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: ODonoghue

Big Maggie in New York in 1983, Ballylongford, Revival and a Rose comes to town

By

On August 21, 2017

In Uncategorized

Revival 2017 Remembered



On Saturday evening August 12 2017 Revival rocked The Square Listowel. Below is Denis Carroll’s great capture of the colour and atmosphere of the event.


I was in The Square with my young visitors to get a flavour of the great night.

The Blizzards were on stage.

The stage was erected by this firm.

I met friends, Mirian Ahern and Karen Kennelly in town for the big night. In fact I met so many past pupils that I felt I was back in the classroom.

A wedding was in full swing in The Listowel Arms. The happy couple came outside to sample the vibe.

Old friends, Maurice Kelliher and Dominick Scanlon were enjoying the concert.



























Ballylongford, Shannonside Home of Poets and Artists


This photo of the annual graveyard mass at Lislaughtin Abbey was posted on Facebook by Ballylongford Snaps

That site also has these lovely pictures of artistic wrought iron work on gates on the road to Carrig Island

The artist is Mick Rea



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John B. Keane’s Big Maggie in New York in 1983


I was delighted to get this email from Marie Neligan Shaw.

Hi Mary,

Was cleaning out some bookshelves today and came across a Play Bill for the NY production of John B. Keane’s play Big Maggie at the Douglas Fairbank’s  theatre in 1983. I was at the play and the after party with John B. and Mary. It contains a letter from the then mayor of NY Ed Koch welcoming John B. And his play to theatre row. Was wondering if this was something you might like to include in your blog. If interested just let me know and I will mail it to you.

Regards,

Marie

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Do you remember the O’Donoghues of Tanavalla?



If you remember them or if you would just like to meet the Florida Rose, there will be a meet and greet reception for Elizabeth and her family in The Listowel Arms on Wednesday evening next, August 23 2017.

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Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann 2017




Musicians and singers of Listowel Folk Group performed Garry MacMahon’s Aifreann na Ríochta at the fleadh in Ennis on Sunday.

U.S ODonoghues, Craftshop na Méar and Roses

By

On August 13, 2014

In Uncategorized


Spring tide in Ballybunion




(photo; Mike Enright)

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Great golfing story from the U.S.



From Jack O’Donoghue came the following email;

Just a bit of fun from the States; my brother and I started a family golf outing called the O’Donoghue Open and have a photo  of the coveted Listowel Cup that is awarded to the two man team champions.  The event started a few years back with a small number, as we restrict participation to just bloodline family members, but this year we have 32 golfers from all over the US participating and over 100 relatives attending the post event dinner.  We can submit more photos of the event as it will be taking place this Sat Aug 9th if you wish?  No big deal if not appropriate to post.  We all share a common bond with Listowel being the birth place of all of our mothers or fathers.  My father in particular was ( God rest his soul ) Tom O’Donoghue.     

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Passing of Fr Michael Sheehy  of Melbourne Archdiocese

Rev. Fr. Michael Sheehy, PE 29.8.1927 – 31.7.2014  second youngest child of Thomas and Marianne Sheehy of Duagh, Co Kerry. Survived by his sister, Sr. Laboure Sheehy , he was predeceased  by six siblings. Reverend Michael (Mick)  was born in Kilcara, Duagh, Kilmorna  on Aug. 29, 1927. Died 31st July 2014 in the care of the Sisters of Nazareth, Camberwell in the sixtieth year of his priesthood.  He studied for the priesthood at St Patrick’s College, Carlow as a student for the Archdiocese of Melbourne and was ordained a priest at the Cathedral of the Assumption, Carlow, on June 6, 1954. After serving as Assistant Priest at the Parishes of Northcote (1955), Kyneton (1958), Kew (1965), St Kilda West (1967), Preston East (1967) and then as Parish Priest of Healesville (1969), Heidelberg (1971) and Doncaster from 1979 until his retirement in 2009. 

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Dún Chaoin

Great photo (by Peter O”Doherty) of a lovely spot

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Listowel Emmetts Summer Camp



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Craftshop na Méar



Craftshop na Méar at 53 Church Street Listowel is a great place to go for that souvenir of your trip to Listowel. There are many gift ideas in the shop and stock is changing all the time.

Here is some of the stuff that caught my eye on my visit last week.

Maurice Hannon Frances O’Keeffe and Namir Karim in the shop last week

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Munster in Bloom




Tipperary, Limerick Cork and Kerry contestants for The Rose of Tralee  (internet photo)

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Listowel Emmetts Ladies



Great team performance from the Senior Ladies last night who secured an away win against Corca Dhuibhne on a scoreline of 6-16 to 3-8 in the Mary Jo Curran Cup.

Back row: Doireann Tarrant, Claire Kennelly, Louise Horgan, Breda Lane, Kate Sayers, Norma O’ Sullivan, Sarah O’Brien, Maguerite O’Flaherty, Emma Thornton, Catherine Flavin, Fiona Buckley, Megan Feeley,
Front row Maimie O’Flynn, Miriam O”Keffee, Lauren Flavin, Mary Beades, Aoife Shine, Caoimhe O’Sullivan, Sarah Moriarty,


(photo and caption from Listowel Emmetts Ladies Facebook page)


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R.I.P. Comic and Acting Genius




Thanks for all the laughs and the heartwarming roles

Lacrosse again and some O’Donoghues

By

On July 25, 2012

In Uncategorized

Remember our silver medal winning lacrosse team? When I was alerted to the presence on the team of man with a strong Listowel connection, I set out to find out more about Colin O’Donoghue.

Through the internet I tracked down his father and he sent me some photos of Colin and the press release about the lacrosse team. What a pity we did not know about him before the European Championship. He could have had a whole new bunch of fans.

Press Release:

7/17/2012

Colin O’Donoghue, Pittsburgh, Pa, USA

Silver Medal Irish National Lacrosse Team

European Championships 2012, Amsterdam Netherlands

Recently back from the 2012 European
Lacrosse Championships in Amsterdam, hosted by the Netherlands, 21 year old Colin
O’Donoghue was proudly wearing his silver medal won through his efforts with
the Irish National Lacrosse Team.  Colin carrying
dual citizenship had qualified for the team during  a 3 day tryout at University of Dublin in
October 2011.  Over 80 athletes
participated for the 25 man roster and for the first time in Irelands young
national lacrosse program they put together a formidable team that would rank
them a spot in the top division of the best 6 teams in Europe.  The standard of European lacrosse has never
been more competitive and although the expectations for the team were a 5th
or 6th place among the 18 participating countries, their goal was to
hopefully capture a 3rd or 4th.  But these young men had a different goal in
mind, they walked, talked, and played for to get to the championship game and
capture gold.  The Irish team had the
toughest schedule ahead of them, but really came together as a solid unit and
actually gained momentum as the grueling 10 day tournament rolled along.  After dropping the opening divisional game to
England, Ireland lost in double overtime to a heavily favored German Team, as
O’Donoghue’s  game winner in the first
overtime was ruled to have crossed the line at the buzzer.  Things looked bleak for the Irish team after
dropping the next game to their host, the Netherlands, but their Coach, NCAA
Hall of Fame inductee, Richie Moran kept the spirit high, and with incredible
support from the chanting Irish fans the team rallied to a win their next five
games including an unexpected but convincing victory over the Germans in the
quarterfinals of the championship tournament.  Ireland had made it to the championship game
leaving many of the more favored countries rallying behind them to keep the
dream alive and beat the English. 
England has played lacrosse for over 40 years has  never lost to a European Team, but as the
clock ticked down they kept their record intact by wearing down the Irish.  The Irish lads left everything on the field,
but carried proud heats as they gathered in-front of their loyal
supporters,  packed in the grand stand,
formed a line with arms over shoulders, roaring along to a chorus of  “Ireland call”.  To sum up the impact the Irish had on the
event in whole a quote from the Netherlands tournament director; “Two lasting memories I will take away from
this event is watching a higher caliber of lacrosse by European teams as
witness by the rally of the Irish men, and the incredible Irish supporter with
all of their chants and songs….just incredible to behold”.        

As an additional point of
interest Colin finished as one of Team Irelands top scorers, playing every
minute of every game.  Additionally he
plays for the Pittsburgh Celtics Gaelic Football Club which last year made it
to the GAA North American Board National Championships hosted in San Francisco
taking away a gold medal as National Champs. 
Colin is currently a senior at Duquesne University majoring in Supply
Chain Management, he is a founding partner at LakerDog Youth Lacrosse Camp, obtained
a scholarship to Wingate University in N. C. prior to transferring, was a High
School All American at Seneca Valley H. S. near Pittsburgh Pa.  Colin’s Irish roots are his; Grandfather Thomas
O’Donoghue of Tannavalla, Listowel County Kerry; and his Grandmother  Margaret (Lenihan) O’Donoghue’s parents,
Balina County Mayo and Cork City County Cork. 

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The O’Donoghue clan have a great website here

 http://www.odonoghue.co.uk/

Rod O’Donoghue recently visited the home of his ancestors in North Kerry and he had a whale of a time. So if you have Kerry O’Donoghues anywhere in your family line, you have a lot of the hard work done for you.

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Another O’Donoghue

This is Dan Donoghue from Duagh and Margaret Kennelly. He died in 1927. Jer. Kennelly sent me the photo.

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I have had another email about this photo.

Tom Fitzgerald says that the man holding the saxophone is none other than Jim Sheahan of Greenville.

Now who is the man in front?

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The Madonna concert in The Aviva in Dublin last night

Quote of the night from Madge : “It is always raining when I come to Ireland.”

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