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’s Hall Page 2 of 3

The Old Woman of the Roads and a few loose ends tied up

By

On March 28, 2017

In Uncategorized

World Poetry Day


Last week we celebrated World Poetry Day. To mark the day, Connemara Heritage and History Society posted a poem and a photo on their webpage.

The Old Woman of the Roads by Pádraic Colum

O, to have a little house!

To own the hearth and stool and all!

The heaped up sods upon the fire,The pile of turf against the wall!

To have a clock with weights and chains

And pendulum swinging up and down!

A dresser filled with shining delph,

Speckled and white and blue and brown!

I could be busy all the day

Clearing and sweeping hearth and floor,

And fixing on their shelf again

My white and blue and speckled store!

I could be quiet there at night

Beside the fire and by myself,

Sure of a bed and loth to leave

The ticking clock and the shining delph!

Och! but I’m weary of mist and dark,

And roads where there’s never a house nor bush,

And tired I am of bog and road,

And the crying wind and the lonesome hush!

And I am praying to God on high,

And I am praying Him night and day,

For a little house – house of my own –

Out of the wind’s and the rain’s way.

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In the Bandsroom


Vincent Carmody has been in touch to give us a few names for this lovely old photo which was first shared on Facebook by Mike Hannon and then on Listowel Connection.

Vincent is not sure if the competition was a Snooker or Billiards tournament but he knows the year was the early 1950s. He knows this for certain because his brother Maurice (Moss) is in the photo and Maurice emigrated to Australia in 1954.

The man at the table is John Enright and, if this was the final, his opponent was John (Chuck) Roche.

Included in the photo are Timmy Lawlor, Ned Stack (Ned was the secretary of St. Patrick’s Hall), P.J. Maher, Eric Browne, Kevin Sheehy, Seán Stack, Jeremiah Reidy, Stephen Kenny and David Roche.

Sitting in front are Matt Kennelly, Fr. Matt Keane, (Fr. Keane was the uncle of the great Moss Keane and Vincent remembers him as a very down to earth man who took off the collar and rolled up his sleeves to undertake a spot of painting with John Joe Kenny when the hall was being redecorated.) Maurice Carmody and Eamon Stack.

I know there are many blog followers who will be grateful to Vincent for identifying these young men and for reviving great memories of the bandsroom which for years was an institution in Listowel.

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More on Hurst Hess

A few weeks ago I shared Eily Walsh’s story of this photograph. Hurst Hess, a German boy made his communion while he was staying in Ireland during WW2.

Many people have helped me out on this one. It would appear that Hurst came to Ireland as part of Operation Shamrock.

Operation Shamrock was a plan to bring German children to Ireland from post-World War II Germany.[1]

Between 1945 and 1946, the Irish Red Cross‘s Operation Shamrock resettled over a thousand children from war-torn Germany, Austria, France, and England. Most of these children were later repatriated to their homelands, but some were adopted by their Irish host families.

On 27 July 1946 a group of 88 exhausted and bewildered German children arrived by boat at Dún Laoghaire, County Dublin. Within months hundreds of German children had arrived in Ireland, some as young as 3 years. Some had lost their parents in the war; others had their homes destroyed. The children were placed with foster families then returned to Germany, though some stayed and were adopted by new Irish parents.

About 50 German children stayed in Ireland and married Irish partners. A fountain was donated by the German government at St Stephens Green in Dublin, marking Germany’s thanks for Operation Shamrock.

This is from Wikipedia and I am grateful to Rhona Tarrant for pointing me in the right direction.

This scheme was run by the Red Cross and we know that there was a very active branch of the Red Cross in Listowel in the 1940s.

Maura MacMahon sent me this photo a while ago of a Red Cross social in Listowel in the 1940s. Maura’s aunt Maureen was a very involved member of this vibrant society.

I got this email from John Murphy; 

 I went to school with a german boy who was brought to Listowel by Johnny Beasley who was married to a Horgan lady.

The boys name was Helmut Wald.

He and I became good friends and he returned to Germany and we never made contact again.

Best Regards,

John Murphy

There is definitely material in this story for a documentary or novel.

<<<<<<<<<<<


Well done, Allos

Armel White of Allos proudly displays his well deserved award for Best Gastro pub in Munster.

<<<<<<<


Last Few from the 2017 St. Patrick’s Day Parade.


<<<<<<<<



The Taoiseach in Kerry


Enda was in Firies yesterday March 27 2017 opening Kerry Foodhub.

The Kerry Food Hub in Firies is now open for business! The Kerry Food Hub is a brand new custom built facility incorporating four food production units completed to a very high standard. … The facility is located on a green field site on the outskirts of Firies Village, Co. Kerry.


He met Listowel’s own Éabha Joans folk.

A tale of St. John’s clock, a few Listowel photos and John Relihan at Fifteen in London

By

On February 1, 2017

In Uncategorized


Great Hunting Weather



Duhallow Hunt       Photo; Willie Nunan



<<<<<<<<,


A Tale of Protestants and Catholics United by a Clock


 My story started with this old postcard. I posted it here a few weeks ago. On the same day as it appeared I was on Radio Kerry giving my Just a Thought. Just a Thought is a minute’s reflection broadcast on Radio Kerry on weekday mornings. It is broadcast first at 7.30 a.m. during Kerry’s Full Breakfast. One of the presenters of this programme is Elaine Kinsella. Elaine heard my “Thought” and realised that it was her old teacher whose blog she now follows. So Elaine opened the blog and the first thing she saw was this old picture of Listowel Town Square. “I wonder,” says she, “when this photograph was taken.”

Later on the same day, I met my friend Junior Griffin. Junior didn’t know when exactly the photo was taken but he was sure that it was before the 1940s because he had observed that the numerals in the St. John’s clock were illegible and he knew all about their being repainted.


Junior is a great man for a story and he didn’t let me down on this occasion either.

The man second from left in this photo (kindly given to me by Patsy O’Sullivan) is Archdeacon Wallace and he was the last Protestant rector of Listowel parish. Junior remembers him as a great community man and on the very best of terms with his Catholic neighbours.

One of these Catholic friends was Junior’s dad, John Griffin. Now John was the local expert at mending clocks and watches. So it was to Bridge Rd to the Griffin house that the archdeacon came to get his clock seen to.

Junior remembers the whole undertaking well.

In the 1940s it was forbidden for a Catholic to enter a Protestant church. Mending the clock would not involve entering the church as there was no access to the clock from the church. To solve this problem John Griffin constructed a kind of primitive cherry picker. This contraption was a kind of cage that he would enter on the ground and using pulleys and ropes he would hoist himself up to the clock in order to access the movement of the clock.

Junior’s mother was worried sick that some harm might come to her husband in this makeshift hoist so she sent Bert and Junior to the Catholic church to light candles and to pray that no harm would come to their dad.


Bert, R.I.P. and Junior

Mr. Griffin repainted the numerals and he brought the two huge hands home to paint them. Junior remembers that the big hand measured five feet and the small hand was 3 feet long.

There remained one final problem to solve but John Griffin was a dinger at solving problems. If he couldn’t do something himself, he knew someone who could.

The last piece of repair work needed was the vital pin that held the hands in place and allowed them to turn as well in order to tell the time. This was a job for an engineer and John Griffin knew just the man, his friend Michael Graham. Michael lived in Dublin but he had a Listowel connection in that he was married to a North Kerry woman.

Michael made the vital pin. The clock was in working order again. 

Now there is a lovely postscript to the story, Junior told me that Michael Graham, the man who made the vital pin was married to Canon Declan O’Connor’s aunt.

Canon Declan with Jimmy Hickey.

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Listowel Arms from Convent Street



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St. Patrick’s Hall, Listowel




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Star Pupil




Fifteen Graduates is a Facebook page for graduates of Jamie Oliver’s apprentice programme. This is what it says about our own John Relihan

“Great to see graduate John Relihan at Fifteen today. John has become a Food Ambassador for Ireland and he has been busy travelling all over the world in that role. For St Patricks Day on the 19th of March this year John will be back cooking in Trafalgar Square again – we will send an email out soon as he will be looking for other graduates to come along and cook with him on the day as well. Keep up the great work John “

July 2015 Horse Fair, Graveyard mass and St. Patrick’s Hall

By

On July 9, 2015

In Uncategorized

Horse (and poultry, dogs, pigs, eggs and plants ) Fair

This is your blogger at the horse fair.

Do I look half afraid of that little donkey?

That’s because I was.

I had a great morning at the July fair. It was lovely to see such a variety of animals and stuff on Market Street on July 2 2015. Long may the tradition last!

More photos tomorrow.

<<<<<<<


John Paul Cemetery Mass 2015



A huge crowd attended the graveyard mass on Weds. July 1 2015 despite torrential rain. The annual graveyard mass is a lovely tradition. The congregation is scattered around the graveyard as some people like to stand at the grave of their loved ones.

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St. Patrick’s Hall is getting a Facelift






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On the Street



I met Monica and Frank from Providence Rhode Island on Library Road. They were looking for a needle in a haystack. This “needle” was one Joan McCarthy, a friend of theirs who had retired to her home in Listowel. With no more information to go on I think this haystack might have proved impenetrable, were it not for Vincent Carmody who sorted them out in jig time. Unfortunately, their friend had passed away but they were able to visit her grave.

St. Patrick’s Hall Social, Ladybird books are 100 yrs. old and some Tidy Town volunteers

By

On March 12, 2015

In Uncategorized

Watch the birdie!


Timothy John MacSweeney took the two photos below of prey and predator. One is a hawk in flight. The other is a robin on a branch. Clarification: the two photos were not taken at the same location. No life was lost in the pursuit of the photographer’s art.



<<<<<<<<<



St. Patrick’s Hall Social 1960

This picture is from Vincent Carmody’s great Listowel book, Snapshots of a Market Town.

The clergy in front are Archdeacon Wallace, Canon O’Sullivan, Fr. Curtin and Fr. Galvin. The layman in the middle is Eddie Scanlon. Vincent has all the other names on page 15 of his book.

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Remember these?

Ladybird books are celebrating 100 years this year. Above are some of the titles on my bookshelf.

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Charles St.

Town end of Charles St.

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Our Hard working Tidy Town Volunteers


(photo: Listowel Tidy Towns )

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Listowel Emmetts Ladies U14


At training on Saturday       (photo Listowel Emmetts Ladies)

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Jim MacMahon Remembers Mick Doody



Jim MacMahon, formerly of Church St. has memories of Mick Doody too.

He writes:

Mick used to visit our house in Church St in I guess the 1940s. He was indeed blind and had a dog …he seemed to me like a character in a school poem …..Pinch and Caoch O’Leary. He came to chat to my father but primarily to upholster old arm chairs with horsehair for my mother. He was friendly with the Broders , Mick and Dan , who lived directly across the road from us , next to what is now Allos restaurant. I recall one incident vividly . While he was with us he heard that Mick had died and he asked my brother Garry to accompany him over the road to say his farewell to his friend . Garry told me that the night was very dark and there was no electricity in Broders….going up the stairs was scary for him. When they got to the wake room Mick went to the bedside and proceeded to feel all over Mick’s face and caoined him ,  so to speak , in what must have been  an eerie if not biblical  fashion.



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Oh oh!!!!



Two Parent and Child Parking spaces at Lidl yesterday.

Willie Keane and William St. girls

By

On March 9, 2012

In Uncategorized


Last night I went to see Dancing at Lughnasa in St. Johns. It was an excellent night’s entertainment. It featured a brilliant ensemble cast, an amazing set and an enthralling play. If you can at all , do get to see it tonight tomorrow or Sunday nights.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I got an email from Willie Keane telling me about his father’s 100th birthday.

“We had a memorable day last Sat 3rd for my Dad’s 100th birthday . We had mass at 5.30 pm at our family home 76 Church St., Listowel where my father is looked after with such love & care by my sister Norita and her husband Christy..    It was a great day for our family of three girls Mary, Josephine , Norita & six boys, Paddy , John , Willie, Michael., Donal ( deceased 1952, killed on the road outside our home) & James our baby brother now retired. Also present were a host of his grandchildren & great grandchildren. My son Bill  with his son Liam, my Dad & myself  made up  four generations of Williams celebrating his 100th birthday. On the day I reflected on my great/ great Grandfather who was a child in the late 1840.  My Dad would have known him.

All I can say about my Dad is  told in one line from the Village Schoolmaster “ that one small head could carry all he knew”

My Dad is a very humble gentlemen.”

This is a photo of William Senior as a young man. The photo was taken outside the family business.

>>>>>>>>>>>

Willie Keane, Jr. is the same Willie who is organizing this:

XLChallenge
2012

This exciting event will take place on the
weekend of April 27th-29th 2012. Participants will climb
Ireland’s four highest mountains in just 3 days. The Challenge involves
climbing

·      
Mount Brandon, Co Kerry –
3,117ft

·      
Carrauntoohil, Co Kerry – 3,414
ft

·      
Galteemore, Co
Tipperary/Limerick – 3,015 ft

·      
Lugnaquilla, Co Wicklow – 3,039
ft

While this is a serious challenge, it is within
the reach of any reasonably fit person. There will be a number of training
events, including a climb of Purple Mountain in Kerry on March 10th.
Participants will pay their own expenses over the weekend. They are also asked
to raise funds to build a new school in Tanzania, East Africa.

Willie Keane is a native of Listowel, Co
Kerry now living in Nenagh, Co Tipperary. He is the main organiser of the
challenge. Willie has successfully organised two previous challenges. In 2007
he led a 10 day, 200km hike around Lough Derg. The following year he organised
the Munster Challenge which involved climbing to the highest point in each
Munster county over one weekend. Through these events Willie raised over
€100,000 which paid for a new Hospital Building “Ma Wa Hurma” (Our Lady of
Mercy) in Tanzania. 

There are still a number of places left on
the challenge. Full details are available on the website

www.XLChallenge.ie.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>


I took this photo yesterday in Spar




Yes, it’s shamrock. 

St Patrick’s Day can’t be too far away. Don’t forget NKRO’s dance in the Listowel Arms in the afternoon. 

And tonight the official launch of our website. Everyone is welcome in The Seanchaí at 7.00.


>>>>>>>>>>>>>


Now the real story can be told.


This is a photo of the girls and babies of Upper william St. The photo was taken at the door of St. Patrick’s Hall. St Patrick’s Hall was a male bastion and an absolutely no go area for girls. The boys and men were inside playing billiards and cards while the girls were locked out. Ironically this photo is now displayed inside the hall.

>>>>>>

It seems we are out of step again. We can’t get this Eurovision thing right. We go for youth when everyone else thinks its a contest for oldies.

“Russia has ignored established stars to choose a group of singing grandmothers from an obscure provincial village to represent the country at the 2012 Eurovision song contest.”

Or could it be that no body wants to win!!!

…………..

Today’s laugh

Inch, Co. Kerry       photo:Ronan Casey


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