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: Young Adult Book Fest 2018

Church Doors, Food Fair Craft Fair and the last of my Young Adult Bookfest 2018 photos

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On November 26, 2018

In Uncategorized

Gurtinard Wood

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Listowel Church Doors and a Window

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Old Homestead



This is a photograph taken in Duagh. It is part of the Duchas collection and the photographer is Caoimhín ODanachair

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Listowel Food fair 2018


Some more photographs of crafters that I took at this year’s craft fair on the Sunday of the Food Fair.

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Young Adult Bookfest 2018, November 15 2018


 In a packed programme full of inspirational speakers there was no one more inspirational then Joanne O’Riordan. Joanne was born with a condition called total amelia. She has no limbs.  She has just graduated from UCC with a degree in criminology. She is a sports fanatic and her ambition is to be a sport’s journalist. She knows lots of sportspeople including Kieran Donaghy and they all have the greatest respect for her.

Joanne shared the stage with Pat Falvey, another man who does not let anything thwart him from a path he has chosen.


Helping out on the day were Seán McCarthy, David Browne and Tom Dillon



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Seeking Irish Relatives

My name is Ken Duckett and I’m tracking a legacy of my mum and 19 1st cousins she received in the 1980’s/90’S from a Denis

Buckley, son of Edward Buckley and his wife Mary {Mai) Stack (married in New York). She was an aunt of my Mum’s (Kathleen Hanlon)

as Margaret (Madge Stack) was my grandmother and Patrick Hanlon my grandfather who farmed in Asdee.

So I’ve been trying to track down the families involved and one came up in your post in 2013. I’ve found by looking at Joseph Vincent 

Buckley 31st January I’ve been able to track the line of the family of six so far with sons/daughters and grandsons/granddaughters.

The parents have been identified in some of these posts as Michael Buckley and Nora (Nellie) Shine, however I cannot find records

For them in the usual places. That’s why I’m asking if you have any further information from members near to Listowel?

One other favour can you put me in touch with a local contact who I can purchase a copy of Asdee in the 1940’s/50’s I believe by 

a  Costelloe?

I enjoy your posts it keeps me in touch of my roots,

Thanks,

Ken

(If you can help Ken I have his email address)

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Things you Hear at the Hairdressers’



The following have not been checked by Storyful so could contain an element of Fake News.

We are soon to have an Olde Worlde Sweet Shoppe on Church Street.

A popular local hairdressers’ is soon to relocate to a gorgeous new premises.

Bailey and Co. is planning to extend its range to include “affordable fashion”.

Two Listowel retail businesses are to close their doors in the new year.

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Look Who ran into our Lizzie of Lizzie’s Little Kitchen?




Lizzie Lyons and Michael Parkinson were stars of Ireland am on Sunday No. 25 2018


North Kerry, Clounmacon boots, Eamon Kelly and Alison Spittle at the Young adult Bookfest 2018

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On November 23, 2018

In Uncategorized

St. John’s, Bryan MacMahon statue and Seanchaí



Entrance to Kerry Writers’Museum

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Visiting North Kerry


Patty Faley took these photos on her recent holiday.

The visitors  were disappointed to find Carrigafoyle Castle closed.

Patty took this on the way to Lislaughtin.

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Clounmacon and Boot wearing



From the schools folklore collection in Dúchas

“Some of people used not wear boots until they were eighteen or nineteen years long ago.”

Some of people used not wear boots until they were eighteen or nineteen years long ago. They used to work in the fields and in the dikes and the frost cracking under their feet. Jack Mahoney used never wear boots and he could walk on any thing and he would not feel it. he used to walk on bushes and on briars and he would not feel it.

Most of the children go barefoot in the summer but they put them on in the winter. They throw the water they use for washing wash their feet if they did not throw out the water after washing their feet they should get up in the middle of the night and throw it out.

Some people used to wear clogs locally. They used to wear them in the winter but they are not worn now at all.

There was a tannery in Listowel about three miles form here. The National Bank is now built where it stood. About fifty or sixty years ago brogues used be worn. They were made of cheap leather and stitched. In Listowel up near the top of church Street lived a man named Johnny the Cottoners or Johnny O’ Connor. He used make brogues and sell them at the big fair in Listowel and Abbeyfeale. In the same street lived two men named Mick 

the Nailer and Jacky the Nailer. They used make the heavy nails that were driven into the soles of the shoes.

Most shoemakers at that time used cut out the uppers themselves and sew them and the boots used hold a long time.

Collector- Martin Kennelly, Address  Dromin, Co. Kerry

Informant  John Shanahan- Age   69- Address,  Dromin, Co. Kerry

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More Local Doors


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A Seanchaí remembered at The Seanchaí



I took the two photos below at The Seanchí, Kerry Writers’ Museum. I grew up listening to Eamon Kelly on the radio. I was a child in pre TV times when people sat down and paid attention to the radio. My mother loved a good story and Eamon Kelly was far and away her favourite storyteller.

BryanMacMahon, John B. Keane and Eamon Kelly



Passing on the stories.


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Young Adult Bookfest 2018


On November 15 2018 over 800 North Kerry and West Limerick second level students gathered  in Listowel Community Centre for a great day of entertainment and education, organised by Listowel Writers’ Week.

Among the inspiring speakers was Edaein O’Connell.

Eilish and Máire met Alison Spittle at the centre.

Alison was a photographer’s dream, willingly posing for all my snaps, with Kay Halpin, Catherine Moylan, Seán Lyons and Joanne O’Riordan.

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1938 Ireland



This story, which I found shared on Twitter, falls into the category of truth stranger than fiction.

BnaM Peat Machine, Listowel Food Fair 2018, Bromore, more from the Y A Bookfest 2018 and R.I.P. Weeshie

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On November 22, 2018

In Uncategorized

Wintry Tree by the Feale

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Bord na Mona Sod Turning Machine

As we approach the end of the fossil fuel era, people are looking back at our relationship with peat and particularly with sod turf. The above picture from Tony McKenna is a 1960s sod turf turner. This machine made light work of that backbreaking job of turning every individual sod in order to dry it all round. It is pictured at work on a Bord na Mona bog, probably in the midlands.

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Craft Fair at Listowel Food Fair 2018



The craft and food fair in The Listowel Arms on Sunday November 11 2018 was a great place to visit.

This family took shelter in their car while they enjoyed their crepes .

Margaret and Mary did a great morning’s shopping at the fair.

Lovely Brona was offering us samples of the locally produced chocolate which bears her name.

After meeting these two bee keepers I’m beginning to think that beekeepers are among my favourite people. These two lovely men gave me a free sample of their organic honey and they gave me some seed bombs. These are “bombs’ made up of wildflower seeds which I will scatter in the wild for the bees and other pollinators to feed on.  It’s lovely to meet lovely people who are passionate about what they do.

Next door to my beekeepers was the lovely Orla with her mouthwatering cakes. The neighbours were getting on famously. They gave her honey and she gave them a Christmas pudding.

You meet such lovely people at craft fairs!

Maurice Hannon had enlisted the help of family to man his stall. He is your man for the gluten free Christmas baking. You will find Maurice at the Friday Market in The Square.

lisa and Rena were there promoting Lisa’s book, The Local Food Project. This project came about when Lisa got a wake up call when she purchased a sandwich at a local convenience store and discovered, to her horror,  that it had 40 listed ingredients. These ingredients came from all over the world. Lisa resolved there and then to try to eat just local food. I’m in the process of reading the book and it sure is food for thought. I highly recommend it. You may not go the whole hog but I guarantee you’ll look more closely at what you are eating.

If you are beginning to think that there was a lot of confectionery at the fair, you would be right.

As well as buns and cakes there was also natural gut friendly foods like Kefir.


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A Visitor’s Photos


Patty and John Faley took these photos on their visit to Listowel and North Kerry.

Here the visitors to Bromore encounter, Bart, Mike Flahive’s horse.

Patty Faley took these photos on her trip to Bromore Cliffs.

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Young Adult Bookfest 2018


Taking part in the panel discussion were Kieran Donaghy and Paddy Smyth.

Kieran discovered at 23 that he was dyslexic. This eventually explained to him why he struggled in school and found exams so difficult.

Journalist and Listowel native, Edaein O’Connell, also told us about her unusual career path to where she is today, in her dream job, writing for Image magazine.

Paddy Smyth has a huge online following. This is where he tells his story. You may also remember him from First Dates Ireland. He allowed himself to be persuaded that it would be good for his image. It certainly gained him a whole new audience.



 Then it was lunchtime and Super Valu, Lizzy’sand Cup and Kettle brought the mountain to Mohammed.

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The One and Only Weeshie



There is a saying that when an old man dies a library burns down.  Certainly Weeshie Fogarty’s passing is like the loss of a library.  Weeshie was a repository of knowledge and lore and he was generous in sharing it. He walked with kings yet kept the common touch. I have enjoyed all the memories and stories that have poured into social, broadcast and print media since he died.

Weeshie interviewed me in his “In Conversation with….” slot on Radio Kerry. He was a gentleman and a consummate professional. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

On the subject of media, why not tune in to my Just a Thought slot on Radio Kerry at 7.30 ish and 12.00 noon  ish every weekday next week., starting November  26 2018

Remembering dead soldiers, a U.S. visitor and Listowel Food Fair 2018 and Young Adult Book fest 2018

By

On November 21, 2018

In Uncategorized

Painting: Sharon O’Sullivan shared on Facebook

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Remembering Dead Soldiers


Church of Ireland folk were way better than us Catholics at centralising their war dead in their churches. Even though we held the same belief that there was something holy about giving your life for your country, we tended not to celebrate the war dead in our churches but in public monuments and memorials.

 In St. Mary’s in Killarney

 in Macroom, Co. Cork

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A frequent Visitor Returns with family


Conor and Samantha with Mike Flahive of Bromore when they visited the cliff walk.


Patty and John Faley love Listowel and North Kerry and they visit often. On this visit they were accompanied by their son, Conor and his girlfriend, Samantha. 

The Florida visitors suffered a bit in our cold weather but all in all the holiday was a success and here are the photographs to prove it.

 They stayed in MacMahon House and Patty took this photo from the window.

 Listowel Castle

Main Street

St. John’s

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Listowel Food Fair 2018



A highlight of the annual food fair is the Food Trail. The word is out that this is a super gig and on Saturday Nov. 10 2018 so many of us showed up for the trail that we had to split into two groups and take two trails. My trail went to Jumbos, John B. Keane’s and Lizzy’s Little Kitchen. Both trails started in The Listowel Arms.

Lots of local ladies enjoyed the food trail.

Patrice set us all off to  great start at The Listowel Arms.

In Jumbo’s Damien served us some delicious burgers. He buys his poultry from Larry Buckley so very few food miles here.

The lighting in John B.’s wasn’t great for photographs but the food and the craic were mighty. Now John B.’s is not a place known for its food but for Listowel Food Fair 2018 Billy enlisted the services of local chef, David Mulvihill, so, ironically, in a premises not known for food we got some of the best food of the trail. While we munched, Billy entertained us with his “Atin House” story. Such was the generosity of our host that everyone in the pub, regardless of whether they were on the food trail or not, was treated to some delicious Leah’s black pudding on apple purée.  Then we washed it all down with some delicious craft beers….all part of the deal,

Like last year’s trip to Mike the Pies, the pub stop proved to be the surprise hit of the day.

It was no surprise that Lizzy Lyons served us up some delicious fare in he little kitchen restaurant. Rice pudding is her family’s comfort food of choice for generations.

She also served us Bailey’s hot chocolate. This was new to me but I’ll definitely be having it again.

Here is Lizzy after a hard day slaving in her restaurant on Saturday Nov. 10 2018.

Here is Lizzy later on the same day. She is all dressed up for the Gala dinner at which she received a well deserved local food hero award.

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Older Adults at Young Adult Bookfest 2018


Writers Week helpers, Jim Dunn, Eilish Wren, Sinead Mc Donnell and Maria McGrath

Ensuring the day ran smoothly were Bernie Carmody, Eilish Wren, Catherine Moylan, Mike Lynch and Rhona Tarrant.



Above Listowel and below Tralee teachers

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