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: Presbytery

Flowers in Listowel, a Trip to Teampall Bán, Radio Kerry’s Opening Day and John Lynch’s Funeral

Listowel Parish Presbytery, July 2019

<<<<<<

More from A Book of Ignorance

My book (above) is English but this following applies equally to Ireland.

People asked to name three species of mouse will probably get House Mouse, Harvest Mouse, Field Mouse and maybe Wood Mouse. No marks for Dormouse though. The dormouse is more a squirrel than a mouse.

The dormouse is much furrier than a mouse. This is because it hibernates, the only British rodent that does. The “dorm’ part of its name refers to this. The dormouse has been known to sleep for seven months of the year.

You’ll thank me if it ever comes up in a quiz.

<<<<<<

Halo Health



Elaine Dee Worth’s great health food shop and café in Upper William Street.

<<<<<<<<<<


Listowel Awash with Flowers in July 2019


<<<<<<<<<<<


Teampall Bán

I took my visitors to Teampall Bán. They were moved and impressed. This is one of Listowel’s treasures. Everyone should visit and pray.

<<<<<<<


Radio Kerry Opening


Photo and text from MacMonagle Photography on Facebook

Happy 29th birthday 📷🎼🍾🎂to Radio Kerry on Sunday. Our historic photograph looks back to the opening day on July 14th 1990 when Dan Collins was presenting the programme with Liam Higgins on sport, dj Paul Sheahan and the one and only Sean Hurley from Killarney, who still presents his ever popular programme on the station. How many original staff are still with the station?

Photo: Don MacMonagle 

<<<<<<<<<



Don’t Forget!




<<<<<<<



Good News from Talkabout on Radio Kerry


Yesterday’s Story



Today’s Story

“On today’s show, we hear how the Kerry community in London turned out in force yesterday, for the funeral of John Lynch, originally from Ballylongford, who died with no living relatives. Pictured: left to right: Tommy Flaherty, Martina O’Gorman, Gary Noone, Amy Canavan, Trish Madden, Noreen Buckley, Dermot O’Grady, Vince Harty and Gerry Rochford.” Deirdre Walshe on Talkabout

Update



Since I posted this I have had an email from Martina OGorman which I am posting below. The North Kerry contingent did themselves us all proud.

Morning

I notice that you posted the death notice for John Lynch.

We attended the funeral yesterday and it was a great turnout.   Attached is the photo I sent to Radio Kerry, which they published.  Names as follows :

Left to right

  • Tommy Flaherty – Listowel
  • Martina O Gorman – Listowel
  • Gary Noone – Ballycastle, Mayo
  • Amy Canavan – Listowel
  • Trish Madden – Ballydonoghue/Ballylongford
  • Noreen Buckley – Keel, Castlemaine
  • Dermot O Grady – Tralee/Ballybunion
  • Vince Harty – Ballinskelligs
  • Gerry Rochford – Ballyduff

I was made aware of the call out by Radio Kerry at lunchtime Tuesday and by the power of facebook and emails I was able to get the message out to a lot of local Kerry people to see if they could attend the funeral.    It was magnificent because almost 100 people turned up and gave John a great send off.   I took a spare Kerry Flag that I had and draped it over his coffin as he was an avid Kerry supporter.   Also a few of us wore our Kerry Jerseys as a mark of respect for John.

Unfortunately a lot of the younger kerry people here in london could not attend due to work commitments.

Thought I would share this with you as you have a lot of followers all over the world.

All the best for now

Yarnbombing in Kildare, Bird Lore from 1937 and a Listowel Fashion Designer

Listowel Presbytery

Recent repair work at the presbytery entrance revealed a lovely stone wall under the plaster.

<<<<<<<<


Yarn Bombing in Kildare


People who know me know that I love a spot of knitting and crochet. I was thrilled to get to see this huge yarn bombing project in Newbridge as part of Kildare’s June Fest.

It’s lovely to see this neglected craft getting an airing outdoors for everyone to enjoy. But there is a small practical part of me says that’s it’s a shame to expose these lovingly created artworks to be destroyed by the elements.


<<<<<<<<<


Sign of the Times



A huge display of paper diaries at half price in Eason in June 2019

<<<<<<<



Some Bird Lore from the Dúchas Collection



When people are trapping singing birds they often make a crib. This they do by getting smallchips of wood. they place two chips about a foot from each other, then they get two more the same size and place them on top of the other two about ten or eleven inches apart, then they get two so smaller ones and place them on top of the other two and a smaller distance away and so on till they reach the top with smaller sticks and a smaller distance away. Then they get cord and tie all the corners of the crib up along till they reach the top. then then they get a long cord and tie a stick on to it. They raise up the crib place the stick under it and get a few crumbs of bread and put them under the crib. then if a bird comes the person pulls the cord and if the bird is under the crib it flaps down and the bird is caught inside.

When people are taking the hatch out of a hen they dip the hen into cold water.

Another way for taking the hatch out of a hen is to stick a feather up its nose.

People often “strike” birds with a knife and fork. Once we had a canary in my house and it used never sing unless my mother took out the machine to  sew.

This was collected by W. Keane, Ashe St. Listowel and told by Mrs Keane, Aged 36, of Ashe Street, Listowel for the schools folklore collection of 1937/38

( I am fascinated by the idea of taking the hatch out of a hen. By the way, does a hen have a nose?)



<<<<<<



Couture with a Listowel Connection




This is a page from last Sundays’ Sunday Independent Life magazine. The feature is about Create, which is Brown Thomas’ showcase of Irish design, which will open in Brown Thomas Dublin in July.

From 70 prospective candidates, Brown Thomas chose 30 designers who met the very high standards required and each of those 30 had to produce a 25 piece collection. As well as fashion there are creations in lots of other fields of design as well.

The picture above is from Anna Guerin’s first collection “The Duellist”. It is a double breasted lambswool coat in pinstripe Donegal tweed which is woven sustainably.

Anna is the daughter of Michael and Áine Guerin of Listowel and she is no stranger to award winning in fashion design and tailoring. She has been working in this field for a while now. This is her first individual collection and when I spoke to her a few weeks ago she has lots more creative ideas in the pipeline.

The above coat looks to me like a garment that would be perfect on Kate Middleton. I hope it catches her eye. We know how much she loves good Irish design and she loves tweed.

<<<<<<



Just a Thought



Here is the link to my Thoughts from last week on Radio Kerry



Just a Thought

Ballybunion Sea Rescue, Kerryman 1994 and Listowel Juvenile Tennis in the 1980’s



The Presbytery, Listowel in January 2019



<<<<<<<<

Kerryman Christmas Supplement 1994









<<<<<<<<<

Watch, for you know not the hour




Ballybunion Sea Res cue posted this picture and the accompanying story on their blog;

Today we were honored to accept a cheque from Lorenzo Cubeddu, his wife Amanda, Cormac and Elaine Cahill and the amazing staff at Super Valu Ballybunion. The staff raised 250 Euro which was matched by Cormac and Elaine for a total of 500 Euro for Ballybunion Sea Rescue.

This donation comes after Lorenzo went missing at sea on the 11th of November 2018. Lorenzo was windsurfing when he got into difficulty, he had last been seen by local fisherman, Mike Enright at around 16:30 and reported overdue around 17:10 which triggered a major search operation involving Ballybunion Sea Rescue, Ballybunion Coast Guard, RNLI units from Fenit and Kilrush, the Irish Navy Vessel LE Niamh, Rescue 115, Ballybunion Fire Service and Gardai. The search ended at 23:20 when it was confirmed Lorenzo made it ashore at Corlis Point.

It is a tale of strength and endurance and thankfully it had a fantastic result, Lorenzo returned safely to his family and friends. From then on we have seen an outpour of support from Lorenzo and Amanda and their friends and especially Cormac and Elaine Cahill who on that very night were a rock to Amanda and a huge support to all emergency services involved.

We thank you all for your continuing kindness, generosity, and support!

<<<<<<<<,


Listowel Juvenile Tennis Club


Sometime in the late 1980s

Photo: Danny Gordon

<<<<<<<<


Listowel’s Christmas Goal Mile 2018



These are some of the large group of hardy souls who took part in the Goal mile at Christmas 2018. Jimmy Deenihan tells me that they had participants from the USA, UK and various European countries as well as Ireland.

They raised €1,200 for Goal

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén