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: Sheila Enright

St. Ita

Ballybunion Golf Course January 16 2022; Photo; Catherine Moylan

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I don’t know much about this photo except that Bryan MacMahon and John B. Keane and others are on the back of Stuart Stack’s truck. Any help with identifying the others and telling us when where and why this photo was taken would be great.

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Local Lore and Legend

Newmarket man, Raymond O’Sullivan is a great man for local lore. Here is his Facebook post about St. Ita.

St. Ita, the patron saint of Killeedy and Co. Limerick, is also called ‘The Foster Mother of the Saints of Ireland’. Among her many illustrious foster children was none other than St. Brendan, the Navigator, who was brought to Killeedy when he was one year old and stayed until he was six.Her çult remains strong in the hill country along the Cork, Kerry, Limerick borderlands. One unusual feature of the cult is letting the Christmas decorations up until after her feastday on the 15th of January. Not sure if it is out of laziness or devotion to her that I continue to observe this custom. Probably a bit of both. We got married on her feastday, and, when unsure of the anniversary date over the years, a discreet inquiry about St. Ita’s ‘pattern’ got me out of many a potentially perilous situation.

Shrine to St Ita in Killeedy, Co. Limerick

Stained glass window of St. Ita in The Oratory in Gougane Barra

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Your Help Sought

I am trying to trace any (relatives) or people that may know of/ be related to my Grandfather, John Sylvester Horan.

My hubby is doing my family tree My mum, ( who died in 1990) was orphaned when she was 9 yrs. She told me that she was led to believe her father was a bigamist but, I have found through ancestry that he was in fact a widower when he left for Liverpool. I only know that his 1st wife was called Sarah.

John was born in 1886 in Listowel. I know this is a massive long shot, but maybe someone may know something.

Thank you so much, Patricia Jones…South Wales x

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Telling Stories

This little piggy….

Aoife and I had great old chats on her recent visit. I can’t wait to share all the family secrets with her.

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The one who came back to say thanks

John O’Leary contacted Listowel Connection to thank his former teacher in Rossmacowen Primary School, Miss Enright of Bridge Road. He remembered her with gratitude. We tracked down the Sheila Enright in question and John’s gratitude and kind words will be conveyed to her.

This is from John’s latest letter;

Hi Mary,

I can not  thank you enough for all your time and effort in tracing my primary school teacher, Sheila. I moved into the fourth class as Sheila arrived at our school. Sheila was kind and always showed interest in your progress, caring, taking time to explain the subject, never telling you off. It was a time of learning. The classroom was always welcoming with displays and all the flowers on the window board and on her desk. There was the open fire with all the bottles of drinks for lunch time, as from Oct to March we all brought a sod of turf for the fire and at lunch time we went up through the fields to collect wood for the fire. My last years in primary school were so memorable. Thanks to Sheila or, as we would say, Miss Enright.

John

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Changes

Ballybunion Photo by Simple Snaps by Sharon

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A Change in the Weather

Jean Byrne has quietly slipped from our screens. She retired in October 2021 according to a story in RSVP.

“Jean, from Tarbert in Co Kerry, had become a household name since first appearing on our TV screens in 1996.

She became famous for her daring style with her often eye catching outfits causing a storm online.

She also became a firm favourite with viewers after appearing on Celebrity Home of the year in 2019.”

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Confirmation Day 1960

Kathy Reynolds has been in touch to tell us that she has uploaded another tranche of precious old photographs.

This album is called North Kerry People, Episode 4 and it features Confirmation Day in Ballybunion in 1960. The photos were taken by the late Tony Fitzmaurice

Kathy says “By 1963 (maybe) but definitely 1966 children were confirmed in Ballydonoghue Church as I was confirmed there, Ballydonoghue having separated from Ballybunion Parish and got it’s own PP. However I have just learnt that Ballydonoghue lost it’s PP in 2021 and he will not be replaced so it will once again be reliant on priests from surrounding parishes. I wonder if confirmations will once again be held in Ballybunion.”

If you recognise someone in the photos will you contact Kathy , kathymreynolds@icloud.com . She is anxious to put names to the people in the photos.

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Listowel Is Changing

On Friday January 14 2021, I met Andy Smith who was in town overseeing the big changes that are afoot.

The Square will soon see the installation of a series of canopies. These will be permanent structures covering an area that will be used for outdoor dining and performance. This will be the new normal as we embrace our outdoor lifestyle.

This is Bridge Road. The pavement is on the left, the next section will be a cycleway.

I took this photo in the old Neodata site where it is all systems go to join up this new cycleway with the Greenway.

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Presentation School Magazine 1983

In 1983 the school magazine was produced by the secondary and primary schools. I remember the event described here well.

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A Brilliant Teacher Remembered

John O’Leary has been in touch. Here is a part of his email;

Hi Mary,

My name is John O’Leary. For so many years I have been trying to 
find a person who would get me in contact with a relation of a teacher 
who taught me back 1959 in the Beara peninsula. Her name was Sheila 
Enright from Old Bridge Road Listowel, a brilliant teacher.

If you can help John please get in touch.

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