, Branch Secretary, Marie Houlihan, Fleadh PRO, Ann O’Donnell, DLP, Robert Stack, Ballybunion CCÉ.

Front from left, Catrina Heffernan, Secretary Kerry County Board, Aoife Mulvihill, Fleadh Secretary, PJ Mulvihill, Fleadh Chairman, Betty Joyce, Fleadh Treasurer, and John Lucid Treasurer Kerry County Board.

Two great weekends of traditional music, singing and dancing await us in Ballybunion in June. The County Fleadh will be held over two weekends, June 10 and 11, dancing competitions and the following weekend June 17 and 18 the singing and music competitions take place. These competitions are qualifying competitions of the Munster Fleadh.

As well as competitive music in venues around the town , busking competitions are planned for the streets and gigs in the pubs.

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Listowel Marching Band

Charlie Nolan took this photo in 1987. Two years earlier, in 1985, he filmed the band practicing before their performance in Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann.

Here is the link;

Listowel Marching Band 1985

The music and marching were top class. Well done all.

Dave O’Sullivan sourced a few newspaper clippings for us.

I know these will have brought back great memories for many. Thank you, Dave.

Many of the leading figures in conceiving and maintaining the band are no longer with us.

Music training, drilling at marching, making costumes, rehearsals, ferrying to Fleadhanna Cheoil was all done by a dedicated band of volunteers. They provided a great service to the young people of the town in the 1980s and 90s.

If anyone from that era would like to send us their memories, I’d love to get a first hand account.

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Caring for the Carer

Priscilla is home in Listowel after 20 years. She is looking after her lovely mam, Theresa. I met them on Church Street as they caught up with Carmel.

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Frozen Out

Sad to see this store closing and all the friendly staff being laid off.

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Last of the tennis shots, Super Valu/ Iceland, and NKM in Listowel

By

On February 25, 2019

In Uncategorized

Photo: Chris Grayson

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Then and Now


 2019


2004

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Tennis 1987

Photos; Danny Gordon

As I post this on February 24 2019, Bobby Cogan is still playing tennis and is on the court as I write playing with his club Lakewood.

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Whatever Happened to The Sweet factory?



This letter from Mary Murphy in 1990 asked a question we have all been wondering about since the topic of the NKM factory came up here.

Dave O’Sullivan has done a bit of research for us and the bottom line seems to be that the sweet factory relocated to Dublin in 1925 following a strike at its Listowel plant.

First, let’s go back to 1920 and ’21 when the factory was in full flight and offering good employment to what seems to be a predominantly female workforce.

(More tomorrow)

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There it is ……Gone




The mystery deepens. The box which was attached to this sign is gone. Any idea what that was all about?

Watching Rás Tailteann, Iceland Opens and an icon in St. Mary’s

By

On May 30, 2018

In Uncategorized

Photo: Chris Grayson

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People I met at Rás Tailteann on May 23 2018


Helen, P.J. and Joan stopped on their way from mass to wave the cyclists off.

Eilish, Maria and Sharon popped out of the Writers’ Week office to promote the festival to the race watchers.

Christy, Norita and Joan in The Square


Moriarty family out in force to support Eugene


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From the Johnny Hannon Archive



Batt and Gertie O’Keeffe

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It’s Open



Iceland Listowel in Mill Lane opened on May 22 2018

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In St. Mary’s Listowel




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Famous People meet a Blog Follower




Danny O’Connor from Gurtinard met father and son actors, Brendan and Domhnall Gleeson in New York

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Woodford Pottery



Pat Murphy gave me a sneak peak at his latest design innovation. He is still making his trademark blue  black and green kitchenware but now his creative juices are flowing in a whole new direction  and he is planning a white with a pop of colour range for the autumn.

I love them. What do you think?

Pat also has a beautiful range of souvenir mugs especially for Writers’ Week. You can pick them up in the craft shop at Galvins in William Street.

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