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: Joe Murphy Page 1 of 3

Entertainment in 1988 and Awards in 2024

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On March 4, 2024

In Listowel, Poem

Gurtinard Wood, February 2024

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In 1988 the chosen musical was Oliver

The Principals

What a feat, to put so many people on stage. I hope the girls realise realise what a massive effort of time, talent and hard hard work it took for Sr. Consolata, Tony Behan and all their willing helpers to put shows on the stage year after year.

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Back in 1988 we all watched scheduled TV. There was no means of recording a show, no player or catch up and no youtube So we all watched the same programme when it was broadcast. AND we only had two channels. The girls took a little 1988 poll.

Is Coronation Street the only one still on our screens?

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Watching a Dectectorist

I have no idea what he was looking for. A lost piece of jewellery, perhaps?

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A Poem

John Dryden was England’s first Poet Laureate. He was appointed to that post in 1668.

His above poem is as relevant today as it was then.

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Civic Honours for Camogie Players

The Kerry County Council Listowel MD Municipal District Awards were held in Council Chambers in Listowel this week – Cllr Jimmy Moloney Mayor of Listowel presents awards to the Clanmaurice Camogie Team All-Ireland Winners, Junior & Intermediate . Pictured Back L : Cllr Tom Barry , Julianne O’Keeffe , Aine O’Connor , Aoife Fitzgerald , Amy O’Sullivan , Cllr Mike Kennelly , Sara Murphy , Jackie Horgan , John Madden , Pete Young and Mike Enright . Front L : Elaine Ryall , Patrice Diggin , Mayor of Listowel Jimmy Moloney , Michelle Costello and Aoife Behan .

Photo By : Domnick Walsh © Eye Focus LTD 

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An Honour For Joe Murphy

Listowel Municipal mayor Jimmy Moloney and Listowel Town manager present Joe Murphy, former artistic director of St. John’s Arts and Heritage Centre with an award for his contribution to the arts over 30 years.

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A Fact

A leap year is a calendar year that contains an additional day (or, in the case of a lunisolar calendar, a month) compared to a common year. The 366th day (or 13th month) is added to keep the calendar year synchronised with the astronomical year or seasonal year.

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In Lizzy’s, Ballybunion Community Market and New Coffee Shop on Church Street

By

On July 9, 2021

In Ballybunion, Listowel

In St. Anne’s Park, Raheny. Photo; Éamon ÓMurchú

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Kildare Staycationers

The Kildare branch of the family love Listowel. Here are Tony and Mary McKenna from Newbridge enjoying lunch in Lizzy’s. Mary was excited to be photographed with celebrity chef, Lizzy Lyons and to meet her in the flesh.

This lovely couple were celebrating 42 years since they first met when Mary joined Bord na Mona in Newbridge and Tony was the first person she met on her first day.

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Three Amigos

Not the three gentlemen of Verona but three gentlemen of Listowel.

Friends, Danny Hannon, Joe Murphy and Jed Chute enjoy a cup of coffee and a natter in Lynch’s, Main Street.

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Memories of a Pres. Operetta

How about this for a trip down memory lane?

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Ballybunion Community Market

This community market is just finding its feet with new stalls being added every week. It is a great way to spend a Saturday morning. It’s in the car park behind the community centre and it starts at 10.00a.m.

I only photographed a small few of the very diverse stalls.

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Daisy Boo Barista

The streetscape of Church Street is changing rapidly. Another welcome new colourful addition is this charming coffee shop with a few extra delights in stock as well

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Listowel Native Doing Well in the U.S.

Cora Creed/Universal Music Group

Cora Creed is the vice president of Digital Supply Chain Management at Universal Music Group in New York. Originally from Listowel, Co. Kerry, she came to the U.S. on a Donnelly Visa and “has never looked back.” She has almost 20 years experience and expertise in business transformation in the digital space, and has worked with leading brands like Napster, Sony, and EMI.

Cora believes that “Despite being one of the smallest nations on earth, [the Irish] have left an indelible mark,” as many aspects of Irish culture “have propagated to the four corners of the world.” She is also struck by the “incredible goodwill towards the Irish” that she finds on her travels abroad.

Cora is also a founding member and sits on the board of directors of Swazi Legacy, a nonprofit organization that assists marginalized and homeless young people in Swaziland. She will help lead a team from New York and Ireland to Swaziland in June to work with orphans at Manzini Youth Center.

Cora is married to Thomas Creed, also from Kerry and still very much considers Kerry home. Her mother Kathleen is from Kerry but now lives in London, and her father, Brendan, was from Dublin.

(From a website called Irish America 2016)

New Director at St. John’s, Church Street girls, Owen Family of Ballyhorgan Cycling and the Crown Jewels

By

On September 2, 2019

In Uncategorized



Wildflower meadow at Ballincollig Regional Park


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They’re Changing the Guard at St. John’s




Máire Logue is the new artistic director of St. John’s Arts and Heritage Centre, Listowel. I photographed her in St. John’s with Joe Murphy, the retiring director.


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Church Street Girls


Eileen Sheridan shared a photo memory


Clementine Crowley Ann McSweeney, Gertie Kennelly, Mary OSullivan, Eileen Scanlon, Ann Ryan

Mary Fitzmaurice Mary Walsh , Eileen McSweeney,  Alice Gleeson.


Sadly three of the girls have passed away.

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Owens of Ballyhorgan

Harriet Owen with Tom Fitzgerald and Jimmy Deenihan in The Listowel Arms on one of Harriet’s frequent trips to Kerry to reconnect with her family home in Lixnaw.

Harriet sent me a short version of her family history which I published in Listowel Connection. John Stack of Kildare and formerly of Duagh was interested to see that an Owen had married into the Ellis family of Abbeyfeale. Ellis was a family John had encountered when researching his own family as these Ellises were his mother’s people’s landlords.

He sent us a newspaper cutting

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Resurgence of Cycling

In our cities nowadays you have to be struck by the numbers of people cycling to and from work. I took these photos on Cork’s Grand Parade recently. There seems to be bicycles everywhere.

The bike scheme stand was almost empty.

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The Theft of The Irish Crown Jewels

A friend lent me this book. The story of the disappearance of the Irish Crown Jewels and its disastrous consequences for North Kerry is a fascinating one.


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In Dublin Yesterday



Kerry has survived to fight another day. I don’t know if the supporters nerves will survive another one, though.

Danny Hannon’s Lifetime Achievement in the Arts, Thurles train station and Munster Championships for Listowel

By

On June 14, 2019

In Uncategorized

The Tidy Town corner of Listowel Town Square

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Danny Hannon Honoured at Writers’ Week 2019


Danny held his beloved Eileen’s hand at his big night at Listowel Writers Week, May 29 2019.

The Hannon family at the door of the family home as they prepare to take the short walk to The Listowel Arms for Opening Night.

Maurice escorted his mother while Joanna Keane, daughter of his great friend, John B. escorted Danny.

The night was filled with emotion, love,  pride, affection and a tinge of sadness.

The story of Danny’s contribution to the Arts was told as this very humble gentle man listened. There was talk of drama and books, of plays and playing and particularly innovation in the field of theatre. Many of Danny’s family and friends were there to celebrate him.


 V.I.P. guests Joseph O’Connor, Colm Tóibín and Carol Drinkwater listened enthralled.

And still Danny held Eileen’s hand. He later joked about the manicure.

The hall was packed. Danny has a long association with Mercier Press who co incidentally sponsored the trophy.

Danny and Eileen posed with Eddie and Helen Moylan, parents of Eileen who designed and crafted the beautiful presentation piece at her Claddagh Design studio in Macroom.

His good friend, Jimmy Hickey was on hand to congratulate Danny. He was just one of a long line of well-wishers.

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Joys of Free Travel

 I had a little rail trip last weekend and I took a photo of this Victorian post box in some train Station but I cant remember which one.

This is Thurles.

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Listowel Pitch and Putt


I was walking in the park yesterday when I spotted that the pitch and putt course was closed. There is a good reason. The hard working club members are getting the course ready for the Munster Championships at the weekend.

The always beautiful course is looking even more beautiful today.



Bill Clinton in Listowel, Joe Murphy of St. John’s ,The Fancy Warehouse and St. Patrick’s Day 2019

By

On March 19, 2019

In Uncategorized

Jim McSweeney

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St. Patrick’s Day Parade 2019



You’d never know who you’d run into at the St. Patrick’s Day parade. On Charles Street I met up with neighbours and friends.


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2019 parade in Charles’ Street

Liam Brennan is a convincing St. Patrick  figure.

Proudly flying the flag for Listowel were this year’s victorious Tidy Town Committee.



The Listowel convent girls marching band are an essential part of Listowel’s parade.

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Bill Clinton Whizzes Through


What is it with U.S. presidents and golf?

Since Eizenhower in 1954 the White House has had a putting green. It’s been installed, allowed to grow over, reinstalled and eventually relocated by President Clinton, an avid golfer.

Photo of the then president and vice president in 2009 from the internet.

Flash back to September 1998 and US President Bill Clinton is on a visit to Ireland and part of that trip is a round of golf in the famous Ballybunion links.

The plan was for POTUS to stop in Listowel for a photo op. drinking the obligatory pint in John B.’s. His itinerary was known and a group of peaceful protesters gathered in the small square. US security got a bit windy for the president’s security and hastily changed the plan. Listowel was bypassed and the cavalcade instead stopped in Lisselton. It had to stop somewhere, else it would arrive ahead of schedule in Ballybunion. So Listowel’s loss was Lisselton’s gain and he was greeted enthusiastically by the lovely people of that borough.

Mike Guerin was out with his camera and here is his recording of the scene at McKenna’s Corner on that historic day.

Clinton’s Cavalcade Drives Through Town

Mike Guerin wasn’t the only cameraman present to record the day. Junior Griffin took a lovely photo of John B. at the door of the pub as he waited for the customer that never came.

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End os an Era at St. John’s



Listowel’s very own man in black, “Vicar” Joe Murphy, is in his last year at the helm in St. John’s. Anyone who knows Joe will agree with me that he is force of Nature. He has run St. John’s with charm, dedication, enthusiasm and lots and lots of hard work. The place wont be the same without him.


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The Fancy Warehouse


When I came to Listowel first in the mid 1970s this shop was called The Fancy Warehouse and it was run by a Miss O’Brien. It sold knitting wool, notions and other haberdashery. The name os the shop always fascinated me. Up to then I imagined a warehouse as a big store but this shop was tiny. If you look closely you can just make out the old shop name as it is stripped down for refurbishment.

Miss O’Brien’s sister ran a shop across the road called O’Brien Hartnett’s. That sold shoe polish, polish brushes and other small goods.

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