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: Pat Given Page 1 of 2

Talented people

By

On May 9, 2024

In Listowel, Poem

Photo: Ballyduff by Ita Hannon

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Nash’s of Newcastlewest

Glin Historical Society shared this advertisement on Facebook

Tom Walsh of Listowel commented

Nash’s Minerals was located in Listowel for many years, on the Bridge Road, where Tyre Stop is located now. The manager was Dermot Buckley. He did every thing, took the orders from all the pubs/shops, collected the money, and on a Saturday he delivered the orders with a tractor and trailer

Derry Buckley shared this photograph of his late dad, Dermot.

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What a talent!

My daughter-in-law, Carine, and her mum, Cécile, holding the crochet throw Carine made for her mother. Reggie is impressed too.

These details from the crochet show the immense skill and craftsmanship involved.

Carine has already started on her next project.

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+Pat Given R.I.P.+

Pat Given, one of Listowel’s last great classical scholars, passed away peacefully on April 30 2024.

Pat was a teacher, a poet and a gentleman. He lived a long and happy life with his beloved Lisha in Listowel, which shaped and made him.

The places I was most likely to meet Pat were at a book launch, in the theatre or in the newsagents. He was a man of letters. May he rest in peace.

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Celebrating a Gymnast

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A Fact

No species of wild plant produces a flower or blossom that is completely black. Despite attempts, so far efforts to produce one artificially have failed.

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June Races, Ladies Day 2022

By

On June 16, 2022

In Festivals, Listowel, Listowel Races, Listowel Writers Week, Poem

Dublin’s Temple Bar from a website Ireland of the Welcomes

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Listowel Races, June Weekend 2022

Sunday was Ladies Day on The Island and John Kelleher took these photos of the style winners.

These were the 10 finalists for the best dressed lady competition.

The judges had a hard job. On the left is the runner up, Denise Jeffers. The winner is in the centre off the photo, Grace Flynn. Winner of the most fashion forward hat was Denise O’Connor on the right.

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People on Opening Night June 1 2022

Vourneen Kissane and Margaret Reidy
Maureen Hartnett, Carmel Hartnett and Aileen Scanlan
Bernie McAuliffe and Michael Enright
David Browne and Michael Enright

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Lartigue Monorail back on track

The O’Neill family were first on board for the 2022 season. I hope they all have a great season as I know funds were running low for this unique Listowel visitor attraction. This might be a good year for Listowel folk to take a trip.

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A Poem

Local poet, Pat Given, launched his latest anthology, A New Day, at Writers’ Week 2022

Pat with his wife and family on the night of the launch

One of Pat’s charming poems.

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A Tumbling Paddy

I remember being fascinated as I watched my father working with this piece of equipment. I haven’t seen one in real life for years and years. I must be remembering it from 1955 or early 56. My father died in 1957.

The tumbling paddy was attached to the horse and he pulled it along while my father guided it through the hay row. The purpose was to gather the hay into piles to be made into wynnds. The skill involved tumbling the pile of hay. My father used to put the reins over his head for the act of tumbling. He would then upend the paddy and tumble out the pile of hay. This meant for a few seconds letting go of the shafts. He then skilfully circumnavigated the pile of hay, retook the shafts and the reins and continued on hay gathering. It was hard skilful work. The paddy had no moving parts. All the work was done by man and horse working in unison. It is one of my most vivid childhood memories.

The photograph was shared by Dan Hartnett on Facebook. Thank you, Dan.

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Update on the Cinema

The campaign to save our cinema has unfortunately, not been successful.

This is the latest post from the brave committee who tried their best to save the cinema. They have bowed out gracefully.

Yesterday we were informed by the auctioneers that the Classic has been sold to a “retail investor”. There is a detailed update on the GoFundMe page (link in bio) but we’d just simply like to thank everyone on here for your support. It’s been a real pleasure.

Thank you

Friends of Listowel Cinema

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Races, A Poem, a Postbox and Smithing in Ballylongford

By

On September 30, 2021

In Ballylongford, Listowel, Listowel Races, Poem

In The Garden of Europe

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Listowel Races, Sept`. 2021

Listowel native, Niamh Kenny won a prize for her beautiful hat. It complemented her outfit perfectly.

Wllie and Jackie Mullins in the winners enclosure.

The ever stylish Mary O’Halloran was one of the Ladies Day finalists. She did a moving interview with Celia Holman Lee. Mary loves Listowel Races and comes every year.

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Talking Poetry

John Given and Jimmy Deenihan are finalising plans for the publication of John’s father, Pat Given’s, next book of poems.

Here is a poem from Pat’s last anthology. It was reproduced for Poetry Town.

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Post Box on College Road, Cork

This lovely post box is on College Rd. Cork near the junction with Highfield Road.

I had occasion to be in the Bons. The paper shop in the hospital was closed. I made my way to what in my day used to be Flirty’s shop and post office. It is now a Daybreak. There I made a discovery.

Students don’t buy newspapers. I was in the shop at 8.30 a.m. and there was only a handful of papers available.

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A Tinsmith at Work

At the Ballylongford Blacksmithing Fair Sept. 25 2021

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Badminton, Youth Culture and a Pat Given poem

By

On January 20, 2017

In Uncategorized

In Listowel Town Square

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Badminton in The Community Centre, Sunday January 16 2017

The man himself wasn’t there when I called to the community centre but his seat was reserved for him.

These three, James Sheahan, Margaret Healy and Mark Loughnane were busy running the show.

The prizes looked very impressive. Also very impressive was the collection of trophies in the County badminton photo which was on display.

Listowel’s winning Division 4 team.

This brother and sister had come all the way from Valentia especially for the tournament.

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Bop It


This is my grandson playing Bop It. You’ve never heard of Bop it? Well, that’s only the start of it. I learned a lot about young people’s culture during my sojourn in Cork at Christmas. Let me share some of what I learned with you.

In this photo my three granddaughters are wearing JoJo bows.

Never heard of those? Jo Jo Siwa is a young girl with a You Tube channel and she is super at marketing. Every young girl in Cork seemed to be wearing these.

While we’re on the subject of Youtube sensations, have you seen this man?

He also has his own Youtube channel and his Pineapple Pen song (It’s hardly even a song, more of a jingle) is a viral hit. It was the audience participation song at the panto in The Opera House and, I kid you not when I tell you that every child in Cork knew it.

Do you know about the Musically app? Very young children are using this to make music videos and to lip synch and share their compositions with their friends.

And then there are Vines.

“A Vine is a download-only short-form video hosting service where users could share six-second-long looping video clips.”   Wikipedia.

Here endeth today’s lesson on Youth culture. I hope your head isn’t too addled.

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A Poem

Helios; A Cork dog with French connections

Welcome 

by Pat Given…from his anthology October Stocktaking

When I returned after one
week’s absence

Such rapture greeted me!

Now, some would say such open
demonstration

Of affection is vulgar.

Others say; anything so
overdone

Smacks of pretence.

But I say to the first,

Show me one other who greets
me so,

To the second,

Deceit is not in the nature
of a dog.

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Quarant Ore


Quarantore was the practice of 40 hours exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. It was celebrated in Listowel with a procession through the convent grounds. As people’s memories of this annual event are being stirred, I am getting a clearer picture. We have the priest surrounded by altar boys, communicants strewing rose petals, nuns in their cream cloaks which were worn at funerals and other solemn occasions, Children of Mary and, now, according to Anne Dillon who remembers participating in the procession when she was in sixth class, all of the girls from the primary school. 

Wouldn’t it be lovely if someone could find an old photo of this occasion.



St. Bridgit’s Duagh, A Poem by Pat Given and some old photos

By

On January 17, 2017

In Uncategorized

My Favourite Art Galleries


My favourite art galleries are all free to enter and they hold some of the finest frescoes, mosaics, woodwork, statuetry and architectural features you will see anywhere.

We, in Listowel, need to look no further than our own St. Marys

Recently I visited Duagh’s St. Bridgit’s. It is lovely compact little church beautifully looked after by the local congregation.

There is a collection box in the hallway for used stamps and for old Christmas cards.

St. Bridgit’s has many many statues, pictures and some beautiful stations of the cross which were sponsored by kind donors.

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A Poem from Pat Given’s October Stocktaking


Philosopher

Pat Given

I’ll tell you what it is to
be

A philosopher. To be able to
recall

A personal feud of lasting
enmity;

And smile on your tormentor
after all.

To follow ambition with
unswerving intent

From youth to middle years
and onward still,

To know at last it’s
unattainable,

And yet remain impassively
content,

To make it mere routine to
contemplate

That one day soon –too soon-
you must forsake

The loved ones that your life
illuminate;

And when the culmination
comes, not break.

This is a philosopher, as I
would think,

And, oh how far short of it I
sink!

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Listowel Photos from the 1940s


I’m returning now to some old photographs which have featured here before. The story is that a Galway photographer came to town in the 1940s and he positioned himself on William Street across from McKenna’s Corner and he photographed everyone who came within his orbit.

Years later, this photographer died and his family discovered all the old photos among his possessions. They sent the photos to Bryan MacMahon in Listowel. When The Master passed away his son Maurice undertook to try to identify the people in the photographs. We have had some success with a few of them but a few have remained elusive.

Margaret (Dillon) Ward has been diligent in the pursuit of the identities of these local people. Ned Sweeney has helped her to identify the people in three photos. I have also posted again a man whose identity still eludes us. As they say on Crimecall, its a good likeness. Someone must know him. Of course he might not be a Listowel man at all. Like the photographer, he might just have happened to be in town on that day.

David Bunyan of Convent Cross

David Bunyan and John Allen

Ned Faley and Jimmy (Salmon) Roche

This man’s identity is still a mystery to us. All we know for certain is that he walked outside McKenna’s one day in the 1940s.

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