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: Kenya

Dingle, Gaelscoil Uí Riordain, more from Ladies Day 2017 and Celebrating 100 years of Irish people in Kenya

Dingle by Chris Grayson

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From an 1899 Newspaper


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The School around the Corner



My granddaughters attend Gaelscoil Uí Riordáin in Ballincollig


Although it is a brand new school it is at capacity already.

My little girlies are lucky in that they live within walking distance of the school.

Other little pupils cycle.

There is a scheme whereby when a new school is built the contractor has to set aside a “percentage for art”. Gaelscoil Uí Ríordáin used this money very inventively. They commissioned senior pupils to draw scenes associated with Ballincollig. The children’s pictures, which featured the old gunpowder mills, the river, the castle (a deCogan stronghold), the school which started life in an old supermarket, the GAA and, of course Sean ÓRiordáin  after whom the school is named. The artwork was transferred to tiles and these in the form of a river flow along the wall by the entrance.  Below are just a few of these tiles.

Children leaving behind the old building for their new school building.

Tho old army barracks with cannon.

The road race at Carrigrohane

The castle, games and the countryside. 

I could spend hours looking at this work of art and every time something new stands out for me.

The school has a vegetable flower and herb garden, which is looked after by the pupils.



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Old Friends

Old pals, Murt McAulliffe and Jimmy Hannon meet for a coffee at The Flying Saucer.

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Style from Ladies Day, Sept. 15 2017

This Galway couple bagged the Best Dressed Couple prize

While the best dressed finalists were assembling in the parade ring the business of racing was continuing around them.

I noticed that the young men were all beautifully turned out. This man was at work but still managed to look dapper.

Anne and Patrick Brosnan met up with some Brosnan and O’Connor relations


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100 Years of Irish Kenya Relations



I am lucky to know the chairperson of the Irish Kenya Society. He is Jack O’Regan formerly of Ballyheigue and now living, working and raising a family in Kenya.

On September 22 2017, Culture Night, Go Kerry and Jack organised a night of celebration of a very different part of our unique culture…. our reaching out to other nations and the influence Irish people have had in far flung corners of the world.

The M.C. for the evening was Michael O’Donnell

The event was attended by the Kenyan ambassador to Ireland, Mr. Richard Opembe.

In her role as Mayor of Tralee, Norma Foley welcomed the ambassador and reminded us all of some of the outstanding contributions of Irish people to Kenya. Many of Kenya’s leaders were educated by Irish nuns and the Medical Missionaries of Mary (The Flying Nuns) contributed greatly to improving healthcare in this African country.

The ambassador was presented with the Freedom of Tralee. Norma told him that he now had the right to graze his sheep in the town park whenever he likes. In his speech the ambassador told Norma that he actually is the proud owner of 4 sheep.

Jack told us a bit about the work of the Irish Kenya Society. He brought 20 Kenyan people with him to Kerry for this event and to celebrate his birthday. They had spent the previous week as tourists visiting Dublin, Blarney, Killarney and other places.

The story of the Irish contribution to Kenya was told on banners, which are now on display in The Ashe Memorial Hall, Tralee. I was interested in the story of Edel Quinn. She was born in Kanturk, lived for a short while in Tralee and worked and died in Kenya.

I apologise for the very poor quality of this photo. It’s a picture of some of the Kenyan visitors.

Gilian Wharton Slattery, Norma Foley, Richard Opembe, Grace O’Donnell, Joan O’Regan and Jack O’Regan

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A 10th Gold Medal for Lovely Listowel




Listowel Tidy Towns posted this photo of the hard working volunteers and their supporters who went to Dublin yesterday, Sept. 25 2017 hoping for good news.

They got it in the form of another 10th gold medal and an improvement of 4 marks over last year. A huge congratulations is due to Julie and all the gang. You did Listowel proud, as always.

Well done too to our neighbours who all did very well too. Killarney and Tralee retained their gold medals and Ballybunion, after a massive effort this year improved their standing.

Cows in the Square in 1970s Listowel, Claire’s Squares in San Francisco and a dowry in Kenya in 2015

Sunset in Ballybunion


(Photo; Ballybunion Prints)

The Maharees


( photo: Brenda Enright)

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Cows in The Square in the 1970s



Two more photos from a different era from Anne Wixted

“Martin Daly’s cows. These photos were taken on the Bridge Road in 1978 and show the late Martin Daly on his bike, driving his cows back down the Dog Track Road (now the Lodge etc.) after milking. The stone wall on the left hand side of the photo has been demolished now, and the Lodge itself has been relocated in to the Town Park.”

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Daithi, The Listowel Connection




Daithí ÓSé shares a joke with the 2014 Rose of Tralee. (photo: John Kelliher)



This is a less dapper Daithí, chatting to Pat Healy and some TG4 colleagues at Listowel Races a few years back.

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Do you recognize anyone here?




(photo: Limerick Life)

“Interesting old photo from around 1930 most likely taken in Limerick. The woman in the back row on the far right is my aunt Rita Jones (nee Walsh), the photo was taken before she married. She lived in Wickham St and he parish was St Michael’s but she preferred to attend Mass at the Dominicans nearby. This may be related to St Michael’s or the Dominicans. I don’t know what the event or occasion is? There may be people who recognise their granny or great granny in this pic, or may know what it is or where it is.”



The sash seems to say to me Children of Mary or  Sodality of Our Lady. Can any Limerick lady (or gentleman) shed any light on this?

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Success in the U.S.


Claire Keane

I don’t know if this lady has a Listowel or even a Kerry connection but her name is a Kerry one. This what Women Mean Business in the US has to say about her;


“As a 12-year-old schoolgirl, Claire Keane’s home-made caramel squares sold out as soon as she brought them into the classroom.

So it’s no surprise that these days, she’s not only the owner of a thriving bakery in the USA but has also landed a partnership with ice-cream giant Häagen-Dazs, which has seen her chocolate-caramelised-oat ice-cream go on sale in thousands of supermarkets across that continent.

These days she’s a recognised artisan food producer with her own award-winning bakery, Clairesquares – but in fact, food was actually the last thing on Keane’s mind when she first decided to go into business.

The 39-year-old UCC graduate from Cork’s leafy Model Farm Road holds a Master’s Degree in Environmental Science from UCD. She started her working life in the environmental department of Fingal County Council while still in her early twenties.

However, in 1999, Claire decided to take off to funky San Francisco, where she worked with an environmental consultancy firm for nearly four years.
 On a visit back to Ireland she re-discovered her love of baking which she’d inherited from her mother Kitty: 
“I re-visited my mother’s recipe for caramel squares, and did a lot from Darina Allen’s books as well. “I re-discovered my old passion for baking – when I was at school in Mount Mercy in Cork I used to sell my caramel squares to my classmates. They sold out every time I brought them in!”

On her return to the States, Claire decided that it was time to get serious. 
It was 2003 and she was facing the big 3-0: 
“I was turning thirty and needed to do something with my life. I’d always wanted to start a business,” she says, adding that one of her top ideas at the time was a company selling gift baskets. 
“Baking was the last thing on the list!”

(Text Áilín Quinlan)

You can read the rest of the article by clicking on the link above and if you find yourself lucky enough to be in the San Francisco area look out for Claire’s Squares.

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Meanwhile in Kitale



Over in Kenya, Jack O’Regan from Ballyheigue is still trying to negotiate this dowry business in time for his wedding to Yolanda in September. As part of the deal, Jack has to provide a dowry of livestock to the satisfaction of the Chakava elders. Read all about this part of proceedings HERE

Sounds like he could do with the help of a modern day Dan Paddy Andy.


Buying the cows involved singing and dancing as well as tough talking.

You’ll be glad to hear it all ended well and the wedding is on track.

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Among the many heartfelt tributes to Mary Keane R.I.P was the respectful silent tribute of her funeral procession through the town. It is a credit to the Keane family that they allowed the their very personal grief take its place  side by side with the town’s need to publicly grieve a very well loved first lady.

Mary Keane’s funeral procession


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