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: Vincent O’Brien

Santa, Carol Singing and the launch of A Book and cd of Kerry Songs of the Revolution

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On December 20, 2018

In Uncategorized

A Christmas Photo from 2016




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Carol Singing

Photo: Scoil Realt na Maidine

Boys entertaining shoppers at Garvey’s Super Valu Listowel last week.

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A Story that tells how Times have changed in a Picture

Extra public phonebooks being installed in Dublin for the Eucharistic Congress of 1932

“All’s changed, changed utterly”

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Their Memory Will Endure


On Saturday evening, December 15 2018, I attended another launch of an extraordinary Kerry book. This is a project compiled by Gabriel Fitzmaurice and Pádraig Ó Concubhair.  We got a book and a cd for €20 . In the book and on the cd we have songs commemorating events of the wars in Kerry from 1916 to 1924. This was a particularly violent divisive and bloody time in our county’s history, a period that is not much talked of nowadays, probably because of the very bitter rifts that occurred in communities and even in families

Here are some of the people who attended the launch which was done by Dr. Declan Downey.

 Gabriel was kept busy signing books. Padraig couldn’t be present.

Vincent Carmody, David Browne and Gabriel Fitzmaurice

As you can see there were many well known faces among the attendance.

Karen Trench is one of the singers featured on the cd.

David Browne introduced Declan Downey who officially launched the package.

This man rendered his ballad in a mellow mature voice.

Gabriel Fitzmaurice is himself a well known balladeer. For this project he took on the mantle of that great collector of Kerry ballads, Bryan MacMahon.

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A Nebraska Parish with  a Listowel Connection




We’re a bit late with this one but it’s worth celebrating.

St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church in Omaha celebrated 100 years in 2017. Marie Neligan alerted me to the connection with her Listowel family.

“Founded in 1917 as a mission of St. Patrick Parish in Elkhorn, the parish’s first pastor, Father David Neligan, celebrated St. John’s first Mass on Christmas in its original church – a former Baptist church, purchased and moved to the parish site by an early parishioner, John Zeis Sr.” 

Source: The Catholic Voice

Fr. David was born in Listowel. He was Marie’s uncle. Here is what she told me about him;

The first pastor at this church Fr, David Neligan, born and raised in Listowel said the first mass at this church when it opened on Christmas Day 1917. David was my uncle and was ordained at All Hallows’ on June 23rd 1912 and assigned to Omaha, Nebraska. He was buried there at the tender age of 33.

Cruinniú na Cásca 2017

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On April 18, 2017

In Uncategorized

Writers’ Week and The Seanchaí do Cruiniú na Cásca 2017



Monday April 17 2017 and we, in Listowel, were privileged to make a piece of history. We took part in the first annual Easter Monday 1916 commemorative event.

Photo: Eilish Stack

In the town park another piece of history was being made. The politicians were attending the official opening of the 1916 commemorative garden. I would have loved to be there as I have watched this beautiful space develop week by week and I really love it. 

I chose instead to go the literary route and take a walk by the river with Gabriel Fitzmaurice and other poets, singers and thespians.

We started at The Seanchaí. When I arrived at 10.45 the early birds were already arriving.

I was greeted at the door by Liz Dunne, chair of Listowel Writers’ Week and Máire Logue

Gabriel Fitzmaurice, our guide, was ready to start.

We started with a dramatic interlude from Vincent and Evangeline, two of the best interpreters of the work of John B. Keane, even though they are Limerick rather than Kerry actors. They are more Kerry than the Kerry people themselves.

There was a large and very appreciative attendance.

Owen MacMahon had the audience in the palm of his hand as we paused for a while on the bank go The Feale.

David Browne gave a spine chilling rendition of the songs of Carthalawn from John B.’s Sive.

 Even the younger members of the audience were enthralled.

We walked along the river walk and under the big bridge to where Mickey McConnell and Billy Keane were waiting to entertain us.

Then it was on to the Garden of Europe and more songs and drama. Evangeline and Vincent had us in stitches with a scene from Big Maggie. Owen sang a song of peace from Gary MacMahon.

At the graveyard, Claire Keane sang, Paddy MacElligott performed and a trio of singers and dancers entertained us.

On to the 1916 commemorative garden with its newly unveiled plaque.

Then back to The Seanchaí. Job done.

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