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: Royal Munster Fusiliers

Christmas at the front in WW1, An Gleann and some Christmas windows

By

On December 10, 2014

In Uncategorized

Jim Halpin, curator of a great collection of war and other military memorabilia at his museum in Church St. invited me to photograph his Princess Mary tin and he told two very interesting stories apropos the tin.

The idea of sending a tin to the soldiers was not an original one. Princess Mary’s aunt, Queen Victoria had sent such a present to soldiers during the Boer War. Jim has one of these in his collection and it contains the original straw packaging used to protect the enclosed gifts.

The Princess Mary story is fascinating. Apparently, the young princess went to the warehouse where these tins were being packed and she brought a hand written note to enclose in one tin. The note asked the finder to contact her. The story goes that the note was found by a Munster Fusilier from Limerick.

This old photo of 4th battalion of The Munsters comes from Historical Tralee

The tin is inscribed Christmas 1914. It has a cameo of Princess Mary surrounded by a laurel wreath. In the corners are the names of Britain’s allies in the Great War. Other symbols of the British Empire at war adorn the box as well.

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Last Rites 1915

Chaplain to the Munsters was a Fr. F. Gleeson from Tipperary. In this famous painting he is depicted giving last absolution to the troops as they paused on their way to the front.

Whilst moving forwards to the trenches on 8 May 1915, in preparation for the Battle of Aubers Ridge, Lieutenant-Colonel Victor Rickard ordered the battalion to halt at a roadside shrine in Rue du Bois, near Fleurbaix.  Gleeson, who had ridden at the front of the column, addressed the assembled 800 men and gave them the general absolution whilst still mounted on his horse. The men then sang the hymns Hail, Queen of Heaven, the Te Deum and Hail Glorious Saint Patrick before Gleeson moved along the ranks bidding farewell to the officers and encouraging the men to maintain the honour of the regiment.The battalion then moved off to the trenches from which they launched their attack at 5.30 the next morning. The Munsters were largely cut down by machine gun fire before they had advanced more than a few yards although enough men survived to capture the German trenches, the only unit to do so that day, before being forced to withdraw. (Wikipaedia)




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Football

Denis Carroll posted this old one on Facebook. The Mart Field is now Feale Drive.

Back row L-R: Gigs Nolan,?, Pa Kennedy, Miley Fitz, Jerry Kelliher, Bob O Brien, Buster Lynch, PJ Kelliher, Jimmy Griffin, Manager Roche.

Front L-R, Denny Carroll, Peter Sugrue, Kempes Kelliher, Kevin Sheehy, Liam Kelliher & Noel Roche

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The Kerry Football team is one of Six Nominees for Rte Sport Team of the Year 2014



(photo; The Sunday Game )

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This cool vehicles was spotted in Limerick this week



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Christmas 2014 Scenes from Listowel





Saturday Supplement and The Royal Munster Fusiliers in WW1 and Pigott Poetry Prize

By

On February 20, 2014

In Uncategorized

Don’t Miss This

On Saturday morning next, Feb 22 2014 Radio Kerry will broadcast Frank Lewis’ Saturday Supplement  at 9.00 a.m. This programme is inspired by Vincent Carmody’s book, Listowel: Snapshots of an Irish Market Town 1850 to 1950.

Vincent’s walking tour of the town is something every Listowel person should experience at least once. If you haven’t done it, put it on your Bucket List.

Now, Thanks to Frank Lewis and Radio Kerry, you can experience this tour at one remove, by listening to it on the radio.

I am honoured to be part of the tour. I was invited by Vincent to read from Listowel greats like D.C Hennessey, John B. Keane, Joseph O’Connor and Seán Ashe. On Sunday morning, when we recorded the programme, I was in the company of illustrious natives like Jim MacMahon, Kay Caball and Gabriel Fitzmaurice. They all had individual and interesting tales to tell. There also were ordinary people, whose voices we are  less used to hearing on the airwaves like Martin Griffin, Liam Grimes and Diane Nolan. What all these people have in common is that they are North Kerry born and bred. While my love for Listowel is undoubted, my pedigree is not pure. I only made my way to the Kingdom in 1975. But I think people are willing to forget that now and I am proud to take my place among native Listowellians.

Chalk it down: Radio Kerry, Feb. 22 2014 9.00 a.m.

Below are some photographs I took on the day of the recording, Feb. 2nd 2014

The gang are gathered at Jet O’Carroll’s, across the road from Galvin’s off licence and Vincent is telling the listeners the story of the mosaic shop front.

We called to this house, a few doors up from the post office in Upper William Street. In the front room, for we were expected, a candle burned before an icon of De Valera and the walls were adorned by memorabilia from the White House. This house was once the home of Kathy Buckley who, along with 2 other North Kerry girls, worked in the kitchen at The White House during the reigns of 2 presidents.

Back on the street, Brian MacCaffrey, who was married to Kathy Buckley’s niece, told Frank Lewis all about her and her adventures.

Martin Griffin, Brian MacCaffrey and his son, John listen intently while Vincent tells another story.

On Church Street Vincent told us about the place where it was easier to write then not to write. We heard the story of John B.s lovely poem, The Street. Several others of the street’s pantheon of writers were also mentioned.

You will not be able to see this on radio but we got to admire the work of Patrick MacAuliffe and The Cement God and the beautiful handiwork of The Chute Family, Listowel painters for 5 generations.  Vincent told us what John B. used to tell visitors who asked him to explain the significance of the inscriptions in three languages.

Gabriel Fitzmaurice sang, recited and told stories to beat the band.

At John B.’s statue in The Small Square I got to read John B.s account of the Tom Doodle adventure. Liam Grimes was actually there on the night of the great Doodle rally.

We finished our tour at the castle where Diane told us the history of the castle and Joan Mulvihill, who had entertained us with song all along the route, sang one final local ballad. I’m delighted that I recorded it for you.

So here it is again:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fY2tt5ZOdGA

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This recruiting poster is one of many photographs on a website devoted to Irish regiments in WW1.

Eternal Fame? I don’t think so.

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Who is this?

This is Mark Pigott

What is his Listowel connection?

His family roots are in Listowel.

Why is he in the Listowel news right now?

Wait for it! This man is a very very successful business man in the U.S. His company is called Piccar. Read all about it here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Pigott

AND he has just endowed Listowel Writers Week with a huge poetry prize. This man is a lover of the arts and a philanthropist. He has decided to share some of his vast wealth with poets. He has decided to do this in the form of a prize at Writers’ Week.

Read all about it here: http://writersweek.ie/competitions/pigott-poetry-prize-listowel-writers-week-announces-new-poetry-prize

This huge prize, along with Kerry Group’s  long standing sponsorship of the Book of the Year puts Writers’ Week right up there with the big international Arts festivals.

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