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: Revival Page 1 of 2

Schooldays

By

On July 31, 2023

In Listowel, Poem, Schools

beautiful corner of Listowel Town Square in July 2023

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Last of the Memories (for now)

Every second Wednesday was fair day and wooden barricades were placed along the edge of the footpaths. . The farmers arrived in with their cattle early so the fair was in full swing as we left for school . We were fascinated to see bright red notes changing hands. We didn’t know what denomination they were but we’d never seen them. When the fair was a horse fair which spread up to Market Street we got a day off school as it was considered it would be too dangerous for us to walk through the horses. All that stopped when the Mart was built in the early sixties. 

All of us children walked to school  which was quite a long way from the Square to the Convent. We would walk with the Fitzgibbon girls and we always cut through the archway between the top of Tae Lane and the Market. I remember clearly seeing the car being painted on the side of Tarrant’s garage which I think is still there. 

Eleanor Belcher

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Revival 2023

Still time to get your tickets

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A Success Story with a Listowel Connection

Richard Sheahan (on the right in the photo) was selected on the 4 person team to represent Ireland in the International Chemistry Olympiad which took place in Zurich over 10 days. At the awards ceremony he learned that he had won a bronze medal for Ireland. He is pictured with his teammates. 

Richard is the grandson of Nora Sheahan and the late Jim Sheahan from Greenville.

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Remembering Schooldays

Many of these ladies still in town may help with the last few names and maybe a year.

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A Fact

There is a golf course on the border of Sweden and Finland. There are nine holes in each country.

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Something old, Something New

By

On August 16, 2022

In Festivals, Listowel

The Square, Listowel in August 2022

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Brother and Horses

In Bettyville, Kanturk

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Weight Gain

Here is a laugh for today’s young people. Once upon a time, not a hundred years ago for I remember it well, you had to pay to weigh yourself. Scales like these stood in the pharmacy and you put a penny in the slot to operate the weighing scales.

People didn’t have bathroom scales. Many people didn’t have bathrooms. These scales offered a public service. This one appeared recently in a post in my Kanturk Memories group. It stood not in a pharmacy but in a diner style café. The owners , the O’Sullivan family, had returned from the USA and had brought all kinds of new ideas to Kanturk. Their café had banquette seating in booths just like in the movies, it had a juke box and this weighing scales.

When we went to the city; Cork, we loved to weigh ourselves in Woolworths because their scales gave you a little card with your weight on it. Would we want it now?

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Time Flies

These two young men walking with their Nana in Gurtinard last weekend are the same two boys I snapped on Church Street on a visit to Nana in another lifetime. They are Killian and Sean Cogan from Cork. I am the Nana.

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It was Roses, Roses all the way

Our girl is off on her tour around the country and by all accounts, she is wowing them wherever she goes.

I put my money where my mouth is but by the time I got there Edaein was already installed as the favourite. 😍 🤩 🥳

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Revival, the Reunion

It used to be the Races, now it’s Revival. One visitor described Friday evening at Revival as 1000 people in a carpark standing and chatting with old friends and 500 people upfront attending a concert.

Among the former were Seán, Valeria, Richard and Elaine.

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It’s still Heritage Week 2022

You’ve got two more chances to see Bliain dar Saol in Kerry Writers Museum. It’s on today, Tuesday Aug. 16 2022 and Wednesday Aug. 17 2022. Both showings are at 2.30 pm.

I snapped these two local heroes yesterday August 15 2022 on their way to mass.

John Lynch has preserved lots and lots of Listowel memories on film. He made Bliain dar Saol in collaboration with John Pierse. It records a year in Listowel fifty years ago.

Pat Walsh served us well in McKenna’s for years. He was also one of the men who worked so hard to keep the Pitch and Putt course in perfect condition.

Men like these are the salt of the earth.

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Asdee, West Clare Railway and Memories of a Book Launch

By

On January 27, 2020

In Uncategorized






Lower Church Street Listowel in January 2020



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Asdee from the air




I found this photo on the lovely Asdee website



Asdee Village 





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On This Day


Today is January 27. On this very day in 1885 Charles Stewart Parnell turned the first sod for the West Clare Railway.

You may talk of Columbus’s sailing

Across the Atlantical sea

But he never tried to go railing

From Ennis as far as Kilkee.

The train ran from Kilkee to Moyasta and from there the traveller could go  west to Kilrush.It was the last operating narrow gauge passenger railway in the country . It closed in1961.

The train was notoriously unreliable. Percy French who wrote the famous satire about the line sued The West Clare Railway for loss of earning because he arrived  four and a half hours late for an engagement in Kilkee on August 10 1896. He won £10 plus costs.

The Railway appealed the case and lost. French arrived one hour late for the appeal and he explained to the judge that he came on the West Clare Railway.  In the course of his submission in the case French famously said

“If you want to go to Kilkee

You must go there by sea.”

At the same court on the day of French’s appeal Mary Anne Butler from Limerick sued the railway alleging that she had been attacked by a malevolent donkey on the platform at Ennis.

If you’re not familiar with the Percy French song here are a few verses.

Are ye right there, Michael, are ye right ?

Do ye think that you can get the fire to light ?

Oh, an hour you’ll require

For the turf it might be drier

Well it might now, Michael, so it might

Are you right there, Michael, are ye right ?

Do you think that we’ll be there before it’s light ?”

It all depends on whether

The old engine holds together

And it might now, Michael, so it might, so it might

And it might, now, Michael, so it might

( information from On This Day Vol. 2 by Myles Dungan)

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Generosity in Lyre



Garda Sgt Jim Foley Tralee, a trustee of The Irish Pilgrimage Trust accepts a cheque for €1,910 proceeds of the hampers raffle at Christmas. Hampers sponsored by Lyreacrompane Community Development. €955 raised through your generosity and matched by Lyreacrompane Community Development.

Photo and caption from Lyreacrompane Community Development on Facebook

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Memories of  great Night

On October 19th 2019 we launched A Minute of Your Time in St. John’s Listowel. Lots of friends came and we had a mighty night. Breda Ferris took the photos.


Helen Bambury and her husband, Aidan

Alice Moylan and my nephew, William Ahern

Barbara Walshe

Betty and Maria Stack

Billy Keane

My son, Bobby and his wife, Carine

Robert Beasley

Brenda Enright

Bridie O’Rourke

Canon Declan O’Connor

Caroline Reynolds

Catherine Moylan



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Revival 2020 Planning Meeting




I spotted Aiden and Gerry in Thew Horseshoe last week planning another super music festival.

Friday Market, Commemorative Seats, Ard Churan Concert and Revival 2019 line up

By

On June 26, 2019

In Uncategorized

Ballybunion Sunset 2019



Photo; Jason at Ballybunion Prints Beach

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Music in The Square at the Friday market

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Commemorative Seats in Listowel Town Park


Donating a seat seems to have replaced planting a tree as a means of remembering a lost loved one. Here are the two new seats in the park.




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Ard Churam Concert


On Thursday May 30 we were treated to a great night of music by the people behind Ard Churam fundraising.

Photo; Ger Holland, official Writers’ Week photographer

The undisputed stars on the night were the members of the Ard Churam choir and their coach, soprano Mary Culloty O’Sullivan. Cyril Kelly took us down memory lane and reality television star, Fr. Ray Kelly sang songs from his album. The concert was a great success and helped greatly in raising funds for the planned dementia care day centre.

Mairead Slemon and Rachel Guerin congratulate Aine Guerin on a great night’s work.

Mary and Peter  McGrath were enjoying the music.

 Vourneen Kissane and Margaret Reidy were there too.

Sr. Consolata met her old friend, Jackie McGillicuddy who was singing with the choir.

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Courthouse Plaza






Courthouse Road leads to a lovely plaza area with three public buildings surrounding asome newly planted raised beds.

This is the back of Áras an Phiarsaigh.

Áras an Phiarsaigh

Listowel Courthouse



Listowel branch of Kerry Library

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Revival 2019




Saturdays’ headline act, The Coronas has been confirmed. This promises to the best Revival yet. Tickets are selling out quickly .


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.

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