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 Hickey

A Christmas Candle, Craftshop na Méar and Kerry Writers Museum Craft fair


Listowel Arms at Christmas 2019

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Another lovely Christmas window

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Kerry Writers’ Museum Craft Fair

Here are some of the crafters I missed when I posted these last.

These lovely colourful mandalas all all unique. They would make a lovely display grouped together on a wall. Great value too from this really talented lady.

Eimear was at her first craft fair and enjoying the experience.

Mary and her friend, Angela were recycling and up cycling. They had lovely affordable Christmas decorations.


Kerry Writers Museum was just the place to start your Christmas shopping for 2019.


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Looking back and remembering




This photo was taken at the opening of Craftshop na Méar on Church Street.  It shows some of the early crafters, Maureen, Mary, Una, Namir, Mary, Kelly, Mairéad and Mary with Miriam Kiely in whose old home the shop was located. Front left is the late Dan Green who died so tragically soon after.

The Craftshop verdict ; Sad its over but glad it happened.

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A Candle Story from the Schools’ Folklore Collection

Long ago an old woman who lived in a thatched house before going to bed on Christmas night took her candles, quenched them and put them into a drawer in the table for fear that during the night the house might go on fire. She got out of bed early next morning to light the candles again. On opening the drawer to her surprise she found the candles lighting at both ends. She took it as a lesson that the Christmas candles would not burn anything.

Collector, Teresa Fitzmaurice- Address Beal Middle, Co. Kerry
Informant- Mrs H. Fitzmaurice, Age 42 Address, Beal Middle, Co. Kerry.
Location: Ballybunnion, Co. Kerry- Teacher: An tSr. Aodán.

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Event Guide


If you want to know what’s on in Listowel over the holidays, Listowel.ie has a great new page detailing everything that ‘s on.

Here’s the link

Events in Listowel

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+  R.I.P. Martin Hickey  +



I took this photograph on Church Street in 2013. Fred Chute took time out from his painting to chat to his old friend, Martin Hickey.

Sad to say that Listowel has lost both of these old stock in 2019.

Martin has been absent from our streets for a while now and you’d miss him. He was a great servant to his beloved Listowel Celtic and they appreciated their “boss”, installing him in the well deserved office of president.

May the sod rest lightly on Martin’s gentle soul.

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Christmas is a Time for Friends



I met Cathuy Mawe and Eithne Galvin in The Listowel Arms on Saturday Dec. 14 2019.

Sundown in Ballybunion and beautiful Athea

Mike Enright took this photo of a fantastically peaceful Ballybunion sunset earlier this week. We are lucky to have someone like Mike with his knowledge of the weather and the tides to bring us views of Ballybunion that us landlubbers rarely get to witness.

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Early morning in Ballyb

Another photo from Ballybunion Prints Beach of the dolphins at play

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Beautiful Athea

When I was away with the fairies in Athea a few weeks ago I missed these  beautiful sights. These photographs are from Athea Tidy Town’s website. What talent and community commitment they have in this little place. The village is a credit to everyone concerned.

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This rhododendron forrest in Tipperary looks beautiful but it is practically impenetrable. Two very experienced mountaineers got  trapped here last Sunday. The South Eastern Mountain Rescue Association had great difficulty in reaching them to free them.   Avoid!

(Photo; SEMRA via Facebook)

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I was a bit surprised to run into these two gentlemen as I was walking the streets to get away from the World Cup. I suppose even mad soccer fans have to get away from it sometimes.

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Beach weather




The children are still in school but the beach is still busy these days (photo Ballybunion Prints Beach)

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2009 At Listowel Races on Friday was Listowel races Secretary Brendan Daly and Assistant Secretary Brenda Daly. Picture: Eamonn Keogh (MacMonagle, Killarney) —



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Hymns at a former Redemptorist retreat in Limerick



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3fPG_4jMkE&feature=youtu.be

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Photographs from the interior of the Redemptorist Church, Limerick

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OG5Y-fXNLco&feature=youtu.be

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All you who sleep tonight



Vikram Seth

All you who sleep tonight

Far from the one you love

No hand to left or right

And emptiness above

Know that you aren’t alone,

The whole world shares your tears

Some for two nights or one

And some for all their years.

All the schoolboys named, Tar Abhaile and painting.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Listowel

Flavins window

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Mike Enright took this great photo of a sunrise in Ballybunion, November 2013

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Don’t forget to watch TG4 on Sunday night next at 9.30

Julie and Glyn Evans pictured outside the famine graveyard in Listowel in Spring 2013.

Julie’s search for her the truth about her great great grandmother brought her to Teampaill Bán Famine graveyard.

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Dan Doyle’s old photo has brought much pleasure and not a few sad memories to many in Listowel and further afield. May the Lord have mercy on the souls of the men no longer with us who in this photo are smiling here as hopeful little boys, To the others who are still with us, thank you to those who have contacted me and a special thanks to Tadhg Moriarty and Aidan Murphy who put their memories to the test  and passed with flying colours.  Below are all the names as supplied to me by the two aforementioned men.

Má tá bréag ann, bíodh.   (If there’s a lie in it let it be).  This was the old storytellers get out phrase.

Front row

Oliver Doyle, Denis McElligot, Ned Lyons, John Burke,
Mark Walsh, Liam Gunn, Christy Walsh,Jimmy Moore, Padraig Walsh, Michael Scannell

Aidan Murphy, Ned Moriarty, Eamonn Hartnett, John
Beechinor , Stephen Coffey. 

Middle row 

Paddy Neville, Timmy Rellihan, Richard Keating, Maurice
Chute, Colm Keane, Paudie Carey , Michael Hannon, Paddy Horgan,
Pat O Donoghue, Tom O Connell,

John Sweeney, Gerry Kiernan, Gerry Murphy, PJ Brown

Tom O Connor.

Back row

Peter O Reilly, Pat Stack, Eamonn O Carroll,

Maurice Carroll, Kevin Woulfe, Raymond O Mahoney, 

Denis O Connor, Nelius Scannell, Tom McElligott, Tadhg
Moriarty, Michael Barry, 

Tim Nolan,  Paddy Duggan, Dan Doyle, Liam O Driscoll.

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Fred Chute continues his painting while he chats to Martin Hickey on Church Street last week.

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Date for the diary

Tomorrow night Weds, November 27 the committee of the great Ballydonoghue Parish Magazine will be in Conversation with Weeshie on Radio Kerry at 6.00 p.m. The winners of the competitions will be announced. I have entered a few photographs and I have high hopes.

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