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 Griffin

Sunny April Saturday, 1916 commemoration in South Carolina and a spitfire in Listowel

By

On May 4, 2016

In Uncategorized

Chris Grayson

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Out and About with my Camera; Some Humans of Listowel

This premises on Courthouse Rd. was recently officially opened by Michael Healy Rae, T.D.

 Another T.D., John Brassil has opened a constituency office on Church St.

These footballers had just won their competition in Killarney.

 Father and daughter were having a chin wag on Charles Street.

I met these two on William Street where another chin wag was in progress.

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Meanwhile in Columbia, South Carolina



From Maeve Moloney Koch comes news of a 1916 commemoration  in the town where she now lives, far from her native Listowel.

On Sunday, April 24, 2016, Shane Stephens, Consul General Of Ireland, who is stationed in Atlanta, Georgia, visited us in Columbia, South Carolina, to help the South Carolina Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH) commemorate the Centenary. 

While here he also placed a wreath at the Memorial to those indentured Irish laborers who, in the early 19th Century, constructed the canal on the Congaree and Broad Rivers here in Columbia. 

He also attended Mass at St. Peter’s Church as part of the event. The spokesman during the event was Jim Lawracy, the Vice-President of the South Carolina AOH Division. 

Consul General Stephens is a wonderful representative here in the United States of Ireland and the Irish people. I am attaching a few photos of the event.

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Listowel Military Tattoo 2016




Taking centre stage for the weekend of the military tattoo was the replica spitfire which stood in The Square. It was made by local volunteers and it was an exact replica of the plane flown by Victor Beamish, Ireland’s no. 2 Spitfire pilot.

Do you know why this plane is called a spitfire?

I know because I attended the brilliant talk given by Paul Beaver as part of the partnership between The Listowel Military Tattoo  and Listowel Writers’ Week.

Apparently it was to be called The Shrew but the maker had a difficult little daughter whose nickname in the family was Spitfire. He suggested the name and it seemed so appropriate it was adopted. Now it is probably the best known warplane name.

The Beamish family came to Listowel in numbers to celebrate Victor. This man is his nephew and he filled us in on the full history of his famous uncle.

Some of the attentive audience

The unveiling of the replica plane was done by Victor’s widow who despite her 98 years braved the cold and rain to be there.

Victor Beamish came from Dunmanway in Co. Cork and the mayor of the town came to celebrate him. He reminded us that Dunmanway’s other famous son is Sam Maguire.

14 Charles St.,Listowel, Adare, More than one rosary and the passing of Gus Cremin

By

On November 20, 2014

In Uncategorized

Plus ça change, plus c’est la meme chose



This photo which I snapped opportunistically on Charles Street last week has proved very popular. Vincent Carmody got in touch with me to remind me that in his book, Listowel, Snapshots of a Market Town, he has a photo taken at the same spot over 100 years ago.

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Adare Manor

J.P. McManus has purchased Adare Manor. This photo on Limerick Life shows Queen Victoria arriving there in 1897.

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An cloch is lú ar mo phaidrín



My title for my little story comes from an Irish phrase that means, literally, the littlest bead on my rosary or, figuratively, the least of my worries.

Recently I was told a story of a lady who purchased a rosary beads for an elderly relative. When she got the present home, she discovered that it had only 4 decades. She returned it to the shop where the shop assistant discovered that the whole batch of beads had only 4 decades. Everyone presumed that the rosaries were faulty and another example of shoddy workmanship.

I was, however, aware of other sets of beads beside The Holy Rosary as we know it.

I had a very saintly grandmother who, like many of the women of her day was devout and prayerful. After her death I inherited her little purse where she kept her beads. It contained 3 sets of prayer beads.

Conventional, if rather large, rosary beads

These two sets of beads are a mystery to me; one has five “decades”, each of 5 beads; the other has seven “decades” each with 7 beads.  Any ideas?

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+   Gus Cremin R.I.P.  +




(photo; Terrace Talk on Facebook)

End of an Era



Gus Cremin of Lisselton, Gaelic football legend, passed away last week.


Gus Cremin born 1921 was Kerry’s oldest living winning All-Ireland

Senior medal holder in Gaelic football.


With his team mate and fellow midfielder, the great Eddie Dowling, Gus


helped the Shannon Rangers win the 1945 Kerry County Championship,


thus putting him in line for the Kerry captaincy the following year.


He was chosen for the Kerry Juniors in 1946 and then went straight


onto the senior side for the All-Ireland semi-final against Antrim.

In the final against Roscommon he captained Kerry and became the

youngest ever to lead the side in an All-Ireland final. It was a

dramatic match and late goals from Paddy Burke and ‘Gega’ O’Connor

helped snatch a draw for the Kingdom. Gus was shouldered high from the

field by supporters after an amazing game. However, Kerry caused a

sensation by relegating their captain to the subs; Gus was

dramatically dropped for the replay.

With fifteen minutes left in the replay the Kerry team were trailing

the Connaught men by two points, and Roscommon showed no sign of

losing their lead. Entering that last quarter Kerry made the move that

won the match by finally allowing the former captain to come on the

field as a sub. He immediately set up Paddy Burke who found the net

and the Kingdom were ahead. With a few minutes to go in the match Gus

scored a magnificent point from 50 yards. This was the decider and

Kerry went on to win. Later it was described as “one of the most

perfect and valuable points ever scored in Croke Park.”

The following year Gus was most unfortunate when a broken leg

sustained in a North Kerry League game prevented him from traveling to

America for the historic 1947 Polo Grounds Final in New York. He

played his last game for Kerry in the 1948 All-Ireland semi-final loss

to Mayo.


Taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gus_Cremins


Time for a chat, ……… is coming and the passing in London of Seán Corridan

By

On November 14, 2014

In Uncategorized

Across the half door


I spotted Martin Griffin and his friend, Michael Burke, chatting at Martin’s door in Charles Street last week.

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Another Listowel business closes its door




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One for the Diary





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Gorgeous things for Christmas in Craftshop na Méar



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Passing in London of Seán Corridan






Photo from http://abbeyfealeonline.blogspot.ie


Tributes have been paid to Sean Corridon who died last week after a short illness.

The Kerryman was a loyal servant to the London GAA and had many claims to fame. He was part of the mighty Kingdom team of the 1970s and has seven London county championships medals to his name.

He was instrumental in the setting up of Fulham Irish when that club was founded in 2006 and in 2011 laid claim to be the oldest footballer ever to grace a GAA pitch when lined out for Irish in a reserve championship game at Ruislip. He was ever-present at Ruislip and could always be relied upon to the thankless jobs like linesman or umpire.

Fulham Irish issued a statement on his passing last week. It said: “It is with great regret that Fulham Irish GAA received the news of the untimely passing of Sean Corridan.

“Sean was a one of the very few people involved with the London County board who offered unflinching support during the difficult period that Fulham Irish GAA came into existence in 2006. Sean was easily identifiable as a genuine gentleman who always had the player at the forefront of his thoughts.

“In 2009, Sean joined Fulham Irish GAA to get involved with the running of the Senior football team. He remained a dedicated member right through to the end and could always be relied upon to help out when required, always there, always ready to help out.

“One of those occasions happened in 2011, when the Fulham Irish Reserve team were playing a match against St Kiernans. Playing with only 14 players, the game was close enough. To make the numbers up to 15, Sean pulled on a jersey at half time but unlike others who do this, he stayed on the field for the duration of the game, twice catching the ball and laying it off for scores.

“One of the sweet victories for the club after which Sean was researching whether he was oldest player to ever play in London. We offer our sincere sympathies to his Family and wide circle of Friends. May he rest in peace.”

He was also well-connected with the St Joseph’s club in London.

“On behalf of everyone involved with St. Joseph’s, we wish to extend our sincerest sympathy to the Corridon family following the recent sad passing of Sean. Our thoughts and prayers are with them at this difficult time. Sean will be very sadly missed by everyone in the Joe’s.”

Mr Corridon was a life-long member of the Kerry Association London.

Secretary Tara Cronin said: “ It was with great sadness that I learnt of the passing of Sean Corridon. Sean was a long standing member of the Kerry Association in London and has been involved with us for a number of years. Sean was an integral part of the committee and he will be missed. My deepest sympathies to his wife and family.”

Sean is survived by his wife Mary, children Dawn and Derry and granddaughter Beth.”

(C* Seán Moriarty. Irish World.)

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In Happier Healthier Times

This picture from 1981 is on a Facebook page called Classic Pics. It shows Robin Williams and Christopher Reeve hailing a taxi in London in 1981.

R.I.P. two of cinema’s legends, who died before their time.

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Nano Nagle remembered on Sunday



Pres girls were in the church on Wednesday preparing for their very special mass for `presentation Day. Presentation Day is on November 21st. The mass is on Sunday next Nov. 16 at 11.00 in St. Mary’s

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