Tag: Kay Caball Page 1 of 6

Colcannon

By listowelconnection

On November 2, 2022

In Listowel

Listowel Pitch and Putt Course in October 2022

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Putting it back as you Found it

Martin Chute restored this piece of old wall art to look exactly as it did for decades.

In case you were wondering the premises of which this is the gable used to be a pharmacy.

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Colcannon

This traditional Irish dish is usually eaten at this time of year. Mattie Lennon tells us all about it and gives us the recipe.

COLCANNON.

By Mattie Lennon.

Did you ever eat Colcannon, made from lovely pickled cream?

With the greens and scallions mingled like a picture in a dream.

Did you ever make a hole on top to hold the melting flake

Of the creamy, flavoured butter that your mother used to make?

CHORUS

Yes you did, so you did, so did he and so did I.

And the more I think about it sure the nearer I’m to cry.

Oh, wasn’t it the happy days when troubles we had not,

And our mothers made Colcannon in the little skillet pot.

It’that time of year again. Post- Autumnal Equinox. (I feel sorry for the Americans, since they call it the “fall” they can’t use a word like “Autumnal”.) Anyway we have less daylight than darkness. Kerry has won the All-Ireland football final, the Liam NcCarthy Cup is safe and sound in Limerick and the shops are stacked with masks, and all the grotesque trimmings of Halloween. This time of year conjures up images of scooped-out pumpkins, trick-or-treat and silhouettes of a witch on a broomstick partly eclipsing a full moon surrounded by wispy clouds. It is the time when, in bygone times, the veil between this world and the next was believed to be lifted. It replaced the old Celtic festival of Sámhain. Sámhain was the Celtic god of death.

If, like me, you grew up in the rural Ireland of the ‘fifties and ‘sixties you will be aware of different regional Halloween customs. However the one constant and nationwide feature was Colcannon. Yes, I know . . .if you Google Colcannon you will get info on a ballad group in Denver, Colorado with Mick Bolger as their lead vocalist.

I wondered where they got the name from so, I contacted Mick who told me; “We got our name back in 1984. The band had been rehearsing to apply for a position as house band at The James Pub and Grille, in Boulder, Colorado. As the only native Irishman in the band it fell to me to make up a list of possible names. Colcannon was one of those names and we decided on it because it sounded Irish and was easy to pronounce. We eventually got a trademark on it since we were getting pretty well-known and didn’t want any complications. Turns out we had some complications anyway but having the trademark helped “.

But the Colcannon of which I write is a simple and delicious dish of few ingredients and no need for lessons from a celebrity Chef for its preparation. Cál ceannann – (white headed cabbage) is a food made from mashed potatoes and cabbage, butter, salt, and pepper.

. In Atlantic Canada (especially Nova Scotia and Newfoundland), a local version of the dish is popular among those raised in rural communities,brought to the provinces by Irish and Scottish settlers.

The Welsh call their leek soup “cawl cennin”, but I’m told there’s no connection.

Did you ever take potato cake in a basket to the school,

Tucked underneath your arm with your book, your slate and rule?

And when the teacher wasn’t looking sure a great big bite you’d take,

Of the creamy flavoured buttered soft and sweet potato cake.

I witnessed the cooking and consumption of Colcannon on rather large scale once. At a charity event, in the Wicklow mountains, Martin Byrne was faced with the task of feeding 1,500 people (no, that’s not a typo) with Colcannon. What did he do? Well, I’ll tell you. He manufactured a stainless steel trailer 8ft by 4 ft and mounted it on “ground-engaging” metal wheels which he salvaged from a defunct agricultural implement. He fitted a large valve in the rear panel; more about that anon. He then procured a half ton of spuds and the relevant quantity of green cabbage. After diligent preparation and the addition of appropriate seasoning the ingredients were put into the “trailer-full of water”.

The whole assembly was driven in over an already blazing log fire. They say “a watched pot won’t boil” but this one did. When it had reached the correct consistency Martin opened the aforementioned valve and the steaming H2o was released onto the ground. Then came the mashing. For this job he had designed and constructed a “two-man masher”. Himself and his assistant Harry Farrington, on either side of the trailer, using plenty of elbow-grease converted the white and green load into appetizing fare. With a number of brand-new shovels one and a half thousand people were fed on Baltyboys hill.

The “loaves and fishes” of the Bible came to mind.

If you don’t have 1500 people for dinner, at Halloween, and you want to try it on a smaller scale here’s the recipe;

4 lbs (1.8kg) potatoes, or about 7-8 large potatoes (‘old’ potatoes or russet potatoes are best, waxy potatoes won’t do)
1 green cabbage or Kale
1 cup ( 7 fl oz, 240 ml) milk (or cream)
1 stick (4oz, 120g) butter, divided into three parts
4-5 scallions (green onions), chopped
Salt and Pepper

Did you ever go a-courting as the evening sun went down,

And the moon began a-peeping from behind the Hill o’Down?

As you wandered down the boreen where the leprechaun was seen,

And you whispered loving phrases to your little fair colleen.

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Greenway Official Opening

As well as the throng of politicians who headed our way for the opening of the 10kms.of Greenway from Listowel to Abbeyfeale, there were many local people present on that lovely morning in October 2022 to welcome this long awaited amenity.

Jimmy Deenihan with Minister of State, Hildegarde Naughton.

The Caballs from Limerick, who are keen walkers, had already walked the greenway before its official opening.

The Fitzgeralds from Knockanure welcomed this new walkway.

I spotted Joan Flavin in the crowd. Joan is a keen cyclist. She will surely be cycling here shortly.

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Pitch and Putt, The Early Days

Dave O’Sullivan did a bit of searching for us in the newspaper archives.

The Kerryman of May 22 1971 gave a bit of the background to the location for this recreational facility.

Kerryman April 1 1972

The course opened first with 9 holes and a further 9 were later developed.

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At the Food and Craft Fair

Sunday October 30 2022

The Fair is a celebration of local food produce. I photographed a few local food producers.

Brona Chocolates is a family run high end artisan producer of delicious treats.

The one of the family who was on duty on Sunday was a credit to his parents, charming, chatty, knowledgeable about his product and willing to share his involvement with his family company. He is incentivised to work in the business with the chance to earn a few bob for Christmas spending.

Jean Louie is a great example of French diligence and industry. He produces honey, beautiful wooden crafts and beeswax candles under the brand Trieneragh Honey.

He told me that the bees had a great summer, unlike those in his native France who suffered in the heat. Trieneragh honey is delicious, and very few “food miles”. It is available in lots of local shops.

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Plaza Cinema

By listowelconnection

On July 4, 2022

In Listowel, Listowel Writers Week

Bridge to Listowel Racecourse over flooded Feale in June 2022

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William or Patrick?

William Street, Listowel, in Irish is rendered as Sráid and Phiarsaigh, just one of many street naming puzzles in Listowel.

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Plaza Cinema

Here are the rest of the great old film posters that Norma O’Connor sent us.

If any one has a story relating to any of these films, we’d love to hear it. First date maybe, disastrous date or the best night of your life.

Norma sent us the schedule for some of these films in The Plaza, Church Street, Listowel.

The Law and Order with Ronald Reagan showed on 3/06/1956

A girl in every port – 6/09/1954

Lost in Alaska – 13/02/1955

Run for Cover – 06/11/1956

The Virgin Queen – 19/11/1956

Suddenly – 27/11/1955

Malta Story – 14/02/1955

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Listowel Writers’ Week 2022; Friday Walk

One of the really enjoyable events for patrons of Writers’ Week is the daily morning walks.

Vincent Carmody made these rambles around town a feature and he is still the most knowledgeable walking guide.

I have learned from a master and now I am delighted to guide a Morning Walk. This year it was on Friday, June 3.

My walk is much like my blog, totally random and with a lot of help from my friends.

This is the 2022 team. Kay Caball is the historian, Seán Stack with a lot of help from Mary Fagan is in charge of sound, Clíona McKenna reads a bit and acts as my assistant and prompter, Paddy McElligott is in charge of all the tenor numbers, Mary Moylan is the musician and singer extraordinaire and Éamon ÓMurchú reads eloquently from the work of Joseph O’Connor.

Because I am otherwise engaged, I don’t get to take too many photos but I got a few.

Kay Caball regaling the walkers with tales of The Fitzmaurices and their adventures.

With some walkers before we set off from The Listowel Arms.

I met this lady on Opening Night and she told me she’d come even though she isn’t too keen on walking. I assured her that calling this event a walk is a grave misnomer.

This is me in full flight, telling a tale or two.

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A Poem About How it Is

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Jill Friedman’s Listowel, poet John McGrath, Lord Omathwaite and Spanish Flu

By Listowel Connection

On March 31, 2020

In Uncategorized

Still Working

A KWD refuse truck passes Listowel Garda Station on March 26 2020

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Local poet, John McGrath shared this poem on Facebook. I know it will resonate with many of my emigrant readers.

The Week after St Patrick’s

The week after St Patrick’s, my mother

pressed his suit and packed his case,

Then drove him to the station for the early train

from Ballyhaunis to the crowded boat,

Then on to Manchester and solitude

until All Souls came slowly round again.

I don’t remember ever saying Goodbye.

At seventeen I took the train myself

and saw first-hand my father’s box-room life,

the Woodbines by his shabby single bed.

I don’t remember ever saying Hello

Just sat beside this stranger in the gloom

and talked of home and life, and all the while

I wanted to be gone, get on with mine.

Westerns and ‘The Western’ kept him sane,

newspapers from home until the time

to take the train came slowly round once more.

Lost in Louis L’Amour, he seldom heard

the toilet’s ugly flush, the gurgling bath

next door. Zane Grey dulled the traffic’s

angry roar, outside his grimy window.

Back home the year before he died we spoke

at last as equals, smoked our cigarettes,

his a Woodbine still, and mine a tipped;

My mother would have killed us if she’d known.

The phone-call came as Winter turned to Spring

I stood beside him, touched his face of ice

And knew our last Hello had been Goodbye.

John McGrath March 2018

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Jill Friedman’s Kerry

Internationally renowned photographer, Jill Friedman took these photographs on trip to The Kingdom.

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Lord Ormathwaite

Lord Ormathwaite was mentioned in one of the old stories last week. Kay Caball has come across him in her research.

In 1770, John Walsh (uncle-in-law of John Benn Walsh, Lord Ormathwaite) had purchased land from Francis Thomas Fitzmaurice, 3rd earl of Kerry, in both Clanmaurice and Iraghticonnor for £15,230, and again, in 1774, for £5,944. John Walsh, was a wealthy nabob, born in Madras, who returned from India to Britain after the battle Plassey. He became an MP, with a country estate in Berkshire. He bequeathed his Irish estates after his death to his niece Margaret Benn-Walsh in trust for her son, who became Lord Ormathwaite, owning 9,000 acres in north Kerry at the time of the Great Famine.[1]

Sir John Benn WLSH (later Lord Ormathwaite) visited north Kerry in 1823 -1864 and kept a journal relating these visits to the different [named] tenants. Excerpts from this journal are published in John D. Pierse’s book Teampall Bán: Aspects of the Famine in north Kerry 1845-1852, p. 241

[1] Kay Caball, The Fall of the Fitzmaurices: The Demise of Kerry’s First Family.

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North Kerry and The Spanish Flu

The last great pandemic was the Spanish flu, which ravaged the world in the years after World War 2

Photo from Ballydonoghue Parish Magazine 2018 shows workmen wearing masks.

This magazine has a very informative article about the pandemic.

North Kerry was particularly hard hit, with many deaths.

In 1918 532 deaths were reported in the Listowel district. As well as the flu, people died of TB and natural causes and many had lingering injuries acquired on the battle front.

Irishgenealogy,ie has a database of civil and church records that hold fascinating information. If you want to know how your ancestors fared during this last pandemic you could search the death records. Each entry records the cause of death and the duration of the final illness. If you make any interesting discoveries, we’d love to know.

New Potatoes, A Book launch remembered and train Station memorials

By Listowel Connection

On June 28, 2019

In Uncategorized

A Cottage Window

This is one of the lovely traditional sash windows in Sheahan’s Thatched House in Finuge.

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The Humble Spud

(Photo and text from Raymond O’Sullivan on Facebook)

Midsummer’s Day and the first of my own new potatoes. Modern potatoes mature much earlier than their antecedents which were not ready until around Lá Lughnassa, 1st August. In the time of our grandparents and great grandparents, when potatoes were the staple diet of the Irish people, it was a very fortunate family who had enough to last from one harvest to another. By the middle of June the potatoe pit would be empty or whatever was left uneatable. ‘The bitter 6 weeks’ they called the period from Midsummer’s Day to the 1st August. ‘Iúil an Ghorta’, hungry July, that’s what they called it, when all they had to eat was kale, cabbage and onion dip (if they were lucky). I count my blessings on this Mid Summer’s Day.

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Launch of Robert Pierse’s Book

Robert Pierse lunched his memoir, Under the Bed, on the same evening as President Michael D. Higgins and Sabina Higgins came to town. So I was late to the party. There was a great crowd gathered in the back bar of the Arms and a lively and entertaining launch was in full swing. I took a few pictures and then forgot all about them. Here they are at last.

Eibhlín Pierse and friend

Old friends, Kay Caball and Danny Hannon

Section of the large crowd

Billy Keane who launched the book, Cyril Kelly who read from it and Jeremy Murphy who edited it.

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Train Station Memorials

In Cork

In Portlaoise

Fitzmaurice of Old Court, Lixnaw, lartigue Theatre Company, Listowel

By Listowel Connection

On April 8, 2019

In Uncategorized

The Mermaids nightclub, formerly The Three Mermaids and before that Fealey’s shop

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The Fall of the Fitzmaurices of Old Court, Lixnaw

The first notable date in the Fitzmaurice calendar is 1280 when the first Lord of Kerry founded a convent in Lixnaw. In 1614 The Lord of Kerry was deemed Premier Baron of Ireland. This will give you an idea of how old and how prestigious the Fitzmaurice were.

The newly formed Lixnaw Heritage and Historical Society held a great event in The Ceolann, Lixnaw on Sunday April 28 2019.

We were treated to informative and entertaining presentations and we got great insight into how the other half lived. This family owned huge tracts of land acquired through purchase and marriage, they built lots of houses here, in the UK and in France. They amassed and squandered fortunes and they had their fair share of scandal and court appearances to their name.

Ballyheigue historian, Bryan MacMahon with Kay Caball who was one of the speakers. Kay’s tale was spiced with accounts of lavish spending fuelled by the sale of many of the family assets.

“After a gather comes a scaterer”

Rosemary Raughter gave us a presentation on the very interesting life of Arabella Denny who married into the Fitzmaurice family and redeemed it for a while. She is pictured here with Mairead Pierse of Listowel and Joe Harrington of Lyreacrompane.

Listowel folk came to hear about the antics of their Lixnaw neighbours.

Jeremy Murphy, Patrick Gilbert and Kay Caball

Kay’s book on the Fall of the Fitzmaurice is due out in November.

Below are a few Lixnaw stories from the Dúchas collection.

Language: English
Collector: Tom Foley
Informant: Mrs Kate Lovett

There are the ruins of the Old Courts near my district. The castle was built by Thomas Fitzmaurice in the year 1200. It is derelict since the 1780. It is situated in the townland of the Old Courts, in the parish of Lixnaw and in the barony of Clanmauricce and in the County of Kerry. Thomas Fitzmaurice was the some of Maurice Fitzgeraldd and Maurice Fitzgerald for Lixnaw from Raymond Le (Gos) Gros. The Lady of Kerry once said there were no places worth living in but London and Lixnaw.

The Castle long ago was an important and majestic building. There were grand rooms in it with beautifully decorated offices and there were costly paintings on the walls and a beautiful, ornamental entrance. There were beautiful gardens near the castle. They gave banquets and parties at night to their friends. They gave entertainment of music and song and dance. A huge bullock and fat sheep and dozens of wild fowl were brought to the various tables

Language: English
Collector: Willie B. Lawlor
Informant: Mr Beasley
Occupation: teacher

There is an old ruin in Lixnaw and another in Listowel. They belong to the Norman times. The Fitzmaurice family lived in Lixnaw Castle 1215-1582. These two castles Lixnaw and Listowel were built about the same time as the castles around this district and they were destroyed about the same time also. If you go to Lixnaw the old people would show you the “Cockhouse” and the Hermitage and the “old Court”. Lixnaw was the seat of the Geraldine family in Munster. There was a young child in the Listowel castle, he was brought out dressed in rags in order to save his life. He was taken secretly to England and educated there. He was allowed back in later years and in changed times and made governor of Kerry.

Lixnaw Monument

Language: English
Collector: Michael Lynch

38
Lixnaw Monument
The Monument of Lixnaw was built about the year 1692. It was erected by Fitzmaurice. He got married to a protestant lady called Constance Long and Fitzmaurice preverted after his marriage. Fitzmaurice was the 20th Baron of Lixnaw and the 22nd in descent to Raymond le Gros. When his wife died in 1685 his people who remained Catholics did not want her to be buried in the family tomb in Kiltomey near by. He buried her outside the tomb but this did not satisfy them fully, however she was not disinterred. Fitzmaurice did not want any further trouble so he built this Monument for himself and his successors. He and his son and grandson were buried in this Monument. Fitzmaurice died in 1687. McCarthy Mor owned these lands first and he gave them to Fitzmaurice and they later came into the hands of Lord Listowel who sold them to his tenants under the Wyndham Act of 1903.
Micheal Lynch,
Soon, Ballybunion
19-7-’38
Note_ This Fitzmaurice 21st Baron married Anne, daughter of Sir Wm Petty of Down Survey fame, who had 50,000 acres. Her dowry was the Petty estate in South Kerry. The late Lord Lansdowne was a descendant.

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An Old Lartigue Theatre Group programme

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A Map of Listowel by Amy Sheehy

from the programme of the Acting Irish Theatre Festival 2019