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: Kanturk Page 5 of 13

Something old, Something New

Horan’s Veterinary Centre, August 2023

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Kanturk, My Hometown

While I was in O’Brien Street Park I took this photo of a long derelict building across the river from me. When I was growing up in Kanurk this was Isabel Guinee’s shop. It is now falling into disrepair for years. It looks better from this angle than from the front.

This is Kanturk’s big bridge. There is another smaller bridge in town too as there are two rivers flowing through Kanturk, the Allow, from which Duhallow derives its name, and the Dallow.

As well as the poems on the trees the Arts Festival also hung photographs from their photographic competition. Here are just a few.

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A Vintage Dress with a Listowel and a Kanturk Connection

This is Maria Stack of Listowel. She is pictured with her prizes for winning the best sustainable outfit at Dingle Races on Sunday August 7 2023.

Maria is wearing a 75 year old dress lent to her by her friend, Anne Leneghan of Kanturk. The dress was beautifully made and looks as good today as it did three quarters of a century ago.

This is Anne’s lovely mother, Rita Leneghan. She wore the dress 75 years ago when she was Rita Dennehy of Kilcorney, Co Cork.

Rita will be 93 next birthday.

People of my vintage will remember the annual carnival and the local girl being crowned Carnival Queen. Well. Rita had this gorgeous dress made for her when she was a Lady in Waiting to the Carnival Queen in Kilcorney, 75 years ago.

Rita was one of 10 children in her family. She had 7 brothers and two sisters, all now passed away. She came from a farming family and worked hard all her life.

I think you will agree she is still a stylish lady. She was my next door neighbour for most of my growing up years and she still lives next door to my Kanturk family, greatly loved and greatly admired.

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Announcement from Kerry College

Kerry College is delighted to announce that our Kerry College Listowel Campus will be moving to a new location!!

Our new campus will be based in Unit 1, Listowel Business Development Centre, Clieveragh Business Park Listowel,V31 PC79. Having the Kerry College Listowel Campus in the Clieveragh Business Park is a great choice for Kerry College Kerry College Listowel Campus Principal, Mr. Stephen Goulding said,

“The opening of our new campus in Listowel is an exciting and strategic development for Further Education & Training in Listowel and the wider North Kerry region. The new campus will provide a comprehensive suite of full and part time programmes and will support the development of vocational options and pathways for local schools and retraining options for all, so the needs of all applicants are met. A sample of the courses which will be available include Advanced Early Childhood Care and Education, Applied Social Studies, Business with Marketing/Administration, Medical Administration, Nursing Studies, Hairdressing, and Healthcare Support. Kerry College’s Listowel Campus will offer courses at QQI Levels 5 & 6 for employment, progression and potential routes to apprenticeships, as well as QQI Level 3 & 4 Pathway Courses for those who wish to bridge their return to education.”

While Kerry College has been present and active in the Listowel community for years, the development of our new campus will breathe new life in to Further Education and Training provision in North Kerry.

 a welcome development for Listowel Town.

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A Fact

Cats have better memories than dogs. Tests were carried out by the University of Michigan. Dogs remembered things for 5 minutes, cats for up to 16 hours. Probably explains why dogs don’t hold grudges and cats do.

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Wit and Wisdom

August 2023

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Gems from Micheál OMuircheartaigh

Seán Óg Ó hAilpín: his father’s from Fermanagh, his mother’s from Fiji. Neither a hurling stronghold.

…and Brian Dooher is down injured. And while he is, I’ll tell ye a little story: I was in Times Square in New York last week, and I was missing the Championship back home. So I approached a newsstand and I said, “I suppose ye wouldn’t have The Kerryman, would ye?” To which, the Egyptian behind the counter turned to me and he said, “Do you want the North Kerry edition, or the South Kerry edition?” He had both – so I bought both. And Dooher is back on his feet…

Anthony Lynch, the Cork corner-back, will be the last person to let you down – his people are undertakers.

Colin Corkery on the 45 lets go with the right boot. Its over the bar. This man shouldn’t be playing football. He’s made an almost Lazarus-like recovery from a heart condition. Lazarus was a great man but he couldn’t kick points like Colin Corkery.

The stopwatch has stopped. It’s up to God and the referee now. The referee is Pat Horan. God is God.

Dublin have scored two points, one from the hand and one from the land.

Teddy McCarthy to Mick McCarthy, no relation, Mick McCarthy back to Teddy McCarthy, still no relation.

I saw a few Sligo people at Mass in Gardiner Street this morning and the omens seem to be good for them. The priest was wearing the same colours as the Sligo jersey! 40 yards out on the Hogan Stand side of the field, Ciarán Whelan goes on a rampage… it’s a goal! So much for religion.

He grabs the sliothar, he’s on the 50! He’s on the 40! He’s on the 30… he’s on the ground!

Pat Fox out to the forty and grabs the sliothar. I bought a dog from his father last week. Fox turns and sprints for goal… the dog ran a great race last Tuesday in Limerick… Fox, to the 21, fires a shot – it goes to the left and wide… and the dog lost as well.

He kicks the ball lán san aer. Could’ve been a goal, could’ve been a point… it went wide.

I see John O’Donnell dispensing water on the sideline. Tipperary, sponsored by a water company. Cork, sponsored by a tae company. I wonder will they meet later for afternoon tea.

In the first half they played with the wind. In the second half they played with the ball.

1-5 to 0-8… well, from Lapland to the Antarctic, that’s level scores in any man’s language.

Pat Fox has it on his hurl and is motoring well now, but here comes Joe Rabbitte hot on his tail… I’ve seen it all now, a Rabbitte chasing a Fox around Croke Park!

Stephen Byrne with the puck out for Offaly. Stephen, one of 12. All but one are here to-day, the one that’s missing is Mary, she’s at home minding the house. And the ball is dropping i lár na bpáirce…

Teddy looks at the ball, the ball looks at Teddy…

Mike Houlihan for Limerick. Houlihan, the cattle jobber. He had his jaw broken by a kick from a bullock two months ago. He’s back now. ‘Twas some bullock that broke Mike Houlihan’s jaw!

Danny ‘The Yank’ Culloty: he came down from the mountains and hasn’t he done well.

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Where it all Began

Liam OHainnín shared this treasure on Facebook. As you can see it is a LP of all of the great Listowel writers at the time. Tim Danaher was a native of Listowel Town Square and he worked hard to promote his native time during his time with Radio Eireann. In the early years of Writers’ Week, Danaher was a vital part of the PR network. His RTE connections opened many doors.

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O’Brien Street Park, Kanturk

There are many lovely features in this park in my hometown. I love the lager than life bee and butterfly.

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A Fact

The Hollywood sign erected in 1923 originally said Hollywwodland. The sign is 50ft. tall and 450 ft across. It weighs 450,000 pounds.

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Feeling at Home

St. John’s in summer 2023

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O’Brien Street, Kanturk

O’Brien Street is the street you pass through as you head from Listowel to Cork, if you choose the Rockchapel Newmarket road. Notice all the old chimney pots on this lovely old terrace of houses.

Across the road from these houses is the entrance to the charming O’Brien Street Park.

The park is threaded with a steam, little paths and bridges.

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When your dad is your hero

Mary Dowling shared this lovely memory.

Casting my mind back to August 1986. On the 6th of August I was on a journey from Kerry to Wicklow. There was unseasonal thunder and lightening and flooding of Tralee town where many homes and shops were under many feet of water, including Dowling Sports and Shoe shop.

I went to collect flowers that had been dropped there for me and was met by some people who were in canoes and small boats about a km from town. The River Lee had burst it’s banks and the town sirens were ringing loudly.

My father told me to continue on my way to Wicklow and he seemed very worried about his attendance at my event the next day as our business premises was severely damaged.

I continued on my journey not sure if my special day was going ahead. Many hours later I arrived in Glendalough. Dad arrived shortly before midnight with the good news that the Kerins O Rahilly Senior football team had voluntarily taken charge of the clean up of the shops.

The next morning was my wedding day at St. Kevin’s Church in Glendalough. Now 37 years later on the 7th of August I am happily celebrating our wedding anniversary. Dad is no longer with us but I will never forget the kindness of the Kerins O Rahillys Club members who came to our aid.

Mary’s dad, John Dowling, was the legendary captain of the Kerry Football team who beat the Dubs in the All Ireland Final of 1955. He was captain because he had won the County Championship with his club, Kerins ORahillys.

John had a life long association with Kerins ORahillys, including, buying and developing their present pitch in Strand Road and training and supporting teams for years after his own playing career had ended.

His dedication was appreciated by the club members who rolled up their sleeves to help clean up his businesses after the flood, allowing him to be a vital part of his daughter’s wedding.

With the GAA, club is family.

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Revival

I had visitors for the Revival weekend.

The scene in The Square as shared by the official Revival page.

Some of the hard working local publicans who organised the concerts. A great time was had by everyone. The music was top class. Who cares about the weather when you’re having fun.

I was on child minding duties for the lovely Aoife McKenna.

Aoife is too young for Revival but her Baby Shark is as good as any Lyra song.

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A Fact

The song Happy Birthday to You was written by sisters, Mildred and Patty Hill. The lyrics were Good Morning to You but were changed to Happy Birthday to You when it was published in 1935.

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Hurling and Knitting

Greenway mural at old Neodata site in August 2023

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I think you can go now

It looks like Listowel’s public toilet has finally got the green (or is it red?) light

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The Crotta O’Neill’s Fairytale

They say GAA is family and nowhere is this more true that in a small rural village like Kilflynn. I watched the game on TG4 by chance and I have been fascinated by the story ever since.

This essay by Noel McGrath from Facebook describes it well.

Glory Glory Crotta

Sometimes words failed to describe a feeling, and in this case words will fail.

What this means to Crotta people and the community cannot be put in to words.

Crotta have had 54 years of pain walking out of Austin Stacks in  preliminary stages, quarter, semi and finals where each year leaves a scar on the heart. Some of us have lived through all of these, while others have lived through some due to age or have moved on to the next world. 

As the great Mick O’Connell said, we play sport for fun and take a break from life for a while. 

We all have a competitive side though and the will for your club to win is always there. Unless you’re from Crotta you won’t understand the hurt and pain each year has been, where you see your club and the players not getting over the line. Some of these players may have been you, your brother, son, nephew, grandson, neighbour and your heart goes out to them.

Breakthrough moments are often the result of many previous actions, which build up the potential required to unleash a major change.

With this current team, I have witnessed the huge amount of work  and commitment put in by the players themselves and mentors along the journey from u6 Coiste na nOg up to senior.

A lot of mentors these players have gone through will be here today, and should give themselves a pat on the back, without your commitment this day would not exist.

The veterans on the team, the likes of Shane and Sean have shown how leadership is done. Shane, top scorer in the championship and a work rate like it was his first year at championship, Sean seamlessly transitioning from a back to a forward with sensational breaking the line plays.

The younger members of the team know what winning is from minor and u21 and have brought this mindset into the team. As an older person looking at them their mindset and drive for success is admirable, they carry no weight of the past, there is only one way forward.

Going through each player would be too much here, but a special mention on our captain Bill Keane as he is the captain. A captain should be among other things a model of excellence to his teammates. I have watched Bill playing for both Crotta and Senans and what a model, sheer hard work and 100% commitment always and no airs and graces. Delighted  for him and his family.

We all have heroes or people we look up to, whether it’s Muhammad Ali, Katie Taylor, Cian Lynch and so on.

But sometimes these heroes are right beside you,  and I am happy to say as a person older than all the players, they are our heroes and people to look up to and admire.

We have waited a long, long time for this day, and we should have in our thoughts those no longer with us, and we wish could be here to witness this historical moment in our club as the “new kids are in town” have arrived.

So with that, I would like to thank this team for giving us a memorable year, sometimes driving our hearts into overdrive but most importantly making our dreams come true.

The scars in the heart have healed instantaneously like magic.

2023 is the new 1968.

Let the celebrations begin.

Crotta abu

Photos from Facebook

Former @crotta.gaa Senior hurlers Pascal Nolan ,Cyril Nolan, John Joe Conway, Mike Hickey and Brendan Twomey keeping a eye on the Crotta Senior training on Wednesday evening before the final.

supporters Shane Herbert, Fr.Gerry Keane, Paddy Weir, Paul Sheehan and Paud Twomey  keeping an eye on the Crotta Senior training on Wednesday evening .

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Learning from Nana

I have taught each of my grandchildren in turn how to knit. Cora is a great student and has mastered the key skills of plain and purl, casting on and casting off after just a few days practice.

Knitting requires patience and perseverance. There are no quick results with knitting. it is a great skill to learn in a world where results are mostly instant.

Killian is a bit old now for the knitting with Nana lark but back in the day….

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Kanturk, My Hometown

I had a small wander in Kanturk last week and I was well impressed.

This is O’Brien Street. Just to the right of this picture is the lovely little riverside park.

The ducks were sheltering on the sunny day I visited. If you are going to break your journey to Cork, I’d advise a little stroll here. I’ll share more pictures tomorrow.

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There is Always a Listowel Connection

My niece took the photo. Her Listowel connection, apart from me, is her husband, sitting to her right ( left in the picture). He is Michael O’Sullivan, formerly of Knockanure.

The lady in blue is Maureen Larkin, formerly of Listowel. All were in a pub on a night out in Dublin in August 2023.

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An Unexpected Celtic Connection

William Street, Listowel in February 2023

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Celtic Art

GETTYSBURG — Irish Brigade Monument 

Located inside the Rose Woods, the monument to the Irish Brigade was dedicated in 1888. Fighting in and around The Wheatfield on July 2, 1863, this famed fighting unit under the command of Colonel Patrick Kelly consisted of the 63rd, 69th, and 88th New York Infantry Regiments, along with the 28th Massachusetts and 116th Pennsylvania. The monument features a Celtic cross and a life sized Irish wolfhound.

(Source; Civil Warscapes online)

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Connections

What connects, Trinity College, UCD, Eamon de Valera, a Forest in Israel, Jewish community in Ireland, The Vatican, Liverpool Cathedral, John F. Kennedy, Bryan MacMahon, Listowel Race Company, Listowel Emmetts, The Brazen Head and No. 24 The Square, Listowel?

All of these are part of the story of Michael O’Connor, Illuminator and Celtic artist.

The latest name to be added to this list is Blindboy Boatclub.

Blindboy Boatclub Photo; the internet

The story comes to you courtesy of the research work of Dave O’Sullivan and Stephen Rynne.

We all know here of the great research done for us over the years by Dave O’Sullivan. He is truly a brilliant researcher. He discovered in his deep dive through the old newspapers that one of the unusual commissions Michael O’Connor got was to design a pattern for a carpet for the VIP lounge at Shannon Airport. This was in 1955.

The carpet was a luxurious Irish made woollen work of art and graced the lounge until the 1980s.

It was a condition of travel from the US to Europe that a plane had to stop off in Shannon. Over the years many a plane stopped in Shannon and many is the VIP passenger who disembarked and visited the lounge. Popes, rockstars, world rulers all stood on the carpet designed by Michael O’Connor of Listowel.

I conveyed Dave’s find to Stephen and he remembered a Blindboy podcast. In one of his usual meandering monologues Blindboy recounts this tale. His father worked in Shannon Airport. In the 1980s the VIP lounge was being refurbished and the gorgeous carpet was being thrown in a skip. Blindboy’s dad seized the opportunity to bag a piece of history. He asked for and got the carpet, brought it home and cut it to fit his family living room. This delighted Blindboy who loved to tell anyone who would listen that the Pope or Bob Dylan or whoever had been in his living room.

The carpet eventually wore out. The last piece was placed in the boot of Blindboy’s mother’s car as a mat for her Jack Russell.

Truth stranger than fiction.

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Wooden Art

There is a lovely little riverside park in O’Brien Street Kanturk. In it there are a few lovely wooden sculptures by Fear na Coille.

A moon gazing hare

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In Kerry Writers’ Museum Now

An exhibition entitled ‘The Kerry Nest’ opened in Kerry Writers Museum this Monday February 20th. Curated by local writer and artist Kathryn Crowley, the exhibition is inspired by ecology and features poetry, prose, photography and art. All are welcome to attend and the exhibition will run for two weeks.

(N.B. be sure to ring the museum before you visit as the exhibition is only available to view when the room it is in is not booked by a group. I was disappointed yesterday)

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More Changes to Listowel Traffic flow from Tomorrow

NOTICE from Kerry County Council

Due to works at Clieveragh Junction in Listowel, William Street is currently reduced to one lane and will only allow inbound traffic from Wednesday 22nd February 2023 until 6th March 2023. Diversions in place. Kerry County Council appreciates your patience.

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Listowel in The National Library

Jim Ryan sent us this link to the National Library website. Lots of Listowel stuff here.

Listowel

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