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: Martin Chute Page 5 of 7

Signwriting, Market Yard 1902, Election in 1910 and EPA Cormac en route to the U.S.

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On September 29, 2020

In Uncategorized

Martin Chute, Master Signwriter, painting the gate at Number 21

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From the Garden of Contemplation 

 

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Market Yard Listowel 1902

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Nomination of Election Candidates in 1910

Kerryman  Saturday, January 29, 1910

NORTH KERRY CONTEST. THE NOMINATIONS

At one o’clock on Friday Mr. Redmond Roche, Sub-Sheriff, accompanied by his legal assessor, Mr. D. Roche, solr., Castleisland, sat in the magistrates’ room of the courthouse, Listowel, for the purpose of receiving nominations for the Parliamentary representation of North Kerry. 

At five minutes after one, Mr. T. Neville Stack, accompanied by Mr. Patk. Browne, P.L.G., arrived at the Courthouse, when a number of nomination papers were handed in. In the paper relied upon, Mr Stack, who was described as a newspaper proprietor and journalist, of Kerry House, 46 Auriol Road, West Kensington, London, W., was proposal by Gerald Leahy Stack, J.P., chemist, Market St., seconded by Edward James Stack, J.P., draper, William Street, the assenters being Cors. Mulvihill, William St.; John Faley, do.; Wm. Dillon, do.; Joseph Broderick, do.; Patk Browne, do.; D. J. Larkin, Main St.; John Broderick, Church St.; Edward McGrath, William Street. 

Ml Flavin arrived a half hour later accompanied by  Messrs P. Trant, J.P., M.C.C; J. M. Woulfe, R.D.C ; J. Kennelly, R.D.C; M. J. Nolan, J.P., V.C.  CoC, and others. In the paper on which he relied, Mr. Flavin was described as a merchant, Rock-st., Tralee  and he was proposed by the Very Rev. Thos. Canon Davis, P.P., V.F., and seconded by Edward Moran, drapery and boot emporium, Market Street, Listowel. The assenters were Michael O’Connor, U.D.C., Market St.; Patk. Scanlan, do.; Michael Dowling, do.; Timothy O’Sullivan, do.; Joseph O’Donoghue, do.; Geo Enright, Convent St.; Patk. Hayes, U.D.C., Church St.; T. P. O’Connor, Market Street. 

There was no commotion whatever, but whilst addressing a meeting in the Market after his nomination Mr Stack met with a great deal of interruption.

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A Horse Picture



Somebody told me lately that she misses the horse pictures. The reason I don’t post them any more is because I dont get home anymore to take them. My Kanturk family sent me this one. He is Cormac. He was born on my grandniece’s birthday and she was given the honour/task of naming him. She called him after a boy in her class. Children!

He was to be my niece’s next hunter but he grew too big. He was being trained in a Limerick yard when, by a series of amazing chances, an American lady who loves Irish draught horses saw a video of him on Facebook. Even though he wasn’t actually for sale, she bought him and he is now on his way to his new home in New York.

Isn’t he a beauty?

Virgin Rock, The Pilgrim Paths and Raceweek 2020

By

On September 25, 2020

In Uncategorized

Ballybunion 2020

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Kerry Already making the Headlines in 1972


New York NY Irish American Advocate


24 June 1972


North Kerry Milk Products—————–
Biggest factory of its kind in both Ireland and England and its finished product, which goes into edible foods, is being exported to the American Erie Casein Company of Illinois which holds a 15 per cent share in the North Kerry Company. Of the remaining 85 per cent of shares half are held by the Dairy Disposal Company and the balance by nine Co-operative Creameries. DYNAMIC MANAGER Young dynamic General Manager of the North Kerry Company is Mr. Denis Brosnan, M.Sc, a native of Kilflynn near Tralee, who said that there was 34 million gallons of milk in the North Kerry area last year which is as big an amount as in the areas of the other major processing groups. At this time about 11 million gallons of whole milk and four million gallons of skim milk were being sold while the remainder had to go back to farmers.

 

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Pilgrim Paths of Ireland


( Photos from Martin Moore on Facebook)


Ireland has several penitential and monastic sites. Some of these are laid out now in several  Irish Caminos.


Martin Moore treked The Pilgrim Paths of Ireland and here are some of the sites he stopped off in on the way.




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The Beauty of an Old Machine

This is a Wexford Pierce & Co. horse drawn finger bar mower. Shane McAuliffe of Parknageragh House refurbished it and shared the before and after pictures on Facebook.

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A Very Different Raceweek


Local shops are doing their best to make us feel like its Raceweek.

This bookie themed window is at Broderick’s Pharmacy.

The NCBI shop are going with a best dressed lady theme.

Finesse Bridal has close ties to the horse racing world. It’s window is definitely a winner alright

 

Mike the Pies, Martin Chute, Mistletoe and Macroom

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On December 11, 2019

In Uncategorized

Wintry Listowel in December 2019

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Mike the Pies Rebranding



Mike the Pies has been painted green for as long as I can remember. All that’s changed in December 2019. This popular music venue, where half of Listowel would rather be, is now a sophisticated black.

There I was walking on Upper William Street when I spotted the sea change.

Returning later I saw Mr. Signs himself, Martin Chute, painting the new sign.

Doesn’t his I look a bit like a glass at this stage?

Spotting his friend, Eileen Worths, Martin stopped for a chat.

I was anxious not to distract the master at work. But the ever affable signwriter took a minute to greet me.

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Mattie’s Letter takes a Tongue in Cheek Swipe


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Uh! oh! The Mistletoe



( from Raymond O’Sullivan on Facebook)


When the kissing has to stop!

Mistletoe is a symbol of love, affection and friendship. It is also considered lucky and a protection from evil spirits and the devil, The origin of these associations goes back to Norse mythology and the legend of the goddess Frigg, wife of Odin, and their son Baldur – too long for a FB post. Google it! Suffice to say that Frigg’s tears transformed into the berries on the mistletoe, and, on the resurrection of her son from the dead, she was so overjoyed that she blessed the plant and vowed to kiss everyone who passed beneath it.
So the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe goes back a long way, though nowadays it is confined to the Christmas period. Some accounts say the proper procedure is that a berry is plucked from the plant each time a couple kisses and when all the berries are gone, the kissing has to stop. Ah, the bashful days of youth!
In the light of the almost daily charges of unwelcome and inappropriate sexual approaches in the workplace and elsewhere, this long-established tradition of kissing under the mistletoe must be in grave danger of being discarded. We can only hope that the coarse conduct and boorish behaviour of some, including those in high places, does not jeopardize this age-old, innocent Christmas custom and consign the blameless mistletoe to the compost heap of history.

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Spotted In Macroom



Like Listowel, Macroom has retained much of its old character. When I stopped there for a spot of lunch lately (I highly recommend The Castle Hotel) I took a stroll around and spotted these gems.


A veritable old curiosity shop

Next door was a draper’s shop which still hangs the merchandise outside the door.

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An Appeal



Next year, 2020 Listowel Writers Week will celebrate its 50th birthday. I’m planning to post some photos of memories of the festival down through the years. So I’m appealing to my Listowel Connection family to help me out.

If you have a memory or a photo you would be willing to share please drop me an email.

Tidy Town Prizegiving, Sacred Heart Picture and Break in in The Square

By

On October 23, 2019

In Uncategorized

Tidy Town Prizegiving in Listowel Family Resource Centre

Winners of the art competitions

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It’s a while since I’ve seen one but when I was growing up every kitchen had one and on it was written the birth dates of all the children. It had a designated lamp, called a Sacred Heart lamp burning constantly beneath it.

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First Glances at The Book

My friends in Knitwits were among the first to see A Minute of Your Time.

Knitting is only one of the many crafts that Rosie can turn her hand to. She made this lovely Halloween Witch House which Bigita is admiring.

I gave my friends, Mary Frances and Nancy in the Vincent de Paul shop an early viewing as well.

A Minute of Your Time

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Listowel Sign Writer at Work in Tralee

I spotted Martin Chute on his scaffold painting a sign at the vet’s in Tralee

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Break in At Harnett’s Pharmacy



This is how it looks now. 

Earlier yesterday October 22 2019 this was the scene in The Square.

It was so sad that in our lovely peaceful town thieves had struck during the hours of darkness and in an attempt to rob the shop had completely trashed it.

Two other shops were also targeted by the thieves but it was in Harnetts that they did the most damage.







Kingfisher, A jockey fatality, a Fancy Dress Parade and the Harp and Lion is finished

By

On September 11, 2019

In Uncategorized

Takes more Than a Sign to stop Him

Photo: Chris Grayson

This lad is not called a Kingfisher for nothing.

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A sobering thought from John O’Flahery’s great book about Listowel Races

First jockey to be killed in Listowel. The year was 1896.

The man in question was a 21 year old jockey from Fedamore, named Michael Prendergast who was tragically killed during the last race on the second day when his mount “Castlequarter”, crashed into a corner post after jumping the last fence. 

The accident happened when Prendergast was trying to drive Castlequarter inside the eventual winner, Tantalus, as they approached the final corner post. As they neared the post, Castlequarter swerved to the right and would have gone inside the post if Prendergast had not snatched him up. This momentaery delay cost him his life, for, when he straightened his horse, he found that the gap had almost been closed by Tantalus and his rider. 

Courageously, Prendergast tried to squeeze through the tiny space, but, instead, he only succeeded in driving the horse on to the post with shattering force. He was propelled from the saddle and struck the ground violently with his head, knocking him unconscious. 

He was removed to Feale View Hotel, the home of the Hon. Secretary, Michael O’Connor, with blood streaming from his ears. Despite being attended to by a number of doctors, he died without regaining consciousness, at 7.00p.m. on Friday August 29. His young wife, whom he had married only a few months before, was at his bedside. 

The terrible accident, which prematurely ended a very promising career, was all the more pathetic, because, up to then, Prendergast had been enjoying an outstanding meeting, during which he had notched up three winners, including the two feature races. 


Perhaps the accident might not have happened at all had the stewards not disqualified the winner of the first race that day, Antelope, because he had come inside one of the posts.  In trying to avoid the same fate, Prendergast earned the unenviable distinction of being the first jockey to be killed at Listowel. Incidentally, his mount, Castlequarter broke his neck in a fall at Croom the following year.

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Down Memory Lane


Eileen Sheridan sent us this good one.

Front row.

Babe Joe Wilmot,Tadgh Brennan, Maisie McSweeney

Back row

Maureen Horgan Ethel Ryan

At the side Jerry Flaherty

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The Sign is done. The Harp strings are painted and while he had the ladder up,

 Martin gave the Lion’s face a cat’s lick. Passing pigeons are a menace.


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