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: Up the Kingdom

Adare, London Irish and Dispute resolved in Emly in 1877 and Up the Kingdom lyrics

Photo:  Ita Hannon

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Adare, a Picturesque Village



Adare  is a beautiful village of thatched cottages, stylish shops and great restaurants.



These cottages are being rebuilt and will soon be returned to their former glory.

If this sign was in Kerry, people would be citing it as a Kerry joke.

Contrasting new and old thatched roofs.


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London Irish Centre 2017

Dermot O’leary is a big star on British TV. He has never forgotten his Irish roots and he visits the London Irish Centre often. He is its patron. They shared these pictures from a recent visit on their Facebook page.

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Freeman’s Journal (Australia)  1877


Catholic Archbishop Leahy issued a pastoral denouncing the Three-year-old and the Four-year-old factions in the parish of Emly, County Limerick. Since then it appears there has been a mission of Redemptorist Fathers sent down to the district, followed by a visit from the Archbishop himself, who so worked upon the impressible population that the two factions met in chapel, took the sacrament together, and in a wild burst of enthusiasm clasped each other by the hand, renounced all their ancient feuds, and vowed they would never so much as pronounce the offensive words more. 

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The GAA Family



My grandchildren are members of Ballincollig GAA. I have a renewed respect for this organisation. Recently I attended an Under 8 camogie game and it was a lesson in sportsmanship, enjoyment and sheer hard work. I watched the coaches, referees and helpers give freely of their spare time to teach these little girls valuable lessons.

While these under eights have a concept of team, they have no concept of rivalry. My little full back chatted and played with her “marker” whenever the sliotar was at the other end.

No one keeps a score and every half attempt at striking the ball is praised to the heavens.

“Hurley down” was the constant exhortation since only ground hurling is allowed at this level. The coach cum referee, cum mentor cum Daddy was infinitely patient and encouraging.

Here he is giving the team pep talk.

At the end everyone troops by and shakes everyones hand. No one won or lost and they all had a great time in the open air among friends.

Well done the GAA.

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Up The Kingdom



In response to a request, here are the words of Up the Kingdom. I can confirm that it was written by Cormac O’Leary, a fact that seems to have been forgotten over time.

Up the kingdom is the cry of every girl and boy,

To every Kerry heart both young and old;

To the kingdom we’ll be true

and to dear old Ireland, too,

Up the kingdom, may God bless

the Green and Gold.

Sons and daughters of
the Gael,

come and listen to my tale,

Of a kingdom that is held in high renown;

It’s the place that they call Kerry,

Where there’s not a care nor worry,

From the highest hilltop to the smallest town.

Up the kingdom is the cry of every girl and boy,

To every Kerry heart both young and old;

To the kingdom we’ll be true

and to dear old Ireland, too,

Up the kingdom, may God bless

the Green and Gold.

There’s a rumour up in
heaven,

said a scholar of religion,

That a Kerry man composed

the great Lord’s Prayer;

For when he wrote, Thy kingdom come,

His will has well been done,

There’s Kerry men and women everywhere.

Up the kingdom is the cry of every girl and boy,

To every Kerry heart both young and old;

To the kingdom we’ll be true

and to dear old Ireland, too,

Up the kingdom, may God bless

the Green and Gold.

Oh, they say that Sam
Maguire

he is getting very tired,

Of his yearly trip from Dublin to Listowel;

If you’re after football honour,

Well, the ones you have to conquer,

Will be fifteen men dressed up in Green and Gold.

Up the kingdom is the cry of every girl and boy,

To every Kerry heart both young and old;

To the kingdom we’ll be true

and to dear old Ireland, too,

Up the kingdom, may God bless

the Green and Gold.

Up the kingdom is the cry of every girl and boy,

To every Kerry heart both young and old;

To the kingdom we’ll be true

and to dear old Ireland, too,

Up the kingdom, may God bless

the Green and Gold.

Up the kingdom, may God bless

the Green and Gold.

And if you want to hear it one more time, here are Sarah and Elizabeth Marince giving it welly.

Up the Kingdom

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We have a Winner



We may have lost the football but…..




Listowel native, Declan McCarron on the podium. This weekend he won the Dutch Open Pitch and Putt 2017 in Friesland, Holland.

Horse chestnut tree, Knockanure Vintage Day 2017, Ballybunion and the Florida Rose in Town

Lovely Kerry Bridge

Photo; Ita Hannon

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Magnificent Listowel Horse chestnut Tree




This beautiful tree is located at the gate of Gaelscoil Lios Tuathail.

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Knockanure Vintage Day 2017

Sunday August 20 was the date chosen for the annual Vintage Day in Knockanure. It must have been one of the worst days of a summer memorable for bad days. However a few brave souls ventured abroad and of these Elizabeth Brosnan and Jer took a few photos.

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Hydrangeas at Coláiste na Ríochta

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Upper Church Street

At the corner by Ballygologue Road

St Michaels’ College

I met these lovely girls after their summer camp in Listowel.

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A Blustery Day in Ballybunion 

While I had my two lovely boyeens with me for their Kerry holiday we decided to brave The Cliff Walk on a day so windy it was fit for little else but walking.

The windswept boys viewed the incoming clouds.

We encountered a band of brave souls coming in the opposite direction. They were the U.S branch of the Kissane family who were in town for their clan gathering.

We could watch sea erosion at work before our eyes.

We briefly sheltered in this shepherds’ cottage.

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Up the Kingdom


Elizabeth with her Rose of Tralee escort.



Elizabeth with her mom, Mary Kay and her sister Sarah



At a reception in The Seanchaí, Listowel on August 23 2017 Sarah and Elizabeth Marince, granddaughters of the late Tom O’Donoghue of Tanavalla and Pittsburg sang his favourite song

Up The Kingdom





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