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: Listowel Military Tattoo 2014

Remembering on Saturday May 3 2014

This lovely photo of a Ballybunion sunset was taken by Mike Enright.

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Saturday May 3 2014 in Listowel

The flags of many nations flew from flagpoles in town.

Soldiers were fighting a battle in The Square.

Others were enjoying an ice cream or a coke from Dominick Moloney.

If you wanted to dress up as a soldier,  stalls erected for the weekend in The Square would sell you anything you wanted in that line.

At the gable of St. Johns a more serious ceremony was in train. Army veterans and representatives of  countries who had suffered during the two world wars laid wreaths at the above commemorative stone.

An army band played and marched around town.

Damien Stack was our able master of ceremonies.

Listowel town mayor, Jimmy Moloney, addressed the crowd.

Blessings were given by Catholic and Church of Ireland pastors.

A search and rescue helicopter circled The Square.

For a short while on a quiet May Saturday in 2014 we, in Listowel,  remembered.

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A little light relief



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Some people I met while out and about on Saturday May 3 2014


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Michael Guerin stands to attention during the playing of the National Anthem

John Lynch recording it all.

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North Kerry is such a lovely place to holiday 






Bernie Carmody took these photos on a walk from Blennerville to Fenit.

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Listowel ladies in Lourdes in 1954, more from the May weekend and another poem from Jet Stack

An old treasure

I have photographed this old picture in smaller sections in order to make it easier to identify these local ladies in Lourdes in 1954. I’m hoping that some of my loyal followers will name them for us and I’ll post them here if they do.  Memories, memories!

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May Bank Holiday weekend in Listowel

Military Vehicles were everywhere in the Square.

The children enjoyed posing with tanks and guns and other military stuff.

Real soldiers and people dressed up as soldiers were on the streets. Below are some photos of local people and visitors who enjoyed the ‘fun’.

More next week…….

A team of Gaelscoil Lios Tuathail supporters sold some goodies to the hungry attendees.

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Listowel by Jet Stack

There among the green hills of
Kerry.

Where the bells of Saint Mary’s
Church toll.

On the banks of the Feale.

Where there’s beauty so real.

Stands that dear little town of
Listowel.

Its streets and its square so
spacious

and rare.

Its buildings of solid cut stone.

Though old times are gone,

Sure they still linger on

In that dear little town of
Listowel.

Its castles so vast, they’re a
link

with the past.

On history there’s written a
scroll.

The bard and the poet

And writers of note.

Are at home in the town of
Listowel.

The churchyard close by, where
its

ancestors lie.

The schools where its youth comes
to bloom.

On those in between those duties
supreme

They’ll fulfill with God’s help
we’ll presume.

As time marches on, we’ll have
music

and song.

We’ll have tops, we’ll have pops
by the score.

But let’s never lose sight

of those great pens of might

and may God bless the town of
Listowel.

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Jimmy Moloney has put the minutes of the April meeting of Listowel Town Council 

HERE

Listowel Military Tattoo 2014, Castleisland, Frank Greaney and a poem from Jet Stack of Greenville

As part of Listowel’s Military Weekend 2014 Listowel (Caen) was captured by German forces on Saturday and the citizens arrested and taken off to await execution on Sunday.

On Sunday we were all back in The Square to see what would happen.

The Germans have taken over and moved their tank into a defensive position.

The prisoners are led out to their doom.

A huge crowd has gathered to see the action.

A troop of French Canadians arrive to the rescue.

The fog of war was a phrase that referred to the difficulty of making decisions in the midst of the smoke and the din of the battlefield. The fog on Saturday was real as well as metaphorical.

We are deafened with firing and blinded by smoke.

Germans are falling fast. Some are surrendering and being taken prisoner.

The French and Canadian flags are raised. It’s all over.

Great stuff! Well done everyone!

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Some of those who organized the tattoo



Jim Halpin, Damien Stack and John O’Sullivan


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Tirelessly keeping Listowel tidy

Mary and Joe were out bright and early setting up huge bins and trying to keep the town litter free. 

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Something completely different


In my searching through the internet to bring you things that might be of interest, I recently came upon a page from Castleisland Race Walking Club. It had these great old photos of Castleisland.


Confirmation Boys, Castleisland 1971


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All for charity

This is Frank Greaney. Frank is a kind of one man fundraiser for the Nano Nagle school. Frank has seen at close range the great work that the school does and he has decided to do what he can to help them out financially. Frank is appealing for old phones or old coins. The old phones can be exchanged for iPads for the pupils and the old coins can be turned into cash at the Central Bank.

If you have old unwanted phones or coins you can leave them into the Nano Nagle school or give them to Frank anytime.

While I was chatting to Frank, he told me of an interesting Greaney he has recently been in touch with. This man is a more famous Greaney. He is Mark Greaney a thriller writer who has co laborated with Tom Clancy as well as writing books himself. 

While Mark’s Irish ancestry came from Cork rather than Kerry, he might still like a visit to this literary town someday.  Writers’ Week take note!

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Jet Stack, dancer, musician and poet

This is a poor quality image of the late Jet Stack who wrote the poem I feature today.  If anyone has a better picture, I’d be glad to post it.

The
Banks at Sweet Scartlea

The
sky is clear, a gentle breeze. 

The
sun is in the west.

The
furze in bloom, a pigeon cooing.

Quietness
peace and rest.

By
the river side, where swallows glide.

What
beauty there I see.

As
I take a stroll on an eventide.

By
the banks of sweet Scartlea.

The
thrush on the hawthorn bush 

singnotes,
so loud and clear.

The
blackbirds flutter through the briars.

Sound
warning notes of fear.

The
river Feale, flows gently

 on its way
to join the sea.

As
I take a stroll on an eventide

By
the banks of sweet Scartlea.

The
music of the water

 as it ripples on
its way.

The
rabbits coming out to feed.

The
smell of new mown hay.

The
fragrant scent of woodbine.

The
hum of a bumble bee.

As
I take a stroll on an eventide.

By
the banks of sweet Scartlea.

The
graveyard in the distance,

 its walls of
whitish grey.

An
old man climbing o’re its stile.

For
some poor soul to pray.

The
otters paddle through the ford,

Where
trout and salmon spree.

As
I take a stroll on an eventide.

By
the banks at sweet Scartlea.

The
sun is set, the grass dew wet,

The
stars begin to shine.

The
air is pure, the blind bat lure.

The
morrow will be fine.

The
boys at the crossroad gather

with
hearts light and carefree.

As
I take a stroll on an eventide.

By
the banks of sweet Scartlee.

As
darkness falls there’s peace for all

The
moon of a reddish brown

To
the east appears above the hill

That
overlooks the town.

The
stars they twinkle brightly

no
more that I can see.

As
I take a stroll on an eventide.

By
the banks at sweet Scartlea.

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Youth Theatre

It’s great to see Listowel’s young thespians tackling this demanding play. They deserve support.

Dingle in April 2014 and Listowel Military Tattoo 2014

Dingle




I enjoyed a lovely day out on the Dingle peninsula recently.

This friendly fellow we met at Slea Head.

Cycling was always a favoured means of transport for student and visitor alike.

I don’t know if the coin machine works. I did not hazard my money in it although I have done in the past. You put in a euro or two and you “mint” yourself a souvenir (worthless) coin.

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 This piece of outdoor art is rather nice.

We met Róisín and Joan at The Halla in Ceann Trá. We helped them make somme clay pots.

 Our pots when fired would hold a candle and would be released from Milltown Bridge as part of Féile na Bealtaine.

A bit of humour is always welcome. This sign was at Dick Mack’s back door.

More humour, this time in Murphy’s Ice Cream shop. It was very busy on the day we visited. The staff were super friendly plying us all with free samples. We just had to have some more. I would recommend the sea salt.

This lovely lady was minding the Dingle Candle Shop for her sister in law. She has her own business, making lovely oil cloth bags. Her business is called Pins and Needles. I bought this bag. You’ll see me carrying it around town.

This knitted sheep farm caught my eye in a shop window.

I bought some really nice soap.

Onion sets, shallots and seed potatoes in a shop window in Dingle in April 2014.

Everywhere people were preparing for this:    Féile na Bealtaine

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The best Fungi photo?




There are two people who photo Fungi regularly and post great images on Facebook at

Fungie Forever

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Old photo

Fr Keane from Ballygrennan and Parish Priest in Newtownsandes

and Con Brosnan footballer and member of Free State Army

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Some action from Listowel Town Square at the weekend.

On Saturday May 3 2014 we gathered in The Square to watch a re enactment of the taking of the French town of Caen during WW2.

The local Caen citizenry were hanging out, drinking wine and lounging in the sun.

Suddenly, German soldiers arrived and took over the town.

A fierce battle ensued.

Local people were arrested.

The soldiers frog marched the local prisoners off to be executed the next day.

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It was a great lesson in history for all of us present, particularly the young people.

I photographed the real French people in my family with one of the “fake” French people who were taking part in the re enactment. 

Why are they laughing?

He did not understand a word of French.

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Haiku for our times

Along Emmet Road
politicians’ promises
blow like plastic bags.

– Michael Hartnett (Inchicore Haiku, No. 55)

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Irish TV

A new channel especially for the diaspora. Listen to the story from Batt Burns if you like an innocent old fashioned Seanchaí type tall tale.

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