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: Ladies Day 2016

More from Listowel Races Friday Sept 16 2016

Handsome Couples at The Races

And the winners were local couple Anthony McCarthy and Sharon Heffernan.

This handsome pair were the judges.


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More Local People Enjoying Ladies Day

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Ladies Day at The Races is the new Easter Sunday



“In my Easter bonnet with all the frills upon it,

I’ll be the grandest lady in the Easter parade.

I will be in clover, when they look me over……”

So sang Judy Garland. The sentiments in the ditty were echoed on Listowel racecourse on Friday last as hats which were everything from the demure to the brash were paraded for the appraisal of the judges and the amusement or awe of racegoers.


(In some cases I’ve included the outfit so you can get the full picture.)



 Maura Derrane sported a very snazzy pillbox.


This one won. I think the category was the daftest or the jazziest or something.

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Harvest Knots at The Ploughing




You know the way you don’t think about a thing for years. It pops into your mind. You mention it in a blogpost and suddenly it’s everywhere.

My above photo was posted by the Dept of Arts Heritage and The Gaeltacht. It was taken in their stand at The National Ploughing Championships 2016.

At the National Library stand they were helping children to make them. 

More from Ladies Day 2016 and the state of the convent in September 2016

Season of Mists and Mellow Fruitfulness



I had help with the apple harvesting

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Well Dressed Ladies 2016



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Oh Dear!


Since I was passing the gate on my way to The Races, I took a few snaps of the convent.

Ladies Day 2016 and Junior Griffin at 80

A Thing of beauty is a joy forever


Ladies Day at Listowel Races 2016 was the biggest day in terms of numbers of the Listowel meeting.

There were prizes for the best dressed lady, the best dressed young racer and the best dressed couple. There was plenty for the judges to choose from.

Maria Stack’s handbag was made especially for her using her own photos of her syndicate’s horse.

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John (Junior Griffin) at 80


Junior would pass for a man 30 years younger. He is fit and healthy and still contributing as a volunteer to his town and his county. If you meet him on the street be sure to congratulate him on the big birthday. He tells me that his old boss, Jack McKenna, has a birthday this week as well. He will be 98.

Junior always has a story to tell. He is one of Listowel’s best company to be in. He told me that he and the late Justin Stack were born in Miss Chapman’s lying in hospital in Church St. They were born within an hour  of one another but because it was either side of midnight Junior’s birthday is on the 17th and Justin’s was on the 16th. Justine used to refer to Junior as “young Griffin” and Junior called Justin “old Stack”.

Junior’s nieces and nephews came from near and far, from Belgium and England to celebrate with him in The Listowel Arms on Sunday. His niece, Imelda, sent me this photo of them all with their beloved uncle.


I took a few photos of Junior after morning mass on Monday Sept 19 2016 when he was 80 years and one day. With him in my photo are his friend and old work colleague, John Brosnan and P.J. and Joan Kenny.


Old friends, Sr. Áine Ashe and Junior

Mai Fitz’s Clock, Looking forward to The Races and An old yarn from John B. Keane

Well Known Landmark gets a revamp


I remember when it was Mai Fitz’s.

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Well, Well, Well






Christy’s is looking very colourful these days.

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Won’t be Long Now




One of the official images from the launch this week of the McElligott’s Tralee Ltd. Honda Ireland Ladies Day Listowel Races on Friday 16th of September. There is a €6,000 CASH prize fund – so definitely worth dressing to impress. 



Judges are Maura Derrane, the super stylish TV personality and presenter of the RTÉ Today, and James Patrice, presenter and Snapchat Star. This is the second year of the McElligotts Honda sponsorship and the cash prize fund has been increased to €6,000, with prizes for Best Dressed Lady, Best Dressed Couple, Jazziest Headpiece, Most Glamorous Young Racer, and new this year, Most Stylish Selfie!. 

Photo by MacMonagle Photography



This beautiful 3 year old horse is called Queen’s Orbit.

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You Can’t Beat a Good Yarn



John B. Keane was one of the best at telling a good yarn. He was given ample opportunity to spin these tales in his very popular weekly column in The Limerick Leader. Here is a good one that resurfaced recently from the archives of The Leader.

LAST week in Limerick I was
having lunch in a well-known hotel when I notice an animated conversation
developing at a nearby table. I wasn’t sure at first but as time passed I
realised the occupants were talking about me.

An oldish, bespectacled
woman was holding forth to two other women and a man. As she spoke her
listeners, from time to time, would direct glances in my direction. At last I
recognised the woman who was talking and I guessed the gist of the story she
was telling.

Back in 1947 when I was
working as an assistant to a fowl and egg-buyer I used to call to many
farmhouses for eggs.

One of these was situated
not far from Ballyheigue, near Kerry Head, and to this particular household I
used to call every Thursday around dinnertime. I would have with me an egg box
and when I would enter the kitchen the woman of the house would take the box up
to the room where she would partly fill it with her contribution of eggs.

During one of my calls she
was seated at the table about to have a cut at a plate of bacon and cabbage and
several small new spuds. Dutifully she rose when I entered and, taking the box
went, as usual, to the room where she proceeded to fill the box.

I was left alone in the
kitchen although as I recall there was an ancient sheepdog lying half-asleep
near the range. As I say it was dinnertime and needless to mention I was
starved with the hunger. I edged my way towards the plate just to have a look.
There were the several potatoes still steaming. There was the beautifully
boiled cabbage and there were several small, thin slices of home-cured bacon. I
could not resist. I took one spud, one slice of bacon and a hefty pinch of
cabbage. All was safely swallowed by the time she returned. She looked at the
plate. She looked at me and I looked at the dog.

A month passed and at
dinnertime I called to the house once more. Again, on this occasion, she was
about to commence her dinner. She rose dutifully as before, took the box and
then, after a brief pause, took the plate wherein reposed her dinner. She then
retired to the room.

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Do you go to Cork via Macroom?



If the answer is yes to my first question, my second question is have you ever stopped in Ballyvourney? (for an ice cream perhaps!)

When I stopped last week I looked around me and I saw things of interest.

They have kept the old village pump.  It’s not functioning and has a few bits missing but it is a reminder of a slower way of life.

I don’t know of any other road sign which gives the time it might take you for your journey rather than the distance.

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Who will Lead Britain out of the EU?


I wanna be the leader

I wanna be the leader

Can I be the leader?

Can I? I can?

Promise? Promise?

Yippee I’m the leader

I’m the leader

OK what shall we do? 

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