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: Ita Hannon

Craftshop na Méar, Convent Cross, The Irish Nillsons and a Stunning Ballybunion Sunset

Bog Cotton on Stack’s Mountain

Photo: Máire Logue

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Craftshop na Méar is No More

This premises is soon to be a high end barbers’

Does it say something about us as a society that we are not prepared to spend our money on hand craft?  We will spend it willy nilly on titivating ourselves.

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Convent Cross, June 12 2018


Convent Street.

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A John Hannon Photograph



Brother and sister, Marie and Seamus Buckley of Upper William Street

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The Swedish Connection




You may have seen this handsome couple around Listowel or in St. John’s and wondered why they love Listowel so much and keep returning.

That love goes back a long way. Here is the story as told by Bryan MacMahon of Ballyheigue.

Mike Nillson loves North Kerry and Irish history and literature so much that every year his family  sponsor a prize at Listowel Writers Week. The prize is awarded to the best work of Irish local heritage.

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Thank God for the Weather and the Sunsets




This stunning photograph was taken by Ita Hannon from The Nuns’ Beach, Ballybunion on June 22 2018. Heaven’s Reflex!

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Love’s Last Gift:  Remembrance



Photo by John Stack on Jim Cogan’s last birthday, two months before his death.

He is never far from my thoughts in the last five long short years.

Cherrytree Blossoms, Mass in the fifties and the first Park run

Photo: Joy Buckley of Mallow Camera Club for their People at Work project

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Cherry Blossom Time





Cahirdown

 In the Pitch and putt course

 In Cahirdown

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Sunday mass in Ireland in the 1950s



Jim Costello remembers mass in rural Ireland in the 1950s;

At Sunday mass the men wore
their Sunday suits, while the women wore 
coats, costumes or dresses.The older men wore hats while the young
people rubbed oil, Brillantine or pomade to their hair. The ladies, as was the
custom then always covered their heads with hats, scarves or mantillas. The
priest had his back to the congregation while he said the mass in Latin and the
altar boys responded also in Latin. The laity took no audible part in the mass
but said their prayers by using their rosary beads. People then conducted
themselves devoutly at mass. The men said their prayers on their rosary beads
and the women read their missals.

Glossary for younger readers

French pommade is a greasy, waxy, or a water-based substance that is used to style hair. Pomade gives the user’s hair a shiny, slick appearance, and does not dry it out. It lasts longer than most hair care products, often requiring multiple washes  to completely remove. 


 A Mantilla is a lace or silk scarf worn by women over the head and shoulders.




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Oops!

This souvenir shop in Ballybunion had an alternative Irish flag flying.

AND

A few days later Jacinta Breen spotted that they had found the right one.

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First Listowel Park run


Photo; Dominck Walsh

Park run sponsored by VHi came to Listowel on Saturday April 22 2017

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Brent Geese over the Shannon



Its Hannon’s photo of Brent geese over the Shannon estuary was broadcast on national TV last evening

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Fr. John Lucid R.I.P.



Moyvane paid tribute to Fr. John Lucid who passed away suddenly at his Kilcummin home last week.

(Text and photo from Moyvane Village of Facebook)

If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.
By Gabriel Fitzmaurice

Fr John Lucid came to serve as Parish Priest of Moyvane-Knockanure in the summer of 2003. His shock of grey hair hid the youthful temperament of a 54 year-old-man full of vim and vigor, a man whose personal motto could well have been “laborare est orare”, “to work is to pray”, such was the delight he took in getting his hands dirty doing what his beloved Church used to describe in the old catechism as “servile work”, work that other priests would leave to tradesmen, labourers and gardeners. He was a popular priest; shy yet comfortable with his parishioners both young and old. He believed when he was appointed to the Parish of Moyvane-Knockanure that he would be the last Parish Priest we would have. He performed his priestly duties ar luas lasrach – at lightning speed. Indeed, he seemed to have two speeds only, fast and faster! And yet he was devout, and his devotion was apparent in his respect for God and God’s creation. 

His homilies were invariably short and to the point. One of his most touching sermons, which he repeated from time to time, was about the little girl who wondered who the people depicted in the stained glass windows in her local church were; on being informed that they were saints she was perplexed as the word “saint” was new to her. She was puzzled for a while and then, in a moment of revelation, she exclaimed, “Mammy, I know who the saints are – they are the ones who let the light through”. Beautiful! 

Fr John led his parish through joyful times and sorrowful times. He presided over the celebrations of the golden jubilees of the Church of the Assumption in Moyvane in 2006 and Corpus Christi Church in Knockanure in 2014. It fell to him to officiate at the funerals of Michael Hanrahan and his son Denis, double murder victims, in 2008. He was interested in his parishioners, their sports and pastimes, he was a fair and effective chairperson of the parish school boards, he set up the first parish liturgy group to mention just a few of his many achievements during his tenure as Parish Priest here. When he was transferred to be Parish Priest of Kilcummin in 2015 he left with the goodwill and affection of the people of Moyvane and Knockanure. 

He died on the day of Christ’s Resurrection having officiated at the Holy Week and Easter ceremonies in Kilcummin. One of his favourite phrases, one he repeated frequently from the altar, was “if you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything”. Fr John stood for the good, the true, the beautiful. He let the light through. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam uasal.

St. Patrick’s Day 2017 part 3

Horses Love Water

Ita Hannon was out photographing horses in Beale on Sunday last

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The Parade



Dromclough National School can always be relied on to make a great effort for the St. Patrick’s Day parade. They were turning into the Square in the very worst of the weather so I did my best to photograph as many of them as possible.

Killocrim young people were next.

 One brave soul keeping everyone on track

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Meanwhile in London

John Relihan is a great ambassador for Irish food. He was cooking up a storm in Trafalgar Square on Sunday March 19 2017. He took a few minutes out of his busy schedule to mingle with young and old, the famous and the not so famous. (photos: Facebook)

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Finbarr Slattery R.I.P.



Killarney suffered the loss of a true legend at St. Patrick’s weekend. Finbarr Slattery was a Renaissance man.

This is what Killarney.com had to say about him. The photos are also from that site.

A man of enormous wisdom and a walking encyclopedia on world
events, his knowledge of current affairs was possibly unrivalled and he was a
great authority on so many subjects, not least Irish and international
politics, history, agriculture, quizzes, horse racing, golf and Kerry culture.

A native of Asdee, after attending Blackrock College and UCD,
from where he graduated with a degree in agricultural science, Finbarr moved to
Nottingham for a spell but later returned to his home county and built his life
in Killarney, with his wife Carmel (O’Leary) and their three daughters.

He wrote a popular current affairs column, Worldwide, in The
Kingdom
newspaper and he has the unique distinction of writing for every
single edition of that newspaper in its 30-year history.

Finbarr worked as an agricultural advisor with Acot – now
Teagasc – and he travelled the highways and byways of Kerry and beyond meeting
with farm families on a daily basis to advise on best practice and chat about
the news of the day.

Finbarr also served as Secretary of Killarney Race Company from
1978 to 1991 and he was responsible for bringing the then Lord Mayor of Dublin,
Carmencita Hederman, to a special race meeting in Killarney to mark Dublin’s
millennium celebrations in 1988. On that day also, thanks to his efforts,
Killarney staged its first ever £10,000 race.



A snapshot from many years ago showing Finbarr with a very young
AP McCoy, who was one of racing’s top jockeys

He was also responsible for bringing legendary jockey Lester
Piggott to Killarney for the July Races in 1991 and was delighted when the best
jockey of all time won three of the five races he rode in.

Finbarr organised a special tribute day to the great broadcaster
and racing commentator Micheál O’Hehir in Killarney in May 1994 and in 1996 he
published the definitive history of racing  with a 520-page book called Following
the Horses
which remains a bible for those with an interest in the sport.

Finbarr’s political predictions were always in big demand come
election time and his number was the first dialled by Morning Ireland
presenter David Hanley when he wanted an opinion on air on who the winners and
losers might be, come polling day.

Finbarr’s prediction for TIME Magazine’s Person of the
Year was also closely watched and the editors published his forecast for many
years – and while he didn’t always get it right, he seldom got it wrong.

Finbarr was a very familiar face in Killarney town where he was
on first name terms with everybody. He cut quite a dash cycling from his home
on countess Road to go about the business of the day and, for many years, he
was accompanied on those journeys by his loyal friend and canine companion,
Bertie.

Finbarr is survived by his wife, Carmel, daughters Aideen,
Sinead and Niamh, granddaughters Caoileann, Clare, Aoibhe, Roise, Emer, Mary
and Sally, his goddaughter Lorna, sons-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law,
nephews and niece, relatives, neighbours and many good friends.

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R.I.P. Bishop Eamon Casey



In Firies in 1974

Craftfair in The Seanchaí, racing commemtators and Ballydonoghue Magazine

Rermember Me?




(Photo Gilliam Wharton Slattery on What’s on in Kerry)

Christie Hennessey passed away in December 2007.

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Craftfair at The Seanchaí on Sunday December 6 2015



When I was in The Square at 10.30 Cookarama were just arriving and setting up their stall.

One os Santa’s elves was at the door, greeting the families who came to partake in the Lapland experience.

The Crafty Bookworm, Maria Leahy was the first stall holder I met.

Mary Mooney was doing a spot of Christmas shopping.

Dawn Thomas brought her grandson, Noah to help her out.

lillian of Lillian’s Bookart had some really unusual pieces on display. They would sure be a talking point in anyone’s Christmas display.

Ruth O’Quigley couldn’t resist the beautiful tapestry cards.

Pat Murphy of Woodford Pottery is planning to build a new studio in 2016.

Ella O’Sullivan had some beautiful hand made items on her stall.

These sweet treats looked mouthwateringly good.

Noreen Buckley was pondering which Minion to purchase from Kelly.

Cookarama were doing a steady trade. I can recommend their lemon drizzle cake.

The show must go on. Seanchaí staff were kept busy as well.


Canon Declan helpfully posed behind the counter for me.

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That was Then


This is Now

Jerry Hannon with his inspirational mentor, racing commentator, Des Scahill pictured recently at the HRI Award ceremony where Des was honored for his contribution to the industry.

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Ballydonoghue Parish Magazine 2015



This annual publication is always a great read and this year is no exception. Make sure to buy yours as soon as possible before they sell out. It’s a great read.

 photo; John Stack

Every year they give prizes to young and old for creative writing and photography. This year my friend, Bridget O’Connor won second prize for her photo of a swan and cygnets at Ballyduff. In the picture with Bridget are Breda Canty (winner) and Elaine Nolan (runner up)

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Ballybunion and Béal


Early morning in Ballybunion photographed by Ballybunion Prints



Béal photographed by Ita Hannon

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