Listowel Connection

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 pantomime

In Listowel

By

On December 2, 2022

In Listowel, Schools

Agri Auto Parts in November 2022

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A Doubting Thomas Punished

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Lovely People I met

I was in town with my visitors on Saturday Nov. 26 2022. Here are some of the people we met.

Aoife met P.J and Joan Kenny on William Street.

In the Vincent de Paul shop (now open on Saturday afternoons) we met Eileen O’Sullivan who gave Aoife a beautiful book. Thank you, ever generous Eileen.

Eileen was having a look around with her sister.

On Church Street we met Mags and Liz and the adorable Jaycee.

Mary and Clíona are old friends from schooldays. Here they are , now both mothers, with Maisie and Aoife.

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Listowel Pantomimę

Tommy Moore shared these photos a while back.

Have fun naming the actors.

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Commemorating 100 years of An Garda Síochána in Listowel

November 30 2022

This was the first garda I met on the day. Her smile says it all. Everyone was in great form. The weather was perfect. The buzz was mighty.

Schoolchildren lined the streets around the Garda Station.

Look at this lovely little man saluting the Garda car.

Everyone had a garda friend on the day

Teachers and pupils loving the break from class and learning a bit of history at the same time.

Lots more to come….

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Somethings to look forward to

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Listowel men in drag in 1974, Pres. girls, Tennis Players in Action in 1987 and Poetry in the Park in 2019

By

On February 20, 2019

In Uncategorized

Listowel Town Square February 2019

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Someone will surely give me a year for this group of lovely young ladies who were my 1 Aodan class when I took the photo.

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Remember that Panto in 1974?


One of the highlights of that first pantomime was the interval drag act when some very unlikely local business men dressed up á lá Danny La Rue. Jimmy Moloney Sr. has very kindly shared a press cutting.

The lovely “ladies” are

Vincent Moloney, The Square, R.I.P., Jimmy Moloney, Gurtinard, Kieran Moloney, The Square, Tony Faley, Small Sq. R.I.P., Jerome Murphy, Charles St. R.I.P., Paudie Fitzmaurice, Cahirdown R.I.P.

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Now and Then

2019


2004


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A Little Poem for you

“No place like home, “she said

Eighty, in her rocking chair,

“where you can spit in the fire

Saucer your tea

and call the cat a bastard.”

Brendan Kennelly

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Poetry In the Park

A group of local writers gathered in the Seanchaí on Sunday February 17 2019 for their regular Poetry in the Park event. The change from the park to the Seanchaí was necessitated by the weather.

I enjoyed the poetry stories, song and banter. If you are a writer, watch out for their events. They are very welcoming

These are some of the lovely writers who were there on the day.

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More action shots  from the tennis courts



Molly, The Pantomime in the seventies, St. Michael’s Ball in 1999 and a Barn Dance in 2019

By

On February 14, 2019

In Uncategorized

Doggy in the Window

If Molly had a big red button, she’d put it here.



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When the pantomime was the talk of the town


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Year 1987; Photographer Danny Gordon




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St. Michael’s Black Tie Ball


They’re planning a black tie ball in St. Michael’s. It will be held on March 15th 2019 and tickets are available at the school.

The last time they held such an event was in  December 1999  when the college was celebrating 120 years of education for boys in Listowel.  Here is the souvenir booklet.

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Barn Dance




I found this photo on Facebook of two happy barn dancers, Patsy Kennedy and Kay Lane at William Street on Friday 8 2019 for Listowel’s barn dance in aid of Listowel Tidy Town’s proposed purchase of a van.

1975 Cinderella, Spectators at the tennis and Listowel Writers Week Literary Evenings.

By

On February 6, 2019

In Uncategorized

Robin in The National Park photographed by Chris Grayson

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Listowel Tennis in the 1980s


Watching a tennis game are Denis O’Rourke (standing) and the late Paudie Finnegan (seated).



Miriam Croghan and Jacintha Egan

Photos; Danny Gordon

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1975 Panto




This old newspaper clip of some of the cast of Cinderella in 1975 brought back many many happy memories.

One sad fact I was reminded of is that Mary Dooley who played Cinderella was tragically killed in a Road Traffic Accident a few years after this happy time leaving behind a young husband and family.

At the other end of the scale another blog follower told me that there is a video of this panto somewhere and the drag show at the intermission is hilarious.

If you have real photos or would like to pen a few memories, there is an audience out there hungry to relive those happy busy winter days in 1970s  Listowel.

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Listowel Writers’ Week Literary Evenings




You are still in time to catch the last of these tonight. This partnership between Writers’ Week and The Rose Hotel Tralee has added a whole new dimension to the festival and brought in a whole new local audience.

Because these soirees were free it was an ideal opportunity to sample a literary event and maybe find that it wasn’t quite so literary after all but warm, welcoming and accessible. The interviewers and guests have all done an excellent job, the venue is intimate and elegant and all in all this is a super venture and must be repeated.

On Weds January 23rd I went to hear Deirdre Walsh interview Carmel Harrington and came away eager to read the book. It was a lovely evening.

Mark, on behalf of The Rose Hotel, did the welcoming.

The inimitable Seán Lyons, on behalf of Writers’ Week, did the introducing.

Deirdre Walsh did the interviewing.

Here is the best selling author of seven novels with some of her Kerry friends, Mark Sullivan, Máire Logue, Liz and Jin Dunn and Deirdre Walsh (seated)

Posing with our books are Seán Lyons, Mary Cogan, Joan O’Regan and Mairead Costelloe.

Just like at Writers’ Week people queued to have books signed.

Just for a night, Liz forgot about Marie Kondo and the pleasures of decluttering. Anyway, this one sparked joy.

I missed the next one which was the very popular Tomi Riechenthal.

Tonight it’s the last in the series, the spoken word poet, Stephen James Smith. Should be a good one.

This series has been a resounding success. Thanks are due to Seán Lyons and Mark Sullivan for dreaming it up and to Listowel Writers’ Week  for organising another great project.  I think I can safely predict that this venture will be repeated.

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Big Night in Store for The Dublin Kerry Crowd




Everyone is welcome

St. Patrick’s Day and 1974 panto programme

By

On March 15, 2013

In Uncategorized

This photograph was taken in Listowel during the 90’s

St. Patrick’s Day in Dungarvan in 1952

Dublin 1961

And some photos from  Listowel 2012

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I was sent this joke to give you a laugh for the weekend:

An Irishman goes into the confessional box after years of being
away from the Church.

He is amazed to find a fully equipped bar with Guinness on tap.
On the other wall is a dazzling array of the finest cigars and chocolates.

Then the priest comes  in.

Excitedly, the Irishman begins…..”Father, forgive me, for it’s
been a very long time since I’ve been to confession, but I must first admit
that the confessional box is much more inviting than it used to be.”

The priest replies, “Get out. You’re on my side.”

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Listowel Emmetts 1983

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Remember my ads from 20 years ago? Anne Moloney has helped me to go one better. She gave me a panto  programme from 40 years ago and I will drip feed the ads to you over the next few days.

Jan 1974

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Jer took these photos at Dr. Eugene Duffy’s Lenten lecture in St. Patrick’s Hall on Wednesday night.

and he made a little video         http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkbDmr5nIJo&feature=youtu.be

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