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: Tarbert Page 2 of 5

Flowers, Crime and Punishment, Plastic at Glastonbury and Launch of the Dualist

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On July 4, 2019

In Uncategorized

Carmody’s Corner in June 2019

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Floral Listowel


Everyone is making a big effort with the flowers for summer 2019. Here are a few lovely displays in town right now.

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Justice


This is Tarbert Bridewell where I was on Saturday learning about crime and punishment in the 19th century.


The following story from the papers will make you glad we live in a more compassionate age.

Leinster Express 1831

EXECUTION.—On Saturday last Patrick and Bridget Howe were executed in front of the county jail Ennis, for the murder of the late Mr. Arthur O’Donnell, of Knock. Neither of them made any public confession of their guilt; and the wretched man was so overcome by the fear of death, that It was necessary to assist him up the ladder to the drop. The woman, on the other hand appeared quite firm and resolute, and endeavoured to cheer her brother by saying that it would be all over In a few minutes. An immense concourse of people assembled.—
Clara Journal.

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Glastonbury….The Price!


These pictures have appeared online  in the days after the Glastonbury Music Festival. It was a plastic free zone!



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Anna Guerin, the next Don O’Neill?

Don O’Neill is the biggest clothes designer to come out of Kerry in a while, but I think Listowel may have raised someone to rival him.

Anna Guerin launched her Donegal Tweed collection, The Dualist, in Brown Thomas on July 2 2019.

Here are a few photos from last Sunday’s Sunday Business Post article but I’m hoping for more exclusive snaps in the next few days.

Anna in her studio

Seán McCarthy Weekend, Queen’s Old Castle/Dealz, Pitch and Putt, Sand Art and A Dresser

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On July 2, 2019

In Uncategorized

A June Wedding

June is high season for weddings. I attended a lovely wedding in Cork on June 21st. The beautiful bride is a cake maker. Her own was a triumph.

Wedding favours when you are from Midleton

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The Late Great Seán McCarthy

This is Peggy Sweeney’s songbook. Peggy is the acknowledged best interpreter of a McCarthy song.

Peggy is on the far right in this photo with her sister and her sister in law.

Sean McCarthy was born in 1923 in Sandes’ Bog outside Listowel. He was one of ten children. His was a poor but happy family. His house was always filled with music and singing. It was in the U.S to where he emigrated, that Sean developed his gift for writing and composing. His early childhood in Listowel and his friendship with Bryan MacMahon, who recognised him from the start as a having a special gift, had sown the seeds of a great writing career. He wrote many ballads, poems, books for children, humorous essays and many articles for The Kerryman. His soft Kerry voice was familiar to listeners to Sunday Miscellany for many years. He contributed to many many TV and radio programmes.

He is commemorated every year in Finuge at the festival that bears his name. Find out details of this year’s weekend on their Facebook page

Sean McCarthy Memorial Weekend

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Spotted in Cork

How the mighty have fallen. I remember it when it was The Queen’s Old Castle.

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A Few Photos from the Munster Championship

Listowel Pitch and Putt course looked splendid for the big competition.

The scamp on the right told me he was playing. He wasn’t.

This local player was playing alright.

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Fun New Event in Ballybunion


( Photos from Wild Atlantic Way, Ballybunion sand art events on Facebook)



A new record for a new event; the most people doing the same sand art picture at the same time. The record which stands at 207 will, no doubt, be broken before the summer is over.

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An Old Dresser



Do you remember when every kitchen had one of these or one very like it?

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Tarbert’s 1916 Memorial



The streets of Castleisland, Faction fights in the 1800s and John Coolahan remembered

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On May 10, 2019

In Uncategorized

Tidy Town announcement;

President Michael D. Higgins is coming to unveil the Tidy Town Plaque on Saturday May 25 2019.

the Tidy To

Kingfisher by Philip Blair for Irish Wildlife Photography Competition

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Tarbert Honours One of It’s Own



Last weekend at the start of the Cuckoo Walking Festival the people of Tarbert came out in force to the unveiling of a memorial plaque to the late great educationalist, John Coolahan

(photos; Tarbert.ie)



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Castleisland …a Town in Transition


I saw more than one of these signs on my walk around Castleisland

Charity shops in prime locations are usually an indicator that rents are cheap. Castleisland has a lot of charity shops.

The irony! the tricolour flies at The Crown Hotel.

There are some lovely well kept shops side by side by so many derelict buildings.

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Faction Fights (from the schools folklore project)


On the 13th of May fair in Listowel some time previous to 1830. some Magheragh men (Ballyduff, Causeway, Ballyheigue, Killanhan, etc) were selling potatoes. A discussion arose as to the comparative merits of the potatoes between the Magheragh men and the cúl-na-lín (Culeen near Listowel) men. The discussion ended in a fight, where the Magheragh men got off the worst as they wouldn’t have the backing in Listowel that the others had. At the Whit Monday fair in Ardfert the fight was renewed. Practically every man in North Kerry took one side or another and for years after whenever people assembled at fair or market on Sunday after mass the fight was renewed.

The biggest fight of all took place at (Ballyduff) Ballyeigh on the 24th June 1834. The North Kerry race meeting was then held in Ballyeigh Strand (opposite the Cashen School) but was eventually transferred to Listowel (1870). The races were held on the

right hand side of the River Cashen on the strand where the school is now and when some of the combatants tried to escape by crossing the river in boats and swimming, they were attacked by their opponents with stones, bottles, stick and so on at the left side of the river. A terrible fight ensued in which about thirteen people were drowned and very many injured.
As far as I know there was only one man arrested for it, a well to do man named Leahy of Ballinorig near Causeway. Many others went on the run but were never arrested. He was tried and sentenced to be transplanted to Freemantle.
For threequarters of a century afterwards the people in this district and in North Kerry generally recorded events from the year the boat was drowned” or from the night of the big wind”. After the tragedy the faction fight slackened and died down and the famine helped to put an end to it altogether.
Even some old people take pride in the fact that their ancestors took one side or the other in the faction.

COLLECTOR
Murtie Dowling
Gender
male
INFORMANT
Denis Lawlor
Gender
male
Address
Causeway, Co. Kerry
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May

LANGUAGE
English

Hospice Walk 2019, Rás Mumhan and Molly is in the Doghouse

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On April 22, 2019

In Uncategorized

Calvary in Mallow

I took this photo in the grounds of Mallow church in Holy Week 2019





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Hospice Walk



In glorious weather on Friday April 19 2019 a big crowd turned out to walk the walk. This annual fund raising walk for The Irish Kerry Hospice is organised with the help of the O’Connor family in memory of Eamon O’Connor of Mike the Pies. Each year it goes from strength to strength. Well done all.

Photos from Mike the Pies and Edel O’Connor’s Facebook posts

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Tarbert Walk


Big turnout for the Good Friday Hospice Walk in Tarbert too

And they had a soup kitchen too

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Rás Mumhan in Listowel



April 20 2019




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The Dog Who Ate Milkman

You’ve heard of the dog who ate the homework, the dog who ate the car keys and lots of dogs who eat postmen.

Our Molly would probably eat all of the above but her worst offence in my eyes was she chewed Milkman. This copy of Milkman was not my own. It belongs to the library. It has a long waiting list of readers queueing to borrow it. I was the first person to whom it was issued.

There she is looking all innocent in the protection of one of the people who love her unconditionally.

Milkman is a brilliant book in case you were wondering and this copy is still readable

AND

 Molly is now forgiven.

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April Horse fair, The Kindness of Friends and St. Senan’s Well

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On April 16, 2019

In Uncategorized

Celtic crosses in St. Michael’s  Cemetery, Listowel

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It’s a Good Day When

Your friend brings you scones, just because…….

A U.S. friend sends a card to say she appreciates what you do.

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I wasn’t the only one taking photos at the horse fair. I ran into Steve and Helena on Market Street.

 sellers, buyers and some of the goods and animals for sale on April 4 2019

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Spotted on a Listowel Window


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St. Senan’s Well


Tarbert School collection. Nora Scanlon Dooncaha.

Our Holy Wells

There is a well in Tarmons known as St. Senan’s. It is in the corner of Buckley’s field in Ballintubber.

This well is not deep and a stream flows out of it. Always in the month of May people pay rounds at this well on every Saturday of the month.

This is how people pay rounds. People pick up seven pebbles out of the stream and then kneel down at the well and start reciting the Rosary. Then they start at the right hand side of the well and walk slowly all round reciting a decade of the Rosary while going round. At the end of each decade they throw one pebble away. Then when the seventh round is paid they kneel down and finish the Rosary. Then they take three drinks out of the well and wash their faces at the stream. Then they usually tie a piece of string on an overhanging bush. It is said that according as the cloth wears away the disease wears off the patient.

It is called St. Senan’s well because it was St. Senan who blessed its waters. From the well you can see the ruins of seven churches and round tower in Scattery built by St. Senan.

There are no fish in the well and the water is not used for household purposes. Once a woman went to fill her kettle at the well. She forgot to bring a vessel with which to fill her kettle. She left her kettle at the well and went back for a saucepan. When she returned the well had disappeared and the bush with it. It went from the top of the hill to the side where it is now.

Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

Collector- Bernadette O’ Sullivan- Informant Gerald O Sullivan, Age 60, Address, Tarbert, Co. Kerry

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