Ballybunion, Malones of Church St., Ivy Soap and Listowel Drama Group's latest venture

photo: Ballybunion Prints

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All Washed Out

I never thought when I raised this subject that it would enthuse so many of my blog friends. Nicky Leonard found this old Sunlight advertisement;

Don't you love the "bachelor" hand washing his smalls, with his pipe in his mouth and wearing his good clothes. I think the implied message is that men only wash their own clothes when there is no woman to do it. They roll up the sleeves and tackle the washing while all the time maintaining their manly image by smoking and wearing a collar and tie.


More recent advertising maintained this image of women as the experts in the laundry field. These ads often featured a clipboard wielding man begging women to let him in on their laundry secret


Look what I found in my attic!

My name is Mary and I am a hoarder.


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Malone's Car Hire

Maria Sham send me this photo of a family outing to Killarney. She remembered that the driver was a man employed by Malone's of Church St.


Jim MacMahon, who is holidaying in Australia, spotted the photo and it brought back memories of Malone's hackney business and the drivers he remembers from his time living next door to Malones in Church St.


Jim writes, "The driver in the picture is either Micky Barry or Jimmy Lyons but unless my memory fails me its Micky….'

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Charles St., Listowel January 20 2016

The calm before the storm. In a few weeks you won't be able to see these poles for election posters. I'll keep you posted.

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Listowel Drama Group are off to the Drama Competitions

I received  the following from Cora O'Brien

BACK ON THE ROAD AGAIN!

After an interval of 36 years Listowel Drama Group returns to the festival circuit with their acclaim production of “Blithe Spirit” by Noel Coward.

Listowel Drama Group now in its 72^nd year has a proud tradition of participating at festivals since it was founded.  In the late 1940’s it was a regular visitor to the Kerry and Lord Cork Drama festivals despite a less then auspicious start in which one adjudicator advised the ladies and gentlemen of Listowel Dramatic Movement would be better advised if they would engage in a more productive way of passing the long Winter evening and suggested that they take up the art of “knitting”.  Fortunately this advice went unheeded and the Drama Group went on to achieve all Ireland success in both one act and three act competitions with such plays as “The Magic Glasses” and “Sive”.

However the group has not been seen at a festival since 1976 when they presented “The Couple Beggar” by Frank Moriarty produced by the late great Bill Kearney. 

The group are eagerly looking forward to the new challenge and both cast and stage crew are confident that they will acquit themselves with distinction and do Listowel proud.

Blithe Spirit is directed by Owen Mc Mahon and  Imelda Dowling. Imelda also takes a leading role.  She has been the driving force behind this bold move and states “we are anxious to find out where we are in terms of standards of acting and production and we are prepared for any praise or criticism from the various adjudicators as we feel it can only be for the good of the group and the development and raising of theatrical standards”.

The play will have a pre-festival run at St. Johns Theatre from Thursday the 11^th of February to Saturday the 14^th of February and this is an opportunity not to be missed by the Theatre going patrons of Kerry. 

Thereafter Listowel Drama Group festival dates are as follows :

1.     Knockaderry, County Limerick Friday 4^th March 2016.

2.     Scarrif, County Clare Saturday 5^th March 2016.

3.     Castleisland, County Kerry 12^th March 2016.

4.     Charleville, County Cork 13^th March 2016.

5.     Ending in Holy Cross, County Tipperary on Monday 14^th of March 2016.

Listowel Drama Group which has thrilled and entertained the audiences in Listowel for over seventy years deserves all the support it gets in its artistic endeavours and to ensure that THE STAGE SHALL NEVER DIE!.