Tag: Listowel cinema Page 1 of 2

More Sustainable Fashion

On September 30, 2022

In Festivals, Listowel, Listowel Races, Poem

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Listowel Tidy Towns’ Sustainable Fashion Event 2022

This event encourages men and women to upcycle and reuse old clothes and accessories.

Unfortunately the men were much more reluctant than the ladies to enter the competition even though a few I saw on the course were sporting clothes that had seen better days

The winner of the competition was a veteran of these competitions and dressed up especially for the occasion.

The winner was Sean Donoghue and the reason he is hugging the judge is because he is well known to her from dressing up competitions.

Any men reading this who may be thinking of coming to the Races on Saturday 2023, start sorting out a vintage outfit. There is a prize of €300 for the taking and there are fabulous goody bags sponsored by local shops, for the finalists. If this year is anything to go by, to enter is to be a finalist.

This snappy dresser was the runner up.

These are all the finalists.

If there was a prize for the most stylish young lady, Maire Enright would have got my vote. This young lady told me she loves to buy clothes in the second hand shop, New2You. It was there she got her dress and her gorgeous fascinator. If she keeps up this good practice, and I think she will, she’ll be winning that 300 euros yet.

When you’re putting together your vintage outfit the shoes and accessories are all part of the look.

Lady’s fan repurposed from a Barbie doll’s dress.

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Listowel Harvest Festival of Racing

It’s a generational thing.

Paud Fitzmaurice was the second in three generations of the Fitzmaurice family to hold the position of Race company accountant.

He followed in the footsteps of his late father David. His son, David succeeded him.

This generation’s David, (aka Classy) pictured at Listowel Races 2022, on the seat that commemorates his late father.

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A Poem for the Season

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Great News from my friends in the Save our Cinema campaign

Here is the latest update;

First the bad news. KCC rejected our submission under the Town & Village Renewal Scheme 2022 to fund a new cinema, military museum and associated community cafe in Listowel. It was not a total surprise even though a lot of work was put into the 25 page proposal including a face-to-face meeting with the Municipal District Officer in Listowel and multiple conversations with the helpful admin people in the Community Department in Tralee. The rejection came in the form of a cursory letter at the end of July.

The Good News. While the above was ongoing a very generous benefactor got in touch and to make a long story short they have pledged €200k (yes, €200 000) with the option of a further €200k subject to some conditions for a new cinema auditorium in the town.

This clearly is huge news and changes everything and it has been difficult to contain our excitement during the fabulous summer we’ve just had. The starting point is that any new cinema has to equal or ideally surpass what one gets a home. So no mouldy carpets, seats not much better that one gets on a budget airline, dank toilets and indifferent customer service. Instead the bar has been set to compare with the 3 screen, 112 seat Electric Cinema in the old television building at White City in London with its comfy and luxurious armchairs (pictured below).

Friends of Listowel Cinema are currently looking at two options on the back of this amazing proposition. One, an existing building in the town and secondly a green field site outside of Listowel. Needless to say both options will have to go through the full planning process and so the timeframe is lengthy unfortunately.

We promise to keep you updated though where appropriate. In the meantime heartfelt thanks to everyone on here for their continued support and on the other social media accounts and in person. We will continue to share exciting movie and cinema news with you every week and in particular now that we are in late autumn after the Races and facing into an uncertain winter.

This Fall also marks the first time in 35 years that the big screen will not light up in Listowel and the end of 25 years of Kieran’s beloved film club. Last but not least the €2 920 that was raised on the GoFundMe campaign will be gifted to the 3 named charities in the coming weeks. The delay is simply because the Classic Movieplex is still for sale on the auctioneers web site and no ‘Sale Agreed’ has yet appeared on the building despite being told to the contrary in early June.

Onwards and upwards.

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June Races, Ladies Day 2022

By listowelconnection

On June 16, 2022

In Festivals, Listowel, Listowel Races, Listowel Writers Week, Poem

Dublin’s Temple Bar from a website Ireland of the Welcomes

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Listowel Races, June Weekend 2022

Sunday was Ladies Day on The Island and John Kelleher took these photos of the style winners.

These were the 10 finalists for the best dressed lady competition.

The judges had a hard job. On the left is the runner up, Denise Jeffers. The winner is in the centre off the photo, Grace Flynn. Winner of the most fashion forward hat was Denise O’Connor on the right.

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People on Opening Night June 1 2022

Maureen Hartnett, Carmel Hartnett and Aileen Scanlan

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Lartigue Monorail back on track

The O’Neill family were first on board for the 2022 season. I hope they all have a great season as I know funds were running low for this unique Listowel visitor attraction. This might be a good year for Listowel folk to take a trip.

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A Poem

Local poet, Pat Given, launched his latest anthology, A New Day, at Writers’ Week 2022

Pat with his wife and family on the night of the launch

One of Pat’s charming poems.

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A Tumbling Paddy

I remember being fascinated as I watched my father working with this piece of equipment. I haven’t seen one in real life for years and years. I must be remembering it from 1955 or early 56. My father died in 1957.

The tumbling paddy was attached to the horse and he pulled it along while my father guided it through the hay row. The purpose was to gather the hay into piles to be made into wynnds. The skill involved tumbling the pile of hay. My father used to put the reins over his head for the act of tumbling. He would then upend the paddy and tumble out the pile of hay. This meant for a few seconds letting go of the shafts. He then skilfully circumnavigated the pile of hay, retook the shafts and the reins and continued on hay gathering. It was hard skilful work. The paddy had no moving parts. All the work was done by man and horse working in unison. It is one of my most vivid childhood memories.

The photograph was shared by Dan Hartnett on Facebook. Thank you, Dan.

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Update on the Cinema

The campaign to save our cinema has unfortunately, not been successful.

This is the latest post from the brave committee who tried their best to save the cinema. They have bowed out gracefully.

Yesterday we were informed by the auctioneers that the Classic has been sold to a “retail investor”. There is a detailed update on the GoFundMe page (link in bio) but we’d just simply like to thank everyone on here for your support. It’s been a real pleasure.

Thank you

Friends of Listowel Cinema

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A Cinema, a Parade and a Nun

By listowelconnection

On March 29, 2022

In Listowel, Schools

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Ambitious Plans for the Cinema

Article from last week’s Kerryman

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A Few More Photos from St. Patrick’s Day Parade 2022

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From an old Pres. Yearbook

In 2009 Aoife O’Neill, Aoife O’Connell and Maria Barry interviewed Sr. Consolata for the yearbook. Here is her account of her life in her own words.

(more tomorrow)

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Sive Walk, River Feale, Listowel Cinema and Some Old Summer Camp Photos

By Listowel Connection

On June 8, 2020

In Uncategorized

Freezers Corner

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Sive Walk

The Sive Walk has been a godsend during lockdown, with many Listowel people discovering it for the first time. It is beautifully maintained by Jim Beasley who lives nearby and photographed by Denis Carroll who has fought hard for its retention.

All photos by Denis Carroll

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Phase 2 Plus

We have been catapulted unexpectedly into an accelerated opening up of our economy. Our 5 phase strategy is now a four phase one and lots of businesses are opening today or tomorrow. In preparation Listowel streets have been deep cleaned and shopkeepers have busy over the weekend getting ready for the new normal.

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River Feale in the very dry summer of 2020

There is much luxuriant vegetation growing where the river used to be.

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Classic Cinema in June 2020

In one of those little ironies that sometimes occur, the last film advertised before the shutdown was No Time to Die.

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Pierse and Fitzgibbon

Housed in the same building as the solicitors is HQ Listowel.

I looked it up for you so I would have it right;

“HQ Listowel follows on from the success of HQ Tralee, one of Ireland’s leading regional coworking spaces for productive, creative and collaborative people. For sole-traders, remote workers and growing businesses: HQ Listowel is a place to meet and work alongside other like-minded people.”

Sounds like just the ticket for these remote working times.

HQ is accessed by a door in the lane behind Market Street.

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Summer Camps in the 1980s

Carmel Sweeney Gornall was a camp leader at summer camps back in the day. She has shared two photos with us.

1988 Summer camp at Listowel Community Centre

1987

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A Sally Switch and A Besom

I had the following emails from Nicholas Leonard apropos of old cures.

Mary, I forgot one vital, if imaginary, but much threatened item in my mother’s ‘medicine cabinet’ – the sally switch! this was for corrective, disciplinary ‘medicine.’ I can’t remember there ever being a sally switch in the house, although one would have been needed at times! My Grandmother always had besoms in her kitchen- these were very handy for brushing the floor or shoo-ing a hen that perched on her half-door. Or, maybe, as part of the ‘corrective medicine’ cabinet! Many people around Listowel will know well what a besom is. Perhaps birch besoms are still made and used around Listowel as there are boglands in the area. It would be great to hear from someone who made and used besoms. In any case, Besom, is a fascinating word with a varied meanings- from brooms, to witches, to a Scottish word for – to be brief – an ‘unworthy woman.’ It is said that the name of the household broom originated from the shrub Genista, also called broom, which was used to make besoms. Besoms can even be bought online! I expect that birch besoms are still made and used by some people around Listowel as there are boglands in the area. It would be great to hear from someone from the North Kerry area who made and used besoms, and maybe still do so. There is a gentleman in the area that makes excellent old-time walking sticks for the Wheelchair Association Shop in Listowel. We have a supply of them that will ‘see us down!’ Maybe besoms will be next for sale there!

My Mother (89 years young and a with photographic memory) tells me that our besoms were made from nice, long strands of fresh heather from the nearby Blackshade Bog. These were tied securely on to a brush handle – usually a nice length of a Hazel stick. This handle allowed overhead cobwebs to be reached, and obviated the necessity for bending to sweep the floor.

There was almost nothing in those days that could not be fashioned for use around the house and yard. Our ancestors were definitely ‘eco-friendly’ and truly valued the bounty of Nature. I knew of one man, noted widely as ‘a thick man,’ who really took thrift to the limits during the ‘last’ war! He was addicted to cigarettes, when he could get them. To save expense he would make the box of matches go twice as far by splitting each match down the middle- even the sulphur heads were divided (two for the price of one) with a single-edge razor blade!

Which topic reminds me of a noted Kerry saying about wastefulness, which referenced a once well-off but profligate Killarney family: “That’s what broke the McCarthys of Looscaunagh- sitting by the fire and lighting matches for the pipe!”

Another thought struck me – about the ‘banning’ of Holy Water- Is Hand Sanitiser the current ‘holy water’; could real Holy Water be adapted to combat viruses, etc.? Surely that would be a real work of mercy – both corporal and spiritual. Double the value- like the matches!