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
Killian and his friends climbed Carrauntuathail on a sunny day in May 2025.
Ballincollig lads on the summit, Killian, Riain, Sorin and Callum
A photo Killian sent on his way up.
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Congratulations
What an achievement for Billy Alexander and all the wonderful crew at Kells Bay, a third gold at the Chelsea Flower Show.
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Listowel Writers’ Week 2025..Listowel Literary Festival
Opening night is tomorrow night. There is a great programme planned for the week.
Here is a new venture involving the local community… Your chance to be part of the story.
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Clarification
An eagle eyed reader spotted yesterday that Fr. Antony Gaughan in this extract from his Listowel and its Vicinity refers to the street we know as Church Street as Ashe Street.
We have been down this road on Listowel Connection before. A quick recap is all I’m going to give here. A burst of republican fervour at one time in Listowel lead to requests to change the street names to commemorate Irish patriots. That campaign failed. Changing street names poses a huge problem for businesses with several issues, some of them fairly costly as well as inconvenient, of changing their business address on all printed and other documents, on bank accounts and invoicing accounts with suppliers etc.
Anyway the issue was eventually resolved by a compromise which saw the Irish version of the street names commemorating the dead republicans and the English version left unchanged. The above sign is an example.
Some people, unhappy with this solution, went on to call Church Street Ashe Street. Fr. Antony Gaughan, it would appear, was one of these.
Probably the best example today is Patrick Street which is in fact Upper William Street. There is no Patrick Street in Listowel.
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Progress at Lidl
This is where Dowd’s house used to be.
The present Lidl store on the left will be demolished.
The store was busy yesterday. Monday is always busy with the “specials’.
This big lorry arrived to the site while I was photographing.
We are going to get a brand new store, just like the Tralee one and the bigger carpark will be where the shop is now.
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A Fact
In 1310 shoes were made for the left and right feet for the first time.
Was it not yesterday my boyeens were on their Kerry holidays, making memories with their Nana.
Making pancakes in Kerry on a bygone Shrove Tuesday
Sean and Killian on a trip to Kennedy’s Pat Farm, always a highlight of holidays in Kerry.
Tempus Fugit!
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Tomorrow is St. Brigit’s Day
Photo: Moss Joe Browne…St. Brigid’s well in Knapogue Ballyduff.
According to Ballyduff Past and Present on Facebook, this well is known as Tobar a Leighis and is the only holy well in Kerry dedicated to St. Brigid. The saint visited there when she was in Kerry. The water from this well is thought to heal the mind as well as the body.
St. Brigid’s window in St. John’s Tralee
St. Brigid window in Ballybunion
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O’Connell’s Avenue Neighbours
Facebook threw up this memory, a Maria Sham photograph of her old neighbours which she shared with us in 2016.
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A False “Fact”…Sorry!
Image source; Barn owl from Wikipedia
When a retired eye surgeon tells me that my fact about owl’s eyes is incorrect, I have to sit up and pay attention.
Firstly let me tell you where I sourced the fact. I heard it on Countdown. It wasn’t from Susie Dent who is often the source of word related facts but from Colin Murray who was celebrating some kind of Things you never Knew day. I actually thought it was a bit strange so I googled it.
“You know how we (humans) have eyeballs? Well, owls don’t. They have eye tubes or cylinders, rod-shaped eyes that do not move in their sockets as eyeballs do. Instead, owls have to move their bodies or heads in order to look around.”
So I felt safe enough until I heard from a real expert. Patrick Corridan, formerly of The Square knows a thing or two about eyes. He has just retired after a long career as an eye surgeon in the UK. Here is what he says…
“Just a small point about the owl. He does have eyeballs. Quite big ones in fact but he doesn’t have the muscles around his eyes to move them like humans can. Hence the big neck rotation ability.”
In fairness I think we are all on the same page here. The owl’s eyes do not have moving eyeballs like you or me. They have what looks like an eyeball but is in fact a completely different seeing mechanism.
In fairness to Patrick, he didn’t write just to contradict my fact. He wrote a lovely complimentary comment, which is much appreciated.
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Today’s Fact
A cat can make up to 100 vocal sounds. I think I heard half of them last night when some local moggies were on the prowl.
Feral cats make less sounds than domesticated ones, which suggests that pet cats have adapted their purrs, hisses, growls and meows to make their feelings clearer to us.
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.
Have you ever asked yourself the question “What kind of people will not succeed in Life?”
If so, here is the answer from a Harvard Professor.
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Have you ever asked yourself the question “What kind of people will not succeed in Life?”
If so, here is the answer from a Harvard Professor.
People who don’t have social connections.
People who are academically smart, but have low emotional intelligence.
People who are not willing to fail.
People who won’t let go of their ego.
People who are not willing to leave the past behind, cut it off, and move on.
People who are friends with negative people that constantly bring them down because “you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”
“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”
“Those who have a why to live, can bear with almost any how.” If you don’t have a why, game over.
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August Visitors
My latest visitors had to sing for their supper. Killian and Cora came to help me clear out my shed. Their sisters and brother were otherwise occupied and couldn’t come this time. The first picture is in Lizzie’s.
I fed them well as they were working hard.
Killian filling the skip bag
Cora doing a spot of painting
It wasn’t all work and no play… There were lots of card games.
I like Phase 10. I didn’t win though.
Gin Rummy
Cora is a dinger at pelmanism
We visited the Kanturk cousins.
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A Night Out
Guess where we were for our family night out on August Bank Holiday Weekend.
We were at the dogs, but not in The Kingdom this time but in Curaheen because that is where Killian has his summer job.
His brother and cousins got a great kick out of being served by him. He was thoroughly professional, no favours!
I love to see enterprising young people practicing old crafts. Ballylongford was the place to be on Sunday November 20 2022. The Community Centre was jammed with beautiful things and lovely crafters.
My daughter in law, Carine, was delighted with her purchases from the Mulvihill family stall. She is holding the unique willow wreath which she plans to put on her door. She also loves the flower picture she got for her kitchen.
This engaging young lady was rocking an equine theme with lightweight horseshoe ornaments for every occasion.
I remember a time when every bride carried a horseshoe as well as her bouquet.
This is what the internet says about the horseshoe as a symbol of luck;
Although the origins are not exactly known, it is believed that the horseshoe became the symbol of luck when the eighth century Chaldeans thought its crescent shape represented various moon goddesses thus protecting against the curse of the evil eye.
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Remembering Childhood Christmases in Listowel
Margaret Dillon kindly answered my call. Here is her account of childhood Christmases in pre digital days.
These days Christmas is heralded by a marathon of Festive adverts which start earlier each year. Back in the 40’s and 50’s we didn’t have Television so we weren’t subjected to that constant bombardment. Nevertheless we had full and plenty of all the Christmas essentials. Listowel was a busy bustling town back then, the shops were full of all sorts of goodies. Of couse as children we were only interested in the Toy shops particulary Fitzgibbon’s and Walsh’s corner shop. Walsh’s window had a nodding Santa which was a great attraction. We couldn’t contain ourselves on Christmas morning as we opened our presents. Santa was a wonder then and he still is to all children.
On the home front , the decorations were put up across the ceiling from corner to corner. The Holly was put behind the pictures and most important of all the crib was put on the sideboard or windowsill. The cake and plum pudding were already made. While Mam was making the cake we made our wishes as we stirred the mixture. A few days beforehand a goose ( for the New Year celebrations) and a flitch of hairy bacon to go wth the turkey arrived from our Clare relations. My mother and the neighbours Mrs Hickey and Mrs Brennan bought the live turkeys in the market, Mrs Brennan did the killing and we plucked our own, making sure to keep the wings. They served as dusters around the range and grate for the rest of the year.
The big shop was done shortly before the big day in John Joe’s and the reward for our business during the year was the Christmas box. This was like a mini hamper containing tea, a pot of jam and maybe an Oxford Lunch cake. The drinks order of minerals, bottles of Guinness and a bottle of Sherry arrived from John R’s in a large timber box.
Of course Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without the Christmas hymns “Away in a Manger” or “Angels we have heard on High” Or the Christmas songs “Jingle Bells” , “Rudolf the Rednosed Reindeer” and Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” Adeste Fidelis was sung at Mass on Christmas Day After Mass we stayed back to visit and welcome Baby Jesus in the crib. During the holidays we paid regular visit to the cribs in the parish church and the convent chapel.
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Boyeens to Men
My lovely boyeens spent a lot of time in Listowel as children. They always surprise me with their recall of things we did together on their Kerry holidays.
Killian on the Greenway in Nov 2022
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Folklore in The Library
Tom Dillon was his usual entertaining and informative self in Listowel Library last week when he filled us in on the origins of place names.
Placenames are in danger of being lost as we move to Eircodes.
Tom told us that the fishermen had names for various parts of the Feale. Now that fishing is no more these names are in danger of being lost.
I did not know this until Tom told us but wags in Tralee have invented a new place name. They call the Corrib Oil station the Mini Barack Obama.
