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: Kerry Ladies Football

John J. Foley

The Square

Brilliant Footballers

Photo: Radio Kerry

All Ireland champions 2024

Behind the Smiles

Photos from Rte website

Delighted Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy on the podium at Paris 2024 holding aloft their prizes and wearing their hard earned gold medals.

But what is in those long boxes that everyone is being presented with along with their medals.?

Answer; A map of Paris

Look at the happy smiles on those two Cork faces. Observe the gaunt, spare frames. They haven’t eaten a solid meal in months. They have put in hours and hours af gruelling training. They have sacrificed everything to their sport. The jokes and banter hide a steely determination coupled with talent and perseverance second to none.

John J. Foley of Tralee

Maeve Heneghan sent us this photo of her great grandfather. Let me remind you of his Listowel connection from 1901.

Foley was a local performer, singer and reciter of humorous verses, some of which he wrote himself.

In 1901 when he was aged 34 Foley performed at a grand concert in Listowel. So popular was his act that the audience called for an encore and in that slot Foley recited his own poem, Thade Kelly’s Hen.

There was once in Ireland a taste for long humorous ballads, usually recited in a rhythm that made the words easy to remember for the performer. The poem told a story, often far fetched and ludicrous. I’m thinking here of the likes of The Green Eye of the Little Yellow God or Dangerous Dan McGrew, which were favourite dramatic monologues in musicals and concerts at the time.

There was then, as there is now, a certain kind of literary snob who looked down on this type of literature and, failing to live and let live, insisted that this “inferior” entertainment be purged from public performances.

Here is the ballad of Thade Kelly’s Hen, discovered during her research by a U.S. scholar, Christan Bush. The poem is from a newspaper archive and so of poor quality.

A local literary snob, who was at the concert took exception to Foley’s performance and his murdering, as he saw it, of the English language. This man wrote anonymously to the paper decrying the performance.

Back and forth the trolling and defence went on in the Kerry newspapers. Eventually the anonymous critic was unveiled as no other than Thomas F. O’Sullivan, a Listowel journalist and author. So self righteous and incensed was O’Sullivan that he descended to expressing himself in language so defamatory that the paper refused to print any more of his ranting.

This O’Sullivan was very well respected in Listowel and in 1993 a movement was started to erect a monument to him. His ill tempered spat with Foley was not his finest hour.

Now to John J. Foley who was Maeve’s great grandfather. Maybe he is the one who should have the memorial erected to him.

John lived with his family in Moyderwell, Tralee from where he conducted a thriving business as a painter and signwriter.

He was a member of the choir of St. John’s church and the Tralee Philharmonic Society. He was in demand as a performer in local concerts and shows.

He was a talented man of refinement and taste. Maeve sent us this photograph of his magnificent work on the ceiling of the chapel at Balloonagh convent.

The convent is now closed and serves as a nursing home. According to the internet, concerts have been held in the chapel. The chapel is a listed building.

I think John J. Foley’s work on the ceiling is magnificent. Remember it was done in 1901 when equipment for accessing places like this was not as readily available as it is today.

Well done John J. Foley, an ancestor to be proud of.

+ Mary Stack R.I.P.+

Last week we said goodbye to one of the most glamorous of Listowel grannies. I only knew Mary through her involvement with the local chapter of the St. Vincent de Paul Society. She was a lovely lady.

Barbara is following in her mother’s footsteps with her dedication to charitable works. I took this photo of Barbara and Mary in Main Street on M.S. Busking Day 2018.

Here is Jennifer Scanlon’s lovely tribute to her beloved grandmother. I copied this from Facebook.

Mary, Mag, Mam,Mamie, Nana, Gan. Mary Stack had many titles and she relished every role that she fulfilled. She was our matriarch, an incredible woman of dignity, integrity strength and resilience. She led the way by her example. 
She reached the wonderful age of 91, her quick wit and humour with her until the very end. She loved to travel and possessed a spirit of adventure and independence to be admired and emulated. 
I am eternally grateful for her love, guidance, friendship, encouragement and support. She was my cheerleader and encouraged me to keep going and “mind that shop”.
Nana was integral to my life when I had my babies, she minded Robbie, Lila and Ogie in her kitchen when they were tiny babies and I was straight back to work. She allowed me that time. I would be behind the counter and she would appear at the door with a baby and say you’ll have to come in to feed! We would swap positions and she would serve my customers while I fed the baby. We made a great team. She got her hip done when Lila was 9 months old and she was delighted to have the buggy to do her walking because there was no way she’d be seen with a walking frame in public. 
Gan wanted to be at home, her home in the shop where she has lived for over 70 years. She got her wish.  Her loving family wrapped themselves around her and cared for her in her final days, where she was and always wanted to be. 
We knew she was declining the last few days, but she insisted I press on with my sale. The show goes on. Ever the professional. 
My shop is right beside her kitchen and I’d pop my head in to see her throughout the day. She would look at me from her blue chair and wink at me and ask “are you busy?” I’d answer and she would say, “go back out now and mind your shop” and I did, I kept the shop face on as best I could. 
We will miss her so much. Her kitchen; always warm and cosy (too hot for me) will not be the same with the empty blue chair in the corner. 
I am the 6th generation of Stacks to trade at The Arcade and I will endeavour to make my nana proud and guide a thriving business into the future. I am beyond grateful for the opportunities she gave to me .

❤️

 Rest in Peace Gan

A Fact

Early Olympians competed wearing only loincloths. In 2024 some athletes favour figure hugging bodysuits. I’m told the tightness of the costume is to compress the muscles and make the body more aerodynamic.

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Celebrations and Commiserations

In Childers’ Park in Summer 2023

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Balloons

Clíona McKenna on Church Street with her balloon from Sweet Times for her friend’s birthday.

When did balloons become a thing?

Nowadays you can’t have any celebration without balloons. It’s not just children’s parties, every party must have balloons, helium filled balloons that is.

Time was when you had to have cake or it wasn’t a proper celebration. Forget cake. Buy balloons.

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Sonny Egan

This is Sonny with his cup for adult storytelling, which he won for the fourth time at Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann 2023 in Mullingar

There has never been anyone before quite like Sonny Egan. He is not just a champion storyteller, he is a musician, a singer, a podcaster, an actor and an expert on many subjects. He is generous with his talents and for years opened his door to everyone in his famous rambling house.

Congratulations on the well deserved win.

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A Poem from Kanturk

Sometimes people read these posts years after they were written so I have to give you a bit of context again for the sake of those who come here via Google. Kanturk is my hometown and I spent a bit of time there recently and I loved the poems on the trees in O’Brien Street Park for Kanturk Arts Festival.

I love this one.

I was in this lovely O’Brien Street Park at 12 noon and the Angelus was tolling from the nearby church. The Angelus bell tolled the tune of The Bells of the Angelus. This is a hymn I learned in a Kanturk classroom over half a century ago. Memories, memories!

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Enough Said

Beidh lá eile ag an bPaorach.

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Schoolgirls

This is the very last time I’ll put up this picture. Thank you, Mary Horgan for all the pleasure it has given so many old girls.

Noreen Holly can name them all.

Noreen wrote to us from the U.S.A.

…I left Listowel in 1986 but it never left me.

I listen to all of the matches on Radio Kerry.  I was still home for most of the Kerry Ladies Glory Days. I remember Annette O’Connor, Matilda Mc Donagh and Nora O’Donoghue from O’Connell’s Avenue won All-Ireland medals with the Kerry Ladies before I left. I hope that the ladies do the job tomorrow. I will be listening with a heart bursting with pride and passion and will wear the Kerry jersey. Radio Kerry is my Sunday treat!

The photo that Muireann contributed names to was my class in primary school, all of whom I remember.  I am almost sure that it was Third Class which would make it 1970. I remember all of our teachers too! – Sr. Consolata, Babies Class, Sr. Clare High Infants, Sr. Bernadette First Class, Sr. Pierre, Second Class, Sr. Therese Third Class which Mrs. Enright took over at some stage during the year, Sr. Ronan, Sr. Kieran Fifth Class, Sr. Carmel Sixth Class that Grace O’Sullivan took over during the year. They were great days and I  have great memories of being in this class. I met up with Ann Lynch and Gerardine O’Connor in May. Gerardine flew in from England to visit Ann in New York and they came out to my place.  We hadn’t seen each other in donkey’s years but were great buddies while at school. we reminisced about school as if were back in that big two-story building on Convent Street with windows that were always getting stuck!

I am a principal of a primary school in Madison, New Jersey and I always tell the children that the best memories are made in primary school. I know that mine were!

Here goes with the names in the photo:

Back Row left to right.

Norma Doyle, Kate Kennelly, Joan Dore, Alice Dennehy, Avril O’Driscoll, Me Fein Noreen Holly, Noreen Canavan, Helen Daly, Mairead Hourigan, Dana Mulvihill, Christina O’Driscoll,  Mary Lynch, Muireann Moloney, Ann Gammell

Middle Row Left to Right

Caroline Barrett, Marie O’Halloran,  Margaret Faulkner, Eleanor Costello, Ann Kennelly, Mary Daly, Eleanor Brown, Margaret Stack,  Ann Lynch, Annette O’Gorman, Mary Dillon, Phyllis O’Mahoney

Front Row Left to Right

Kathleen Kelliher, Mary Cantillon, Anne Marie O’Donoghue, Gerardine O’Connor, Marie Greaney, Helen Heaphy, Eilish O’Neill, Breda O’Neill, Nell O’Sullivan, Audrey Sheehy, Margaret mc Donagh, Pat Mulligan, Joan Kelliher, Mary Heaphy

Thank you Sr. Noreen. If anyone would like to write to Sr. Noreen I have an email address and a land address. I won’t be putting them on here but if you contact me I’ll put you in touch.

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A Fact

A rat can last longer without water than a camel can.

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