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: Reggie Page 1 of 2

A Big House and Some Tents

By

On May 14, 2025

In Listowel

A corner of Listowel Town Square in May 2025

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Kerdiffstown House

Máire MacMahon has been in touch to fill us in on this house which I featured last week but knew nothing about.

Dear Mary,

Read with interest today’s blog. The picture of the house which you feature I understand to be known as  Kerdiffstown House . (https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/11812025/kerdiffstown-house-johnstown-kildare )

That property was previously owned by the Charity St. Vincent de Paul, and due to its location, was an ideal spot for National Council meetings when SVP members from around the Country would meet.   I have mixed memories of it, it was where I first attended a National Council meeting. Some parts of the building were very old and the new wing was very cold, I learned very quickly to bring two hot water bottles for my bed when staying there at weekends! . 

The Society used it as a Holiday Home and would bring people on holidays there for a week, and during the winter, it was often used by community groups, such as Scouts, et cetera.

In recent years it was sold by the SVPas patterns have changed with people going on holidays. 

It is now owned by the Peter McVerry Trust who run a social enterprise from it.  

regards

Máire 

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Sunday Market at MOYA

I went with Reggie and family to the Sunday market.

If you want that special handmade gift for a baby, look no further that Josephine Kennelly. Once the Ballybunion market starts up for the summer, she’ll be there every week.

She will be in the Listowel Market in Scoil Realta na Maidine as well with her vintage ware

Reggie was a great hit. He loved the fair and all the attention.

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Stamps

Will we see the end of postage stamps as we know them in our lifetime?

Letter writing is only practiced by a few hardy souls nowadays and even then the stamp is often digital.

I was given lots of old stamps by a lovely lady. I have now given them to a charity that makes up packets of stamps for stamp collectors. Before I passed them on I photographed some of the huge haul. I was struck by how lovely these little miniature pictures are.

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First Holy Communion

The sun shone gloriously all day on Saturday May 10 2025 as the local children received their First Communion.

John Kelliher took the photos

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A Fact

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Visitors and Visiting

By

On May 13, 2025

In Listowel, Personal, Schools

Church Street, Upper

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Post boxes

On my recent trip to Kildare I photographed some railway station post boxes along the route. I travelled from Kent Station in Cork to Kildare via Portlaoise.

Pillar box in Listowel town Square.

This one is in Kildare. This station that is currently undergoing a huge expansion as it now comes within the Dublin commuter belt.

Clíona and Aoife say goodbye to me at Kildare train station

In Portlaoise

This one is in Glenflesk on my way home to the Kingdom.

I have a dread fear that someone in An Post might consider these surplus to requirements. They are, in a way but they are part of our landscape and our history and so valuable in their own right.

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May Weekend Visitors

Reggie brought his human family with him to Listowel for the bank holiday weekend

We went to Woodford Pottery where Carine fell in love with Pat Murphy’s beautiful colourful tableware.

She bought three different colours in the end as she failed to pick a favourite.

We went to Pad Thai. Their English may be a bit hit and miss but they got the inportant thing right…the food. I’d recommend you give it a try.

We were in John B.’s for one.

Reggie did the river walk.

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Ballybunion

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Three French Visitors

In Lizzie’s, five retired teachers and one working one.

Nathalie Léger, far right with me and Catherine Moylan.

Nathalie spent a very happy year in Presentation Secondary School, Listowel in 1989. Catherine was one of her pupils.

Joanna Keane befriended Nathalie and introduced her to her parents. John B.’s became Nathalie’s local and she remembers John B. and Mary and their great kindness to her. She was delighted to meet Lily O’Flynn in Lizzie’s.

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A Fact

The Rolling Stones released their first album in 1964.

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It’s a Dog’s Life

By

On April 17, 2025

In Listowel, Personal

Happiness is a bed in the shade

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Presentation Update

Yesterday, because of the upheaval at AIHS, I speculated that Mark Holan’s presenation might not go ahead.

Mark has been in touch to say that the Michael J. O’Brien presentation is indeed going ahead. Learn more at the below link.

.https://irish-us.org/events/virtual-lecture-michael-j-obrien-defending-irelands-record-america

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Handball and Pitch and Putt

Bobby Cogan stops to read his old friend, Junior’s poem about great days in this very handball alley.

Memories of the ball alley in Listowel

When school was o’re, our hearts would soar,

At meals we would not dally,

With homework done, to seek our fun,

We’d wander to the alley.

To toss that ball against the wall,

And combat every rally,

With pouring sweat we’d play‘til death

Those games within our alley.

With left hand or right we’d try our might,

Until the grand finale,

But win or lose, how we’d enthuse

On those games played down the alley

Each game was fought, the prize was sought,

The marker counts his tally,

The match was won at twenty one,

‘Twas victory in the alley.

But time moves on, the youth now gone,

No more do young men sally

To toss that ball against the wall

Of my beloved alley

Yet, memories hold of comrades old

Until the last reveille,

Of times gone by which brought such joy

Those days spent down the alley

Junior Griffin

Junior, in his prime, accepting a handball trophy.

It was handball that led to the establishment of the Pitch and Putt Club. Junior and others of the handball fraternity campaigned for the setting up of the Pitch and Putt Club. Sadly now hand ball is not played anymore. The sport is still alive and is played elsewhere but it has died out in Listowel. Meanwhile pitch and putt has gone from strength to strength

Sunday, April 13 2025. Who needs Augusta when we have this gem on our doorstep?

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Reggie visits Listowel Landmarks

People have asked me if Reggie is a greyhound. No, he is not. He is a lurcher, i.e. half greyhound. He is a rescue dog who was abused in a previous life. He was maltreated and left on the side of a road where a kind person found him, cold malnourished and covered in cuts and bruises. After his rehabilitation at the sanctuary he found his forever home where he is loved like one of the family. His sweet nature means he is easy to love.

He posed beside a few iconic Listowel landmarks as souvenirs of his recent visit.

at Listowel Castle

at the Tidy Town seat

at the statue of John B. Keane

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Not only a Green Jacket and millions of dollars

Look what Rory got.

He will be the host a next year’s champions dinner. Wonder will he have an Ulster fry?

Maybe not.

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A Fact

The world’s largest colony of bats lives in the Bracken Cave in Texas. There are about 20 million of them.

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Reggie’s Visit

By

On April 15, 2025

In Listowel

Teeing off at the Kerry matchplay championships in Listowel on Sunday April 13 2025

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Pitch and Putt

Organiser and competitor: There was plenty of local interest in the competition.

The course was looking superb, a credit to all involved. We are so lucky in Listowel to have this top class amenity in the heart of town. We owe so much to the foresight of the club’s founders who planted the seeds and landscaped the field and laid the foundations of the great club it is today.

My visitors, Bobby and Carine were happy to meet a pitch and putt supporter and dog lover.

Monday’s message on the club website:

Yesterday we hosted the Kerry Matchplay Championship. Our own players did us proud on the day. Richard Bunyan and Paul Hayes were beaten finalists, while Ger Guerin, Albert Barrett, Bobby McCarron, Jake Shine, and John Heffernan had excellent runs to the semi finals. Congratulations to all the winners, and to the County Board for succesfully running the competition on the day.

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A Walk by the River

We took Reggie for a walk along the riverside. Getting on to the walk from the ball alley side was a bit problematic as Reggie was afraid to venture on the metal walkway under the bridge. He had to be carried. He’s not light and he doesn’t like being carried.

The river was very dry. At places you could walk across. I don’t recommend it.

Wild garlic at a tree stump. If you like this for flavour there is plenty of it freely available in Listowel.

Reggie takes a look at Kerry plant and a fallen tree.

Reggie and Bobby posed for me near the picturesque town end of the walk

The brisge to the racecourse with the river water almost completely dried up.

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In Thyme Out Café

Sometime a sparrow flies in to check out the diners.

It was lovely to meet Marie MacCarthy on my recent visit. Marie ran into Eleanor Belcher on her travels last year. They found themselves in the same little café in a remote little town in Greece. Listowel connections everywhere.

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Something New at Kerry Writers’ Museum

I copied this information from KWM social media page

📚 James McGrath’s Poetry & Irish Lending Library in Kerry Writers’ Museum in Listowel

James McGrath, a distinguished poet and artist from Santa Fe, New Mexico, has roots tracing back to Ballyvaughan, County Clare.

At 97, James continues to make remarkable contributions to the literary world, recently relocating his Poetry and Irish Collection to Kerry Writers’ Museum in Listowel.

A regular visitor to Ireland and a cherished friend of the Ballydonoghue Bardic Festival, James has generously sponsored an annual €200 prize for writers aged 75+ since 2018.

Visit the museum to explore this unique collection and support the ongoing legacy of James’s work. Kerry Writers’ Museum is open Monday to Friday from 10am to 5pm.

I called to see how it worked and you can borrow any book from the collection. All that is asked is a small donation.

They didn’t have a list of the books available and I couldn’t find a list on line. Maybe a job for a quiet day in the museum.

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A Fact

A giant panda in the wild can live for 20 years.

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A Fashion Photoshoot

By

On July 16, 2024

In Listowel, Personal, Poem

In Listowel Town Square in July 2024

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My Summer Visitors

Early morning walk with Reggie

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In Praise of a Modest Repast

The Tomato Sandwich

by Mick O’Callaghan

                                     This veggie discovered in the fifteen hundredths

Growing wild in the Andes Mountains

Brought to Mexico by the Spaniards

Then the early explorers brought seeds to Italy

And so, this ancient berry, fruit or vegetable

Has spread throughout the world

Today its 10000 plus varieties are globally grown

With varieties such as beef, cherry ,vine ,piccolo

As ornamental plants, for roasting and toasting

Widely used in salads or just plain slices on bread

For myself I just adore

lettuce, cheese, cucumber, scallion and tomato sandwiches

Made on fresh brown or white sliced bread

I Just love the sensation, the salivating

As I reach into the bread box for the fresh bread

Placing two slices on the breadboard

Spreading the soft butter on them

Gently adding the lettuce, cheese, tomatoes and cucumber

With a drizzle of finely chopped fresh garden scallions

Evenly spread across the top

Shaking a little salt for seasoning and flavour

Liberally spooning and spreading mayo

And placing my covering slice on top

Sprinkling some chopped parsley around for added colour

My sandwich making mission is now complete

And so, I place this attractive creation on my plate

Holding knife overhead and gently slice it in quarters

For easier handling and consuming my tantalising treat

I place it on the table to view my creation

I am happy that it is now ready to eat

Next, I pour a mug of tea and place it alongside my treat

Get my napkin, pour some milk into tea to cool the warm brew down

And then I sit down at table to enjoy my feast

Oh, it so yummy and succulent

As I sink my teeth into bread, tomatoe and cheese

The cucumber,scallions and mayo give it a mighty lift

Mayo softly squelching out the sides

Gently plopping on the plate

Napkin in in place to wipe around my mouth

And avoid any nasty spillage on clothes

As I ravenously devour my home-made sandwich special.

Washed down with real Barry’s brewed teapot drink.

I am satisfied, stuffed, happy, and contented

My appetite is sated

I am ready and energised for the rest of the day.

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A Photo Shoot

This was the scene on William Street on Wednesday morning, July 10 2024.

An eagle eyed friend who was passing alerted me to the scoop.

The umbrellas were necessary to block out the sun which had been in hiding all summer but chose that morning to appear and ruin the winter fun.

If you enlarge this one, you’ll see that there is a man on a ladder at the right of the picture with a machine snowing fake snow on to the subjects. You will notice the “snow’ is about 3 inches deep at the pub door.

These two are the main players in this scene.

I made enquiries on your behalf. It was a Christmas photo shoot for a high end German fashion brand or so the man wearing some kind of recording equipment told me.

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She is Painting us

This is the charming Jean Cauthen who is a regular visitor to Listowel. Jean is a plein air artist. Look out for her, painting scenes around town.

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A Fact

Three of Fidel Castro’s sons, Alexis, Alexander and Alejandro were named after Alexander, The Great.

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