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: St. Patrick

Remembering

By

On March 11, 2025

In Listowel, Personal

Listowel Fire station in March 2025

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Remembering

St. Patrick’s Day 2023 in Listowel

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Old Friends

The Sheehy family of Main Street remained proud of their Listowel roots to the end.

I wish someone would write the life stories of all these people who are commemorated on benches in town. All of them contributed to Listowel, and Listowel is justly proud of them. Their stories, as well as their names, deserve preservation.

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Different Times

Jer Kennelly found this one.

I did a bit of research and it seems that the dance in question may have beein in 1940.

Here are extracts from an article I found online. The interview awas with a Bray saxophonist in The Irish Independent in 2003.

“…One piece of memorabilia Charlie keeps is a diary in which he recorded all the gigs he played and what he was owed for each. The entry for March 1940, when playing with the dance band, was £2 and 16 pence! ‘That’s what I earned that month,’ laughs Charlie.

In 1942 Charlie joined the Phil Murtagh band, who had a residency in the Metropole on Dublin’s O’Connell Street.

This was the biggest gig in the country and the band was the best in the business. They played all around the country and had a summertime residency in Tramore.

Bandleader Phil Murtagh abhorred alcohol and had a strict rule ‘Whether you were driving to the top of Donegal or the bottom of Kerry, you didn’t stop for a bottle of stout. We drove in two cars – I drove and Phil drove and he always drove behind me to make sure I couldn’t stop at a pub!’ recalls Charlie.

‘In 1946, we were driving to Tramore and on a straight stretch of road I flew on ahead of Phil, went around a corner and he sailed on past. So me and the three I had with me went in for a few drinks, but when we came out I had a puncture. Because it was just after the war and cars weren’t long back on the road, we had no wheel brace to change the wheel. So we went back in for another few drinks!’ Someone eventually came who could help them, but by the time they got to Tramore there it was 10.30pm and the dance started at 8pm!

Given their status as top band in the country, any notions Charlie and his bandmates might have had about themselves were shot down at an enormous dance run by the army in the RDS, also in 1946.

Arriving with their instruments they were stopped by an army officer as they had no tickets. After over an hour waiting around outside they were eventually marched a quarter of a mile down the road to an entrance normally used for horses! ‘That ended any thoughts we had of ourselves as big shots,’ laughs Charlie.

Again he recalls also how little they were payed compared to today – on St. Stephen’s night in 1939 he played from 9pm until 5am and was payed one pound! In 1940 they drove to Listowel, earned two pounds each and crashed the car on the way back!

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Deltiology

According to the internet, deltiology is the third most common collector hobby, after money and stamps. This is surprising since so few people send postcards any more. I once had a huge collection and I used to display them on my kitchen wall., where they eventally got grubby and had to be thrown out.

Máire MacMahon is a deltiologist and she has sent us pictures of a few of her cards.

William St.

St. Michael’s College

Presentation Convent

You can see why postcards were so popular. They were ideal for holiday correspondence with a very favourable picture of your location and just enough room to tell everyone (including the postman) that you were having a good time.

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Reunion

Me, Geraldine, Mary, Breda and Bridget in Lizzie’s Little Kitchen in March 2025.

I was dining in Lizzy’s last week with some old teacher friends when we met a lovely past pupils out to lunch with her family.

By the way the lunch, in my opinion, was better than The Carriage House of last week’s fame.

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Update

The market in the boys’ school yard is now planned to be held on Sundays, not Saturdays as previously advertised. The first market will be held on Sunday May 4 2025 and from then until October, markets will be held from 11.00a.m. until 3.00p.m. every Sunday.

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A Fact

The reason we have a feast day to commemorate Saint Patrick is down to Fr. Luke Wadding. This Waterford missionary petitioned the Vatican in the 1600s to grant St. Patrick a dedicated feast day. Apparently the choice of March 17th was a bit arbitrary. It is believed to be the date of his death but that’s not too certain, like many otherm things about St. Patrick.

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Changing Times

By

On March 10, 2025

In Listowel

March 2025

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A Celtic St. Patrick

We don’t know who drew this glorious image of our patron saint but it is in the Capuchin annuals online archive. It was on the cover of a Redemptorist pamphlet so we presume it was the work of a Redemptorist priest.

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Nearly Gone

They’re clearing the last of the stock in New Look, Ballincollig, as a Buy one Get one Free deal.

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What a difference a Year Makes?

This was Market Street flowerbed on March 7 2024

One year later to the day and it’s all looking a bit weary and bedraggled…a bit like ourselves!

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Summer Time in Winter Time; Old Time in New Time

It all started with this and my comment that I was surprised that Listowel was still in summer time in December 1942.

Kathy Reynold knew why and I learned a bit about our wartime history as well. Since we observe Greenwich Meantime our clocks tell the same time as clocks in the UK.

“During the austerity of WW2, Double Summer Time was introduced in the UK as a way of saving fuel. This saw clocks being put forward two hours ahead of GMT. I assume Ireland must have also made the changes.

Double Summer Time was triggered on the last Sunday of October in 1940 when the clocks were not put back from Summer Time to Greenwich Mean Time. The result was that Summer Time continued throughout the Winter of 1940/41. On the last Sunday of March in 1941, the clocks were put forward an extra one hour, effectively putting the country two hours ahead of GMT. This meant that dark evenings were two hours shorter, so the time for which heating was required was also two hours shorter, thus saving on fuel. The delayed darkness in the evenings also meant that people had more time to get back home before the blackout.

WW2 Double Summer Time ended in the Autumn of 1945 when clocks were set back to the previous cycle of Greenwich Mean Time over winter and British Summer Time in the Summer.”

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New Postbox

In Moynalty, Co. Meath, I’m told. It’s a bit unusual looking. I wonder if anyone has seen it in reality or is it something a collector has cobbled together. Apologies if this is a genuine post box.

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Hope Micheál has the good suit Dry Cleaned and Ready

In these days when we are concerned with what is and is not appropriate apparel in certain places, here is a story from The Gazette in 1797.

John Hetherington was arraigned before the Lord Mayor yesterday on a charge of breach of the peace and inciting to riot, and was required to give bonds in the sum of £500[b] [for having] appeared upon the public highway wearing upon his head what he called a silk hat… a tall structure, having a shiny lustre, and calculated to frighten timid people…. several women fainted at the unusual sight, while children screamed, dogs yelped, and a young [boy] was thrown down by the crowd which had collected and had his right arm broken.

(Heatherington was an eccentric milliner and he was merely showing off his latest creation.)

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A Fact

When was St. Patrick’s Day not celebrated on March 17th?

Answer; Not that long ago, in fact. In 2001, at the height of the Foot and Mouth outbreak, the Dublin parade was postponed until May.

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St. Michael’s, Ballybunion, St. Mary’s in Lent and a Covid 19 poem

By

On March 20, 2020

In Uncategorized

Peppercanister Church, Dublin

Eamon ÓMurchú took this great photograph recently

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“All you that have your eyeballs vexed and tired

Feast them on the wildness of the sea”   Keats


Marie Moriarty took these photos in Ballybunion yesterday

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St. Michael’s staff 1979

This photo was published a commemorative book to celebrate the centenary of the school.

May all of those who have passed away rest in peace.

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Lent


While we are in partial lockdown due to the global pandemic, Covid 19, people may not have been visiting the church as much as usual. Here is the lovely display for Lent 2020.

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Hard Times in North Kerry in 1881


Kerry Sentinel 06.05.1881, page 3 (Edited Version)

Important Meeting of Lord Ormaithwaite’s Tenantry in the parishes of, Listowel, Ballydonoghue, Newtownsandes, Lixnaw, Irremore and Ballybunion were at a meeting in the Land League Rooms in Listowel. They decided that 25% over Griffith’s valuation was a fair rent. Mr George Sandes the landlords agent refused the offer and offered an abatement of 15%, he agreed to meet Lord Ormaithwaite and let them know his reply in a few days.

The cases of the eviction in Gunsboro of Broder and Kissane, who were uncharitable put out on the road at the end of their working life, had the sympathy of all tenants.

Priests in attendance Rev. M O’Connor , P.P. Ballybunion; Rev James Burke, P.P. Newtownsandes, Rev James Casey C C. Listowel; Rev F Cremin, C.C. Lixnaw; Rev. M. Godley, C.C. Ballybunion; Rev F. Carmody, C.C. Newtownsandes, and the rev B. Scanlon, C.C. Duagh.

Priest of the Listowel Deanery held meeting and deplored the evictions on the property of Mr. Gunn Mahony and absentee, a dying man, father of large family was flung on the roadside without any shelter. North Kerry was tranquil, but it is with horror they contemplate the future, if  the evictions of law abiding and industrious people, continues.

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An Ode to St. Patrick in This Time of Crisis


St Patrick’s Day 2020

By Mary Mc Elligott

Please come back St Patrick

And bring us loads of bleach,

Soap and disinfectant

And sanitizers, yes, one each.

Back then, we thought snakes were bad,

For the Irish, a pure curse

But now in the year we have

The story is much worse.

Corona is the reason,

A scary dangerous Virus.

It’s in all the Televisions,

The papers and the wireless.

It spreads with a cough or sneeze

Or even talking to a person

And forget about a handshake.

It will only make it worsen.

If you can bring supplies,

Include some kitchen rolls

Don’t bring any toilet paper

As we all have loads and loads.

Also to be safer,

Leave your cloak and staff at home.

We’ll provide a set of scrubs

‘You’d get destroyed in bleach and foam.

We’re not out this year

But we’re not too far away.

We’re indoors and we’re praying,

That you’ll kill the bugs with spray.

We’ve even closed our Pubs,

Paddy’s day, a disaster

But we’re willing and we’re able,

If the Virus goes much faster.

You saved us many moons ago.

You’re held in high esteem.

Irish eyes will all be smiling,

When we’re out of quarantine.

We’ll be dancing and a lepping,

Down the streets, with marching bands.

Oh, a little reminder when you’re coming,

Don’t forget to wash your hands.

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