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: Jim Cogan Page 2 of 4

NKM Leaves Listowel, Account of an Old School in Derrindaffe and North Kerry MS Fundraiser

By

On February 27, 2019

In Uncategorized

Photo: Chris Grayson

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Two Gentlemen

The late Jim Cogan and the late Dan Browne stop for a chat on a summer morning in 2004.

May the sod lie gently on both their souls.


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Maurice Mul in Ballybunion



Poster thanks; Liam OHainnín

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Listowel’s First Strike

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An Old School 


(In the Dúchas Folklore collection )

Mrs Quill of Derridaff told this story to an unnamed schoolgirl. 

There was a school in Meenganare. It was a low thatched building with only one very small window.The floor was earth and in Winter, when the roof leaked, the children’s feet were mired in muck.  Seating for the pupils was a plank of wood resting on two blocks of wood.

It was a one teacher school. The teacher was a Mr. Purcell, a native of Cork. He taught there from 1844 to 1879. Mr. Purcell lived in lodgings near the school and he was paid every Friday.

Both pupils and teacher spoke only Irish. The only subjects that were taught were Irish and English. The teacher wrote on a large stone flag which rested against the wall and the children wrote on slates.

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M.S. North Kerry Fundraiser


On Saturday February16 2019, I spent a very pleasant morning in Tomáisín’s in Lisselton. My old friends in the North Kerry branch of MS Ireland were holding their annual Valentine’s coffee   morning.

The confectionery was mouthwatering, all made locally by volunteer bakers. The company was good and there were lovely raffle prizes. It was a very enjoyable event.

Here are some of my photos from the day.

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Mystery Solved




I asked someone who knew. It’s a traffic counter according to Jimmy Moloney.


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

By

On June 25, 2018

In Uncategorized

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.

Knockanure Vintage ,Mr. Kebab, photos from a drone and Mary John B. R.I.P.

By

On August 21, 2015

In Uncategorized

Knockanure Vintage Run


Knockanure hosted an array of vintage cars, tractors and motor bikes last weekend. Elizabeth Brosnan was there with her camera. Look at her photos by clicking below;

Elizabeth Brosnan Knockanure



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New Business in Church St.



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Boys and their Toys

When I was out and about with my grandsons on Saturday last we ran into Brendan Landy of Landyphoto down by the river. He was trying out his new drone. Have you seen the beautiful aerial shots on his window lately? These were taken from the air by a drone. Brendan is a great fan of this type of photography and he made it all look easy.

His smart phone, connected to 4G, is mounted on a control, a bit like a game controller with an aerial and joysticks. From here Brendan steers the drone like a pilot.

This is the drone on the ground. It is amazingly small and light. It has propellers on each corner and a camera underneath. This camera, Brendan told me is better than any TV camera.

Brendan rose the drone into the air over the river. On his screen we could see the panorama that the camera had in its sights. It is about the size of a big bird and it is a little noisy.

We all looked up in awe as the drone hovered over The Feale.

My boys were fascinated.

Watch out for some spectacular photos of Listowel in Landyphoto window in the near future. They make a super present for anyone who likes to keep in touch with Listowel.

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+ Mary Keane R.I.P. +



Another of the “old stock”  gone to her eternal reward.

 I took this photo in August 2005 when we ran into Mary Keane on Market Street. Her genial smiling presence will be missed from Listowel’s streets. May she rest in peace.

Two Years

By

On June 23, 2015

In Uncategorized

Three months after his 65th birthday, Jim Cogan passed away on June 23 2013.

 Photo: Jim with his girls.

(Photo: John Stack)

Jim with his only son, Bobby.

A poem for the day that’s in it.

I Have Your Name    by Mary Dorcey

I have your name

And no use for it.

It will never call you home
again.

I have all your names still;

Every one of them

On the tip of my tongue

I have to bite my lip

To keep from spilling them.

Useless now-

Nobody comes.

I have your name and no use
for it.

I have said it

Times without number,

Without thinking,

Not needing to think.

I have called it through the
years

Winter and summer

Early and late.

First thing in the morning

And last thing at night.

………………

I have said it in rapture,

In anger,

In grief.

I have called it across
fields

Bellowed into the wind,

Like a farmer calling home
the dogs

And had it blown back on my
lips

I have murmured it so softly

No one heard but you.

I have your name and no use
for it

No matter where

I say it now:

How loudly

Or how often-

It will never

Call you home.

“The day Thou gavest, Lord, has ended,

The darkness falls at Thy behest.”

Listowel, Old GAA Brochure and Writers Week 2015

By

On May 22, 2015

In Uncategorized

Ireland’s most famous dolphin

photo:  Fungie Forever

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Public Consultation



Last week, the Heritage section of Kerry County Council conducted a drop in consultative event in The Seanchaí . We got to tell the consultants what was good and bad about our town and we got to tell them of any opportunities we saw for improving our town for residents and tourists. I was there with my camera. Here are a few snaps I took on May 13.




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Ads and images from 1960 GAA Brochure






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Vincent Carmody and Jim Cogan R.I.P.




Vincent Carmody knows the history of Listowel and its people better than anyone.  This year, his morning walks during Writers’ Week promise to be the best yet. If you are in town, join Vincent and his  followers. You won’t regret it!

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Date for the diary




photo; Writers’ Week



On May 31 at 12.00 in St. John’s

 DÚCHAS – FONN | FOCAL | FÍSEÁN



Poet Gabriel Fitzmaurice & musician Danny O’Mahony share a passion for the traditional music, song & poetry of their native North Kerry. Fitzmaurice and O’Mahony collaborate in this unique project to bring the audience on a journey, celebrating local masters and their legacy of poetry, music & song.

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For The Young Ones














Judi Curtin will be in Listowel Community Centre on  Friday May 29th.with her Big Book  Quiz.

You don’t need too much book knowledge for this one. It’s a team effort for teams of 4 people.The atmosphere will be fun and relaxed. The prizes are super. Easons is sponsoring this event so goody bags of books etc could be on offer.

Suitable for book loving or not so book loving young people aged 9 to 12.





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Coming up






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Ladies Day




The hardest working lady in Listowel for the past few months has been Eilish O’Neill. She has organized a great event for Sunday May 31st. So ladies get your glad rags on. It promises to be a good one!



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Clarification




I posted these two photos on Wednesday to illustrate my great story about Liam Healy. I had asked Cathy for a photo of her father as a boy. She sent me these without caption, I presumed (wrongly) that the boys with Liam were his brothers. They weren’t. They were his classmates and the photo was cropped from a school photo.



Apologies to the boys, now men involved. Liam is the cute little fellow on the right and Tony Stack is next to him



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