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: Kingdom County Fair

Summer 2024

Path in the park

Local People at The Kingdom County Fair

Jer Kennelly was there with his camera and he sent us these. Jer is the man with the garda, at the other side of the camera for once.

A Superpower Needed

I saw this man for the first time at last year’s Writers’ Week where he was collecting his prize on opening night. He was there on release from prison and he and his warder who accompanied him left me with a lasting memory of a great acceptance speech, one of my highlights of Listowel Writers’ Week 2023.

He is back, reading from his book, telling the story of his awful disease, gambling addiction, on Sunday June 2 at 1.00. I have read Sheedy’s book and it is a frightening account of the highs and lows and the terrible heartache of addiction. With alcoholism there is only so much a person can drink before passing out. With gambling, a gambler can lose everything in a matter of seconds. It is a frightening story and Pat Sheedy tells it very honestly.

BUT, at exactly the same time as Pat is in the Plaza, Cyril Kelly and friends are launching an anthology of their writing in Kerry Writers’ Museum.

If I were granted a super power for a day, it would have to be bilocation.

Poem I discovered in an old Ballyguiltenane Annual

Strong Tea

My fact about tea reminded Mattie Lennon that John B. Keane wrote a book called Strong Tea. Mattie treasures his copy

A Marvellous Concert

My friends in Listowel Schools Creative hub invited me to their concert in St. John’s on Monday last. It was an extraordinary showcase of the great young talent in North Kerry.

We saw Joan Mulvihill on screen and in the audience. Damien Stack was another of the local people the students interviewed for their project. His wife, Joan was there for the first concert.

Music, singing and dancing were a big part of the show. Their music and dance teachers, Katie McNamara and Jimmy Hickey were on hand to support and perform.

Katie Lucey, Katherina Broderick and Julieanne Galvin were on hand to keep the show on the road.

A fact

On this day, May 22 in 2015 Hollywood actor Dwayne Johnson set a Guinness World Record for the most selfies taken in three minutes. He took 105 selfies on the red carpet at the world premiere of his new film San Andreas.

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County Fair, Con Colbert and a thought for the day

Bluebells and Wild Garlic

These 2 photos were posted on Facebook by Mallow Camera Club. They were taken by a club member on their Bluebells and Wild Garlic outing recently.

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Kingdom County Fair 2016

At the County Fair on Sunday I ran into Fear na Coillte, Will Fogarty who was carving a horse.

Michael Healy Rae dropped by for a chat and to admire the work.

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Listowel Ladies



These three lovely Listowel ladies were on their way home from mass on Monday when I met them. Anna, Dolores and Mary were in great form, full of praise for the fine weather and only delighted to pose for me. Some people could take a leaf out of their book

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Con Colbert Remembered



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Just a Thought





Ignorance  (By John McCarthy R.I.P.)

There is no greater ignorance

Than educated, well informed prejudice.

Kingdom County Fair and three successful Listowel ladies

Kingdom County Fair



I had one of the best days out this year at this event on May 11 2014.

My niece’s lovely horse, Mr. Riordan won his class and then went on to be reserve overall champion of the show. I was delighted to be there to record the event.

Showing animals is all about obedience and a willingness on the animal’s part to respond instantly to his master’s command. This was obvious in the horse showing ring but it was even more obvious in the sheep rounding up competition where the teamwork of man and dog was thrilling to watch. The sheepdog trials took place in a remote corner of the show field and I don’t think it got the exposure it deserves.

Mr. Riordan tried his hand at the show jumping as well and he scored two clear rounds. Maybe a future as a show jumper awaits him.

 There were competitions for all sorts of animals, skills and crafts. I took the photo below from The Kingdom County Fair’s Facebook page. It shows the enormously talented Philomena Sheehy from Duagh receiving one of her many prizes. Philomena has “a gifted pair of hands”. She has been winning  prizes at this fair for years.  2014 was no exception.




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Car Boot sale…….Community Centre 



One man’s junk is another man’s treasure.

May 25 2014 in Listowel Community Centre. Drop in and pick up a treasure.

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“Oh stony grey soil of Monaghan 

You burgled my bank of youth.”

Patrick Kavanagh picking spuds  (photo from The National Gallery)

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Rhona Tarrant

This Cinderella got to go to the ball. Rhona Tarrant of Listowel is currently on an internship in New York. She recently got to go the Gala Ball for the American Ireland Fund. The famous Kerry fashion designer to the stars, Don O’Neill lent Rhona this fabulous dress from his Theia collection.

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Kay Caball

Kay is always a powerhouse of information. Her latest blogpost about thinking outside the box when it comes to researching your ancestors is entertaining and informative.

http://mykerryancestors.com/blog/

Kay writes as she speaks, in an easily accessible narrative style with lots of interesting anecdotes to illustrate her point. This is why I know that her book:

The Kerry Girls: Between the Famine & The Crown

The Story of 117 Kerry Girls sent to Australia on the Earl Grey Scheme

will make fascinating reading.

Kay will launch her book at Writers’ Week 2014 on Saturday May 31st. in Scoil Realta na Maidine at 2.00 p.m.

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Jimmy Deenihan and Micheál OSuilleabháin turn the first sod in the Ard Curam building project.

Some local news and a little history

Craftshop na Méar now houses a permanent exhibition of art associated with Kerry places on The Wild Atlantic Way.

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I met Evie and her grandad out for a walk last week.

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Well worth a visit.

Jim Halpin has opened a jam packed military and war museum at the rear of his shop on Church Street. If you have even the remotest interest in things military this place is well worth a visit. 

Here is a small taste of what is on display:

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Tough Task

(photo; Mark Bittman)   The ad got 28 replies.

photo of Shackleton from Century Ireland website.

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Copies of this old FCA photo can be purchased in Craftshop na Méar in Church St.

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The girls are playing rugby now

(Photo and text from Munster rugby.ie)

Listowel RFC girls section recently
organised a Touch Rugby Shield Blitz competition at Town Park, Listowel which
saw over 70 girls taking part.

The schools that participated were Ballybunion
St Josephs, Listowel Presentation
and Tarbert Comprehensive.

All teams from both of the Junior
and Senior sections were very well matched and ultimately it came down to a
fine margin in order to declare the winners. Tarbert Comprehensive claimed the
Junior Shield on the day with the Senior Shield going to Listowel Presentation.

The majority of girls were playing
rugby for the first time with great excitement on the day.

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Kingdom County Fair

My niece’s horse had a little win.delighted!



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The Giro d’Italia

so many bikes

Denis MacSweeney took these photos of the Giro in Dublin at the weekend.

 

More from Vintage Monday 2013 and An Post Rás in Listowel

These cute little chicks hatched out in Ballyduff yesterday.

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Some more photos of local people enjoying Vintage Monday 2013.

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Turf cutting in the war years

Turf was a very valuable commodity during the war. Lorry loads of turf were transported from rural bogs to fuel fires in Dublin. This photo from Bord na Mona Heartland shows some of the scores  of men saving turf by hand in a midland bog.

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Out of this world in Ballybunion, Co.Kerry

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Eugene Moriarty

The countdown has begun. An Post Rás, Stage 3 will finish in Listowel on Tuesday next May 21st. 2013. There are 2 local riders taking part in this years tour, Eugene Moriarty and John McCarthy. They compete against 180 riders from 9 countries.

The finish will be in Market Street, outside Spar. The Convent School band will play and there will be a festive atmosphere.
The weather forecast is not great but mura fearr, nára measa  (if it gets no better, may it get no worse)

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Jer Kennelly took his camera to the County Fair in Tralee on Sunday May 12 2013 and he sent us this lovely series of photos

http://youtu.be/rXg7HItgahw

 Jer also sent us this video of Donal Walsh’s funeral.

http://youtu.be/pRu6BODkOGQ

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