Tag: Martin Moore Page 1 of 2

The Beauty that is Listowel

By listowelconnection

On June 14, 2024

In History, Listowel, Poem

Flower lined road to the courthouse in June 2014

<<<<<<<

Loss of Innocence

Listowel poet, Paddy Glavin, mined his Listowel memories for inspiration.

This poem resonates with me these days as I learn of the catastrophic fish kill in my hometown.

Due to a terrible misadventure at the Uisce Eireann water treatment plant at Freemount, toxic water was discharged into the river Allow, a tributary of the Blackwater. For a stretch of at least 4 kilometers, everything was poisoned. Even the insects didn’t escape.

<<<<<<<

Signs of Growth

This premises is getting a massive makeover.

When I came to town it was Crowley’s shop.

The shop has had many changes of business since and many coats of paint, layered over old coats of paint.

<<<<<<<<<

On Martin Moore’s Walk

We were lucky to have on the walk as well as Matin, our guide, two very knowledgeable local men.

The above picture is of Michael Guerin telling us watery stories. Did you know that once the water supply went so horribly wrong that the water, instead of coming from the river, flowed the wrong way and nearly flooded the town.

It is a great pity that this walk wasn’t recorded as it was full of stories and anecdotes that deserve a wider audience.

<<<<<<<<

Conscription: a Hot Topic in 1016

The Liberator (Tralee), Thursday, October 05, 1916

Emigration; When they know the worth of Irishmen as lighting men they stop emigration to keep them at home that weekly a few might go to fight for England’s glory and nothing for Ireland but to wait until after the war.. What was to stop England in June, 1914, giving Home Rule to Ireland. Had they given it then the men who were now opposing the threats of conscription would give it their support. They had a starving agricultural little country, without trade or commerce or manufactures. He was sorry that Mr. Redmond and the Irish Party before they started the recruiting campaign did not say that the shores of Ireland would be defended by Irishmen. Mr. Redmond and his Party were now going to oppose conscription. “Why did they not oppose it when they had an opportunity? He was not one of those men who would set one party against another, but he should say that the present Irish Parliamentary Party has as hopelessly failed as ever a Party in God’s earthly world. Many the Convention he (Mr. O’Shea) trotted up to Dublin for and left his bed at three o’clock in the morning for a minor little question, but why would not a Conscription convention of the Irish people be summoned to give expression to the views of the people. The Party want to divide the country. Redmond divided the Volunteers and is trying to divide the people to attain his own selfish ends

(Jer Kennelly found this in an old newspaper. Unfortunately he didn’t record who was speaking.)

<<<<<<<<<<

A Fact

King Charles 111 was crowned in 2022. The first coins bearing his image did not go into circulation until December 2023..

<<<<<<<

A Walk and A Talk

By listowelconnection

On June 13, 2024

In Listowel, Poem

Kerry Writers’ Museum in June 2024

<<<<<<<

Allos

Allos has had a beautiful facelift.

<<<<<<<<<

I attended the online conference on the International Day of Celtic Art. Stephen gave a great account of Listowel as the cradle of modern Celtic Art. He told the conference of 12 different Listowel artists who worked in 14 different genre of Celtic Art. He told the world of Pat McAuliffe, Paddy Whelan, Tony O’Callaghan, Two Michael O’Connors, Paddy Fitzgibbon, Eileen Moylan , Micheál Kelliher and more.

I’d say all the Celtic Art gang listening to him around the world will be anxious to visit. Stephen illustrated his talk with artwork visible on the streets of Listowel and in Kerry Writers’ Museum.

<<<<<<<<<

A Washer Woman

This is a great miscellany by three local writers.

The below poem is by Paddy Glavin.

<<<<<<<<

A Friday Walk

Martin Moore was our guide on the Friday Morning Walk during Listowel Writers’ Week 2024.

A good crowd gathered at the starting point, The Listowel Arms, in anticipation of a treat of history and anecdote from this learned local writer and researcher.

Helen, Martin, Liam and Michael, all keen local historians

Owen, Christy and Noel with Martin

There was a bit of a delay at the start, (microphone issues) so I took the opportunity to snap a photo with the most famous person in attendance, Éanna Ní Lamhna.

We stopped at the castle and Martin told us all about the Fitzmaurices and the colourful history of Listowel Castle.

On then to the Bridge Road and Childers’ Park.

<<<<<<<

A Fact

Queen Elizabeth 11 was the first British Monarch to have her image on a banknote. Her face was added to the £1 in 1960.

I read the above fact along with all the other British currency “facts” , in The Guardian (available to read for free on the library’s Borrowbox app.) BUT a follower of Listowel Connection knows better.

Michael O’Sullivan tells us that there were banknotes with the image of George v issued during World War 1. Thanks Michael.

<<<<<<<

Virgin Rock, The Pilgrim Paths and Raceweek 2020

By Listowel Connection

On September 25, 2020

In Uncategorized

Ballybunion 2020

<<<<<<<<<<<

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.

<<<<<<<

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.

<<<<<<<<

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.

<<<<<<<<<<<

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

Watching Tennis, Barna Bog, Féile an tSolais 2019 and a 1972 pantomime

By Listowel Connection

On February 7, 2019

In Uncategorized

Abandoned House in Valentia Island

Photo: Chris Grayson

<<<<<<<<<<<

Watching the Tennis in the 1980s

Photos; Danny Gordon

<<<<<

Bord na Mona and Barna Bog

This photo was taken by a Bord na Mona employee, Mr. E Switzer, (related to the Grafton Street family) in 1948. It shows a tipper full off hand cut turf being loaded on to a Cadbury’s Rathmore truck.

Photograph and information from Bord na Mona Living History

<<<<<<<

Can you Help?

THE LEVIATHAN PROJECT

Féile an tSolais is looking for 15-20 volunteer artists and craftpeople, to complete an amazing project for its 2019 festival this October/November.

Key Skills

– Metal Fabrication

– Wirework

– Experience using Dremel tools

– Sculpture

– Upcycling

Please send a short bio with your name, age, skills and experience.

Email: feileantsolais@yahoo.com

The beautiful Illustration below is called ‘The Destruction of Leviathan’ by Gustav Doré.

<<<<<<<

When the Pantomime was the Talk of the Town

Jack and The Beanstalk in 1972 was a show not to be missed. With scriptwriters like John B. Keane, Bryan MacMahon and the panto king himself Declan Mangan, Colm O’Brien and Cathal Fitzgerald in charge of the music and a cast of thousands this panto had all the ingredients for success. So successful was it that it awakened an appetite among the audience for an annual panto and the players and other participants had been bitten by the bug. So pantomime became part of Listowel’s entertainment calendar for a few years. People cherish very fond memories of those years. It also raised much needed funds for the building and fitting out of Listowel Old Folks’ Home, now Áras Mhuire.

<<<<<<<<<

People You Meet at a Conferring

Bob Geldof was lucky enough to run into Martin Moore at a recent conferring ceremony.

Santa, Carol Singing and the launch of A Book and cd of Kerry Songs of the Revolution

By Listowel Connection

On December 20, 2018

In Uncategorized

A Christmas Photo from 2016

<<<<<<<

Carol Singing

Photo: Scoil Realt na Maidine

Boys entertaining shoppers at Garvey’s Super Valu Listowel last week.

<<<<<<

A Story that tells how Times have changed in a Picture

Extra public phonebooks being installed in Dublin for the Eucharistic Congress of 1932

“All’s changed, changed utterly”

<<<<<<<<<<

Their Memory Will Endure

On Saturday evening, December 15 2018, I attended another launch of an extraordinary Kerry book. This is a project compiled by Gabriel Fitzmaurice and Pádraig Ó Concubhair. We got a book and a cd for €20 . In the book and on the cd we have songs commemorating events of the wars in Kerry from 1916 to 1924. This was a particularly violent divisive and bloody time in our county’s history, a period that is not much talked of nowadays, probably because of the very bitter rifts that occurred in communities and even in families

Here are some of the people who attended the launch which was done by Dr. Declan Downey.

Gabriel was kept busy signing books. Padraig couldn’t be present.

Vincent Carmody, David Browne and Gabriel Fitzmaurice

As you can see there were many well known faces among the attendance.

Karen Trench is one of the singers featured on the cd.

David Browne introduced Declan Downey who officially launched the package.

This man rendered his ballad in a mellow mature voice.

Gabriel Fitzmaurice is himself a well known balladeer. For this project he took on the mantle of that great collector of Kerry ballads, Bryan MacMahon.

<<<<<<<<

A Nebraska Parish with a Listowel Connection

We’re a bit late with this one but it’s worth celebrating.

St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church in Omaha celebrated 100 years in 2017. Marie Neligan alerted me to the connection with her Listowel family.

“Founded in 1917 as a mission of St. Patrick Parish in Elkhorn, the parish’s first pastor, Father David Neligan, celebrated St. John’s first Mass on Christmas in its original church – a former Baptist church, purchased and moved to the parish site by an early parishioner, John Zeis Sr.”

Source: The Catholic Voice

Fr. David was born in Listowel. He was Marie’s uncle. Here is what she told me about him;

The first pastor at this church Fr, David Neligan, born and raised in Listowel said the first mass at this church when it opened on Christmas Day 1917. David was my uncle and was ordained at All Hallows’ on June 23rd 1912 and assigned to Omaha, Nebraska. He was buried there at the tender age of 33.