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: Paddy Glavin

A Friday Miscellany

Courthouse Road

The Horseshoe

Looks like this eatery is about to have something added to its facade.

Paddy Glavin Remembers The Feale

Moments of Reflection

Listowel printing Works at Tannavalla

Paul Shannon printing up another iteration of my book…exciting times.

Moments with Aoife

Aoife and her Nana on Charles Street

Happy days with a bubble wand

Little Known Kerry Writers from The Newspaper Archives

New York NY Irish American Advocate 1916-1918

Mr. James J. O’Neill, Librarian of National University of Ireland, in a series of monthly lectures at the Carnegie Library, Listowel, Co. Kerry, read an interested paper on some distinguished Kerrymen.”

Mr. O’Neill after a rapid survey of Ireland’s ancient scholars, and their merits said that Kerry had Just cause to be proud of its place in its countries roll of fame —————–

Kerryman prominent among the writers of that literature. Hugh Kelly, the Kerry dramatist was born in Killarney in 1739. At an early age he removed to Dublin closed his career, and he died in 1777 at the early age of 38.

——– Richard Cantillon, the political economist, sprang from a Kerry family He was born at Ballyheigue about the beginning of the 17th century .

Among the writers in English we have the names of Bartholomew Dowling, Mrs. Mary Downing and Maurice O’Connell.

Mrs. Mary Downing was the daughter of Daniel MacCarthy of Kilfadimore, near Kenmare. She contributed many pieces of prose and poetry to the columns of the Cork Southern Reporter under the pseudonym of Christabel.

The O’Donoghue of the Glens, a leading figure in Irish politics from 1858 to 1868, was another distinguished Kerryman.

Lest we forget, Thomas Moore’s father was a Kerryman. Dr. Douglas Hyde, the great father of the Gaelic League, also has ‘Kerry blood in his  veins. To Irishmen the name of O’Connell is synonymous with their redemption.

Harman Blennerhasset the talented, but unfortunate son of Conway Blennerhasset of Castle Conway, Killorglin. He sailed toAmerica in 1726, and settled down to the life of a country gentleman, with his bride, the beautiful and accomplished Miss Margaret Agnew. After a few years he had the misfortune to meet the notorious Aaron Burr.

Mr. James Franklin Fuller, of Gasnacree, is another artist of whom Kerry may feel proud.

A Fact

In 1830 Sarah Josepha Hale wrote the well known nursery rhyme, Mary had a Little Lamb. She based it on an experience of her own when she was teaching in Newport, New Hampshire in the U.S. A pet lamb followed one of Hale’s students to school and refused to leave. The lamb waited until it was reunited with “Mary” at close of classes.

<<<<<<<<<

Poetry, Drama and Memories

The Big Bridge in May 2024

+ Nóra Relihan R.I.P+

Photo credit: Paul O’Flynn

Nóra Relihan, who passed away on June 14th 2024, deserves a statue in her honour in her adopted town of Listowel, for Nóra was central to every significant cultural development in Listowel during her lifetime. She packed more into her life than many people do in many lifetimes.

Nóra was named Kerry Person of the Year 2023

(Photo and text from Kerry Association in Dublin)

Nóra had a varied career throughout her lifetime with solo tours, drama, TV, and film appearances, including “Fair City” and TG4 film “Limbo”.

Jimmy Deenihan, Chairperson of the Selection Committee, said “Nóra Relihan richly deserves this prestigious award in recognition of her immense contribution to the promotion of the Arts during her lifetime. One of her greatest achievements was the establishment of St. John’s Theatre and Arts Centre in Listowel which is regarded as the premier small arts centre in the country. She now joins the pantheon of renowned Kerry Artists who have received the award to date including Pauline Bewick, Brendan Kennelly, Fr Tony Gaughin and Fr Pat Aherne”.

In announcing the award, Mary Shanahan, Chairperson of the Kerry Association in Dublin said “Nóra has made a unique contribution to the promotion of the Arts in Kerry and nationally. She deservedly merits the accolade “Voice of the Kingdom” for her role as Director, entertainer, broadcaster and for her role in the various arts activities in North Kerry”.

In accepting the award Nóra Relihan said; “I am delighted and honoured to receive this award from the Kerry Association; it is a really lovely tribute to my interest and work in the arts over many decades”.

Photo from Kay Caball

Nóra (in sunglasses) with John B. Keane and the cast of Sive. On the right is Dan Moloney T.D. who entertained them in the Dáil after their big win in the All Ireland Drama Festival in 1959.

Here Nóra remembers her performance as Mena Glavin. Nóra, always glamorous and stylish, transformed into the shrewish, put- upon Mena was a triumph of acting.

Nóra was also an evocative writer.

Photo from Kay Caball …..Nóra, second from left with the cast of Drama at Inish in 1955.

Nóra loved the stage. Whether as a cast member in a big production, as a solo performer, performing on location, touring, or producing, the stage was Nóra’s home. It was fitting that her family returned her to St. John’s in Listowel to bring the curtain down on her long life.

Nóra is remembered in Kerry for her programmes on Radio Kerry, her Signposts to Kerry and Hospitals Requests. Her mellifluous voice was perfect for radio.

I took this photo with Phil in John B. Keane’s pub during one of Nóra’s final performances, a one woman show.

Nóra with her neighbours on Nunday in 2012.

Nóra at Writers Week in 2014 with Brenda Woulfe and Mike Lynch.

Nóra with her great friend and co founder of Listowel Writers’ Week, Noreen Buckley, was honoured at a commemorative meal in 2014.

With Joe Murphy in St. John’s

Nóra Relihan leaves behind a cultural legacy to her beloved Kerry. We will not see her likes again.

A great lady has exited the stage. We are lucky to have known her.

Monday, May 17 2024

Byrne

Michael Guerin, Owen MacMahon and Mary McKenna on the Friday morning walk at Writers’ Week 2024.

Owen was an excellent Byrne in Listowel Drama Group’s recent production of John B. Keane’s Big Maggie. Mary was only 10 when her late father played the same role with Kilcullen Drama Group in the first ever amateur production of the play many moons ago.

The cast….Mary’s late dad was Johnny O’Neill. The play won many accolades at the festivals. Johnny won the award for Best supporting actor at the All Ireland final in Athlone.

The Sullivans

This is an extract from Ireland’s Own. It contradicts what I had always believed, i.e. that ÓSúilleabháin meant one eyed rather than dark eyed.

Another Fascinating Fact

The contrary Mary of the nursery rhyme was known as Bloody Mary, the Catholic daughter of Henry VIII. Queen Mary was a fanatical Catholic. She tortured and killed Protestants and buried them in her “garden”. Her ‘silver bells’ were thumbscrews and “cockle shells” were instruments of torture attached to male genitalia.

<<<<<<<

The Beauty that is Listowel

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..

<<<<<<<

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén