Listowel Writers’ Week – Listowel Connection

Credit Union Memories

On March 16, 2023

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A Tara Brooch

One of the most beautiful treasures in the National Museum is The Tara Brooch which dates from around 700A.D. It was found on the beach in Bettystown in 1850 and according to Wikipaedia has nothing to do with Tara at all.

The original may have nothing to do with Tara but this one has a Listowel connection. Eileen Moylan of Listowel, Macroom and Claddagh Design fame was once commissioned to make a modern day replica solid silver “Tara” brooch. She took us step by step through the smithing process in her blog here:

The pieces cut out in silver.

Inserting the gems.

Engraving, finishing and polishing

Eileen’s splendid finished diamond and emerald brooch

Wouldn’t it be perfect to wear on Patrick’s Day?

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Listowel Credit Union at 50

The interior of Listowel Credit Union’s lovely office on the Monday of the celebration, March 6 2023.

I met Eleanor OSullivan and Jimmy Deenihan.

Leo Daly and Betty O’Sullivan are long serving members of the credit union. They posed for my photos with Jimmy Deenihan.

There was a big display of press clippings on the day. I photographed a few.

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Look who is Coming to Listowel Writers’ Week 2023

“Seamus O’Hara, who plays Turlough in An Irish Goodbye, will be leading a workshop with acclaimed Casting Director Mary-Ellen O’Hara called ‘Interpretation, Inflection, Intonation: Poetry Aloud’.”

You can book a place in this workshop or tickets for some of the events on the programme at Listowel Writers’ Week

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Something Different

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Changes

By listowelconnection

On December 13, 2022

In Listowel, Personal, Poem, Schools

This is the lovely new Christmas light garland for 2022. It celebrates Listowel’s literary heritage.

Listowel Writers’ Week opens a new chapter in Listowel’s literary history in 2023 as the festival welcomes its new curator.

Stephen Connelly comes with a hugely impressive cv. I wish him all the best in his new role and I look forward to seeing what he has in store for us in June.

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New Kid on the Block

My Cork family has a new dog. You may remember that their beloved Helios passed away a while back. They felt it was time to take another dog to their hearts. Reggie is a sweet tempered lurcher. Molly has welcomed him to the extended family.

Reggie had a rough start in life and was homeless for a while before being rescued. Housetraining and lead training are in hand.

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Times Past

Mary Nolan sent us this photo of the cast of Presentation Secondary School’s 1979 operetta, Lilac Time

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Christmas Jumper Day

Our local Vincent’s shop has a great selection of toys, clothes and bric a brac at rock bottom prices. If you are finding it hard to make ends meet this Christmas, drop in on Thursday or Friday and you could have your family decked out and all your presents sorted for next to nothing.

And this shop has the nicest shop volunteers as well.

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Searching for Photos of a Stokes ancestor

Gus Stokes has been in touch. He found the below story on Listowel Connection from 2012.

Back Row L.toR.Tom Costello, Danny Lane, Bill J. Kirby, Sean Stokes, John MacNamara (agri instructor), Chris Goulding, Patsy O’Sullivan, William Stack, Tim Buckley, John Collins, Toddy O’Sullivan
Middle: Paddy Finucane(cut out of photo),_________ James Murray, John Broderick, Paddy Carroll, John O’Keeffe, Dan Molyneaux, Tim MacMahon,Paddy Maher, John Joe Galvin,Tom O’Sullivan, Vincent Brennan,Jerh Galvin, Liam McElligott, Dick Stokes, Maurice Stack
Front: Paddy Drummond, Dan J. Moloney,———–,————, Canon P. O’Sullivan, Jerry Moyles (C.A.O. Kerry) Bob Fitzgerald, ———–, Tom Sheehan
This is a photograph of Vincent’s photograph. He has all the names except 3 and 2 of them are not local and may have been instructors on the course. The photo has both students and teachers in it and was taken in the old VEC school on Church St.

Here is Gus’ email;

Looking for Jack Stokes Dirrha photos and wondering if he could be found in this photo

I am his grandson but sadly I was 10 years too late to find my birth mother or any living relatives with photos of my family and I would be over joyed to see any photos of my mother who was born c1935 and went to Presentation Convent but I was unable to get any joy when I visited the school but I found my mother has a daughter who is delightful but only had Collection photo that came as quite a shock !

Any help would be greatly appreciated and I will continue to search your wonderful website and maybe you were at the Library lecture on local fables?

I hope to get back to Listowel sometime in the next few months

Best wishes for the Holidays

Gus Stokes

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Where to go in Summer 2022

By listowelconnection

On April 12, 2022

In Listowel, Listowel Writers Week

This photograph by Jillian, a member of Mallow Camera Club is part of a collaboration between the club and Kanturk Community Hospital in 2017.

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Glenflesk

When I stopped in Glenflesk recently I called to their lovely church to say a prayer.

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Visit a Heritage Site on the first Wednesday

On the first Wednesday of each month, many OPW Heritage Sites offer Free Admission to independent/individual visitors and families. A list of participating sites appears on the OPW website, and details of each can be found at the relevant link.

Tickets will be allocated on a first come, first served basis and online booking will not be available. Normal conditions of admission apply.
Visitors may experience delays at some of our busier sites and are advised to arrive early. If allocated a time, visitors are asked to arrive promptly. There is no guarantee that visitors who miss their allocated time-slot can be accommodated later. Children must be supervised at all times.

Access to some sites is by guided tour only. Car-parking may be limited at some sites and patrons are requested to respect the facilities and other car park users.

The full list of sites is at the following link

Heritage Ireland

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Post Boxes

A few subjects crop up here regularly. One of them is post boxes. I’m terrified that these pieces of street furniture are doomed. If they are underused, and they are, cost cutting measures at An Post will surely see them condemned.

Whatever about the newer ones that are ugly, I’d hate see the old ones that have been there since we were a colony removed from our streets.

When I was in Dublin recently I took this photo near Stephen’s Green.

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Sitting on two Chairs at once

“We are delighted to announce that Catherine Moylan was voted in as the new Chair of the Board after David Brown stepped down from his position. Catherine Moylan is also Chair of the Festival for Listowel Writers’ Week. “

This recent statement from Listowel Writers’ Week may have confused you. “Surely she was already the chair,” you may have thought.

Up to now the chair of the Board of Directors of Writers’ Week and the chair of the festival have been two separate honorary roles. With the election of Catherine to the chair of the Board, these two posts have come closer in that they are now held by one person.

I wish Catherine the best of luck in her new role. I can’t wait for the first live festival in 2 years and seeing all our old friends back in town.

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Listowel Primary Centre, Writers’ Week in 1983 and Evictions in 1881

By Listowel Connection

On March 4, 2020

In Uncategorized

Listowel Primary Care Centre in February 2020

The Primary Care Centre looks finished, landscaping done and all.

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Listowel Writers’ Week Committee 1983

In Writers Week we’re looking back at 50 festivals and the people who helped run them. Here is the 1983 committee. Apologies to the two ladies whose names I can’t remember.

Front Row: Kieran Moloney, Helen Kenny, ? , Gabriel Fitzmaurice, Marjorie Long, Maurice Lonergan, Maureen Beasley

Back: Margaret Reidy, ? Mairead Pierse, Louise Griffin. Madeleine O’Sullivan, Michael O’Connor, Mary McGillicuddy, Joe Murphy, Nora Relihan,Anne Kennedy Truscott (née O’Rourke), Mary Cogan (hidden) Noreen Buckley and Padraig Kelly

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Evictions in North Kerry in 1881

Kerry Sentinel 06.05.1881, page 3 (Edited Version)

Important Meeting of Lord Ormaithwaite’s Tenantry in the parishes of, Listowel, Ballydonoghue, Newtownsandes, Lixnaw, Irremore and Ballybunion were at a meeting in the Land League Rooms in Listowel. They decided that 25% over Griffith’s valuation was a fair rent. Mr George Sandes the landlords agent refused the offer and offered an abatement of 15%, he agreed to meet Lord Ormaithwaite and let them know his reply in a few days.

The cases of the eviction in Gunsboro of Broder and Kissane, who were uncharitable put out on the road at the end of their working life, had the sympathy of all tenants.

Priests in attendance Rev. M O’Connor , P.P. Ballybunion; Rev James Burke, P.P. Newtownsandes, Rev James Casey C C. Listowel; Rev F Cremin, C.C. Lixnaw; Rev. M. Godley, C.C. Ballybunion; Rev F. Carmody, C.C. Newtownsandes, and the rev B. Scanlon, C.C. Duagh.

Priest of the Listowel Deanery held meeting and deplored the evictions on the property of Mr. Gunn Mahony and absentee, a dying man, father of large family was flung on the roadside without any shelter. North Kerry was tranquil, but it is with horror they contemplate the future, if the evictions of law abiding and industrious people, continues.

Meeting of influential Listowel people, about the water supply, £1,000 spent on works, at present quite useless, they are going to the Board of Guardians to complain.

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River Feale in stormy February 2020

Spirit of Christmas 2019, Remembering the Fallen, YABF2019 and an old class photo

By Listowel Connection

On November 22, 2019

In Uncategorized

Rose Wall of Listowel Business and Community Alliance addressing the huge crowd in the Square for the launch of The Spirit of Christmas 2019 last weekend.

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Remembering the Fallen

Blog followers greatly appreciated the tributes paid to the war dead of Listowel on Remembrance Sunday.

Here is an email that is representative of many:

Great to see local people commemorating local people who gave their lives for world safety. It was a futile war in which innumerable lives were gambled with and lost by callous authorities, but all wars in all ages are based on the same, savage slaughter of those who have nothing to lose but their very lives. Ireland’s Troubles are no different. The Generals, the armchair ones, or those official ones, hiding at the rear of the front-line troops, and the political top-dogs, always survive and prosper on the blood of the private soldier. Even terrorist groups in our own recent episode of Troubles had a code that leaders of their ‘enemy’ forces were not targetted or slain! Which is why so many such leaders ended up safe and sound in well-paid governments, be it in the early 20s or in the 1990s.

All the common soldier has is the love and respect of his own kind.

Listowel is to be highly commended for not abandoning the true heroes of war – those who gave all – even their life – for no personal gain, but a grave.

Rudyard Kipling, for all his faults, got it right in his famous poem, ‘Tommy’; a verse of which is as follows:

But it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Chuck him out, the brute!”

But he’s a “Hero of ‘is country” when the guns begin to shoot;

Well’ it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ anything you please;

But’ Tommy ain’t no bleedin’ fool—you bet that Tommy sees!

Nicholas.