Small Square, Monday October 30 2023
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Listowel Garden Centre
Listowel Garden Centre is a very interesting place to be at any time of year but at Christmas time it’s required visiting.
I was in the lovely café last week to meet up with friends.
Some of my old friends were just finishing up their regular meet-up. They are just back from their trip to Belfast to visit the Titanic Museum.
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Lyreacrompane Forge
Remember my visit to Canty’s Forge mural? Karen Trench of Lyreacrompane Heritage Group pointed me in the right direction for the full story.
This is the photo of the official opening from the heritage group’s page.
Here is what they have to say about the photo and the forge;
The gable of the old forge building on the main road through the area now carries a mural depicting a forge scene from the past. The Lyreacrompane Heritage Group commissioned Mike O’Donnell from Tralee to do the artwork and it is now catching the eye all those passing by.
“People immediately recognise the image of the ‘Bull McCabe’, a character in John B Keane’s play, The Field”, Kay O’Leary from the Heritage Group told The Kerryman. She went on, “There is much debate as to which murder in the area ‘The Field’ is based on but the character of the Bull McCabe does point in one direction and John B knew the Lyreacrompane area and its happenings and secrets from a young age!”
The other image on the mural that has people asking questions is of a young girl watching the horse being shod. Joe Harrington from the Heritage group explains that this image represents Amelia Canty (1874-1955), who played an important role in the War of independence in North Kerry. He credits Kerry historian, Mary McAuliffe with unearthing the story. Amelia was born in the original Canty homestead near the forge which had been set up by her father. In her forties she worked undercover in RIC barracks in Abbeydorney and Listowel and in a witness statement to the Bureau Military History in 1955, Patrick McElligott, Commander of the Volunteers in North Kerry during the War of Independence, said that; “It would have been nearly impossible to carry on in such a hotbed of spies and informers without her aid”.
Some of the older people still remember the Forge in Lyreacrompane and the mural brings back many childhood memories. It seems that the wet day was always the busiest at the forge as farmers, unable to work in the wet weather, used the time to get horses shod, gates and farm machinery fixed and catch up with the local news. Those gatherings at the forge were an important opportunity for social gatherings back then. Canty’s Forge closed in 1951 and on Sunday last, the extended Canty family gathered to view the mural, remember olden times and pass on the story to the younger generation.
In the photo. On the left; Jeremiah and Shay O’Connor, Cathy and Evelyn Canty, Donagh and Rian Horgan, Mike Horgan, Donal Canty and Leah and Ava Canty. On the right; Finnán and Daire Canty, John, Betty and Patsy Canty, Catherine Canty Horgan and Sean Horgan, Margaret Canty Kerins, Heather O’Connor and Padraig Canty.
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Looking forward to Listowel Food Fair
We don’t have long to wait now for our annual festival of all things food related.
Listowel Food Fair Nov. 9 to Nov. 19 2023
This picture shared by the food fair committee is from the very first festival
Darina Allen will be back again as guest of honour at the banquet and award ceremony. Darina has a new book out. This one is all about bread making.
Be sure to check out this year’s programme (link above). It’s the best yet.
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Walkabout
The way we were according to this 1990s guide
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A Fact
Mosquitoes prefer to bite children. They also prefer blondes to brunettes. eating bananas increases your chances of being bitten by a mosquito.
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