Tag: Ita Hannon Page 1 of 2

New Year, Changed Town

By listowelconnection

On January 10, 2022

In Listowel

North Kerry sunrise photographed in January 2022 by Ita Hannon

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A Poem sent to us by Éamon ÓMurchú

John O’Donohue
A Blessing For The New Year

On the day when
The weight deadens
On your shoulders
And you stumble,
May the clay dance
To balance you.

And when your eyes
Freeze behind
The gray window
And the ghost of loss
Gets into you,
May a flock of colors
Indigo, red, green
and azure blue,
Come to awaken in you
A meadow of delight

When the canvas frays
In the curragh of thought
And a stain of ocean
Blackens beneath you,
May there come across the waters
A path of yellow moonlight
To bring you safely home.

May the nourishment of the earth be yours,
May the clarity of light be yours,
May the fluency of the ocean be yours,
May the protection of the ancestors be yours.

And so may a slow
Wind work these words
Of love around you,
An invisible cloak
To mind your life.

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2022

John Kelliher took this marvellous picture of Listowel Town Square in December 2021

Here in North Kerry 2022 is opening with businesses closing, shops having to shut temporarily due to staff absences due to Covid and our streets at times eerily quiet as we are advised to limit social mixing. Our resilience is being tested but we will survive.

I’m back after a longer Christmas holiday than usual. Thank you to all the followers who were worried I had contracted Covid. Thankfully I have managed to avoid it so far even though it is all around me. so hopefully Listowel Connection will continue in some form for a while yet.

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John Stack, Dancing Teacher

My friend and former colleague at Presentation Secondary School, Listowel posted a sad message on Facebook in January 2022. He accompanied the message with this photo;

Hi All

I have informed the Ballydonoghue Cce branch of Comhaltas that It is with regret that I will not be returning as Set Dancing teacher in Ballydonoghue after 43 years. I have put alot of thought into my decision over the Christmas and due to a number of reasons including Covid-19 and the effect it has had on everything and still not knowing when we can return if at all this year.

I started classes in Ballydonoghue in 1978 and during my time I have had some very memorable ventures.

Our first All Ireland medal was in 1996 when our U8 set brought home medals in the U15 set competition in Listowel. We also won All Ireland medals in Ballycastle Co Antrim Castlewellan CountyDown Tullamore, Co. Offaly, Ireland Peter Stack Ballina Co Mayo Enniscorthy Co. Wexford and Drogheda, Ireland

Winning our first All Ireland winners medal in Ballycastle County Antrim in 1999. We also have had much success at County, Munster, as well as other competitions all over the country.

We also travelled to take part in Sean Dempsey International competition in Manchester on several occasions having much success.

In 2008. 23members from the branch did a branch exchange with the Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann – O’Neill Malcom Branch CCE in Washington DC. This was a very rare experience and we enjoyed visits to Capitol Hill, reception at the European union offices, also at the Irish Embassy, visiting Baltimore, Virginia, Maryland and seeing places we could only dream off. Finishing our trip with a performance on the Millennium stage In the Washington Dc Kennedy Centre where we were told we would have 200 to 250 attending and ending with over 1300 people watching us for an hour long concert.

Our trips to the RTE Studios for our performances on TG4 was a highlight for all our dancers.

I have to acknowledge the input Liz McNamara had on both Dolly and myself and the dancing class. She was a great support to us and always showed her support to every child regardless whether they won or not as she was always very proud that they had represented the branch.

Again many thanks to everyone in the branch for their support over the last 43 years and we would like to wish the branch much success in the future.

To Ballydonoghue GAA for the use of their clubrooms down through the years and of late their fabulous new building I would like to say thanks to all the officers past and present. Also to Jackie Hegarty and Tom in Tomasinis ye were always willing to help in any way ye could and put yer building at our disposal.

To the parents who have supported Dolly and myself and the class down through the years I want to thank you.

Last but not least to you our dancers wherever you may be. Passing through the doors of Ballydonoghue GAA clubrooms on a Satuday morning and Tuesday evening of late, I thank you all for the pleasure and joy you brought to us. We have made some great memories together and hope you will always remember your dancing days in Ballydonoghue.

John

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It’s for the Children

Our lovely 2021 baby has had her first Christmas, her first Christmas tree, her first visit to a crib and Santa was good to her.

Aoife has brought “hope with her and forward looking thoughts.”

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River Brick, Listowel Fire fighters, an essay on Slagging and a Lyre Cuckoo

By Listowel Connection

On May 12, 2020

In Uncategorized

Bovine Reflection in the River Brick

Photo; Bridget O’Connor

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John Kelliher’s Fire Fighters Photos

Fire chief, Anthony MacAuliffe and a very young John Kelliher outside Seán Scully’s

This is the old fire station. The library is now on their site.

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ONLY SLAGGIN’

By Mattie Lennon

A sense of humour keen enough to show a man his own absurdities, as well as those of other people, will keep him from the commission of all sins, or nearly all, save those worth committing.

Samual Lover.

I’m getting a bit of a slagging lately (I won’t go into details) and it’s great fun. I’m not talking about offensive remarks or insults. I’m referring to good substantial, wholesome, slagging.

SLAGGING : The delicate art of teasing someone in such a fashion that they look forward to it.

It is practiced widely throughout Ireland by all manner of people. Well not all manner; there are those, a small minority, who, through low self-esteem, feelings of inadequacy or some form of psychological abnormality cannot take a slagging. And they have a right to live too despite the fact that they could truthfully echo the words of the character in God of Carnage who said “I don’t have a sense of humour and I have no intention of acquiring one.” Will the humourless, however, admit to their condition? Almost eighty years ago Frank Moore Colby asked, “Men will confess to treason, murder, arson, false teeth or a wig. How many of them will own up to a lack of humour.”? (I once lived in a Dublin suburb of which it was said that one “would want to wash your words.”

In the words of Erin Mack, “Blessed are we who can laugh at ourselves for we shall never cease to be amused.”

Why can some people not take a slagging? Freud in Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious points out that when we were children we had no need for jokes because all our fantasies were so immediate. “ . . . when we were ignorant of the comic, when we were incapable of jokes and when we had no need of humour to make us feel happy in our life.”

Is the anti-slagging brigade made up of those who haven’t left their childhood? Who have not grown up and who, subconsciously or otherwise are without the need for a bit of craic? Or are they victims of their upbringing or education? One writer, with reference to French finishing schools says, “In a world where structure, order and logic are the master nouns, the room for nonsense and absurdity is limited.”

Or, as one journalist put it, “In Ireland, we’ve always tended to gift-wrap our positives somewhat differently. We do it by insult. The closeness of Irish friendships — particularly Irish male friendships — can often be measured by how egregiously the friends insult each other. Incompetence, ineptitude with the opposite sex, shortness, tallness, fatness, skinniness, hairiness and baldness are all highlighted to tighten the bonds of mutual affection. “ Of course it has been suggested that all Irish people can take a joke, based on the fact that we voted in the government that we have.

So, we have our own way of dispensing what Americans call “positive reinforcement.”

There are people in these islands who have convinced juries that a graceful taunt was an insult. And they are living comfortably on the proceeds.

In 1994 Jacob Hangaard, a Dutchman, stood for election as a joke. He was elected. His manifesto included “the reclassification of people without a sense of humour as disabled.”

Should we change a culture to appease a small minority who are allergic to life? How do we deal with people who can’t distinguish between affection and rejection? I don’t know. How about a compromise? What if those who suffer from self-victimisation or hypersensitivity were obliged to wear some form of badge proclaiming, “I can’t take a slagging.”

I have commissioned a mug for such people. Do you want one?

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Super Photograph of a Super Moon

Ita Hannon took this photo last week.

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Cuckoo in Lyre in May 2020

Photos by Mary Nolan

Ballybunion, Listowel History Festival and Cough Syrup from another age

By Listowel Connection

On April 19, 2019

In Uncategorized

Sing, Sing a Song of Joy…..

Photo; Ita Hannon

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On the Long Strand

Weather is predicted to be balmy this weekend so make the most of it. Why not take a trip to Ballybunion.

Photos; Knockanure Local

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A Skillet

You sometimes see these pots nowadays used as planters but their original use was for cooking food for human or animal consumption . This cooking was done over an open fire.

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Sad News

This was taken in Listowel Town Square in 2015 during the annual history festival.

Thi festival has been cancelled for 2019 and it looks like it is unlikely to happen again. Our thanks to the hard working dedicated team who had the vision to set it up and the stamina to hold it for so many years in the teeth of rising costs. Thanks for the memories.

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To Kill or to Cure

What on earth could the “other essentials” be?

St. Patrick’s Day in the 90s, Charles Street, Local Fairs and Ita Hannon’s stag is a winner

By Listowel Connection

On March 8, 2019

In Uncategorized

Photo: Chris Grayson

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Charles Street Then and Now

2004

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St. Patrick’s Day Parade in the 1990s

Photos; Danny Gordon

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Ballybunion Folklore

(from the Dúchas collection)

Local Fairs

Fairs are not held in this district nor does anyone remember fairs being held here. They are held in Listowel which is the nearest town to us. Very often before a big fair buyers or jobbers went around to the farmers houses to buy calves and sometimes cattle. This is still carried on.

There are no accounts of former fairs being discontinued or of fairs being held on hills, near churchyards, near castles, or near forts. In Listowel the fairs are held in the streets, in the square, and in the market place. No toll was collected in the streets but for every cow you’d carry into the square you’d have to pay seven pence and for every pig you’d carry into the market place you’ have to pay a penny. This money was given to Lord Listowel.

Luck money is always given. It is called luck money. For every pig or bonham a schilling is given and for a cow half a crown. If prices are high a pound is given as luck money for a horse but if prices are low five schillings is given. When a bargain is made the seller holds out his hand and the buyer strikes it with his clenched fist. A piece of hair is cut out of the cows side to show she is sold. A dab of paint is then stamped on it. This is done sometimes on the cows back.

(There is no name recorded for the pupil who collected this piece of folklore)

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Look Up

If you look up here you might forget for a minute that you are in Market Street, Listowel.

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Winner Alright

Ita Hannon’s brilliant photograph of a magnificent stag was awarded photograph of the month by The Irish Wildlife Trust.

Painting the Community Centre, Changes at Bank of Ireland and Olive Stack’s mural

By Listowel Connection

On July 20, 2018

In Uncategorized

Morning in Listowel Pitch and Putt course

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Molly is still enjoying her trip to Listowel

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Painting work continues at Lisatowel Community centre

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I Met the Hannons in The Square

Danny, Eileen and Maurice out for a stroll in the July sunshine

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Aspects of The Listowel Arms Hotel

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Changes at Bank of Ireland

They’re changing the interior layout of the bank. I’ll keep you posted.

Olive Stack’s mural is still intact.

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The First of the Beal Spuds

Photo: Ita Hannon

Do you remember when the first of the new potatoes would come into the grocery shop and the grocer would boil a muller of them and plonk them outside the door?

There was no better advertisement.

Ita Hannon’s photo took me back to those days and I just know that there is many an emigrant mouth watering at the sight.