Friday 31 January 2020

A Minute of Your Time, Listowel Courthouse Plaza and Turf Cutting


Walking in The Regional Park, Ballincollig in January 2020



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St. Bridget, Muire na nGael



These are actually Wren boys but in the same tradition of mumming Biddie boys traditionally came round at the feast of St. Bridget on February 1 bringing with them a Biddy or effigy of St. Bridget.

Her cross woven from rushes was thought to protect against fire.

There was an old proverb that predicted good weather until St. Patrick's Day
Gach re lá breá ó mo lást amach

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The Courthouse Plaza in January 2020

Listowel Courthouse




New seating in front of the courthouse


Arás an Phiarsaigh with new planting in the foreground


Listowel Public Library


New planting and seats outside the library


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Another Kerry Winner in Dublin this Weekend




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More Photos from my Book Launch



From Dunmanway, a friend from my schooldays, Elizabeth McCarthy


We three; with Geraldine O'Connor and Bridget O'Connor


Jerry and Annette



Hannah Mulvihill


Helen Lane McPhillips


The best neighbour and friend any one could have, Helen Moylan


Helena Halpin and  Sheila Horan


Jimmy Deenihan


Jimmy Hickey


Joan Kenny


Joe Murphy


John and Tina Kinsella

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Definitely not Lyre


Remember this poor man cutting turf. I posted this photo last week and I didn't know on what bog it was taken.  I got this response from Joe and Kay in Lyreacrompane.

Great photo Mary but not Lyreacrompane. Bord na Mona cut only machine turf in Lyreacrompane and also the horizontal style of sleán cutting was never used in Lyre.  The Lyre style is displayed by Kate Ahearn from California in this photo. Kate and her father Bob had discovered their roots in Lyreacrompane and while on a visit, a few years ago, joined our annual Dan Paddy Andy Bog Walk which always includes a chance to try out cutting turf in the old style.
Joe and Kay in Lyreacrompane



Thursday 30 January 2020

Sextons, A Minute of Your Time and a Writers' Week memory


Kerry County Library, Listowel Branch


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Changes at Sextons


This well known William Street facade is changing. The overhanging canopy is gone.

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More Photos from St. John's at the launch of A minute of Your Time


A lovely former pupil and now teacher herself, Julieaane Galvin.


Support from the North Cork contingent, Breeda, Margaret and Gael


Kay Landy


Keelin Kissane, former pupil and chair of the Dublin Kerry association


Anne Darby and her nephew, Killian Cogan


Lily Nolan


From Kanturk, a stalwart of Kanturk Arts Festival and friend, Lisa Egan


Lisa Whelan


Liz Dunne


Madeleine O'Sullivan


Máire Logue


Margaret O'Connell


From Galway, my old friend, Margaret O'Sullivan


From Kildare and Castlelyons,  a loyal friend, Margo Spillane


Doreen came from Ballyduff to buy a book for her sister in England


Marie Lucid



Mary Catherine Sheahan


Mary Dillon


Mary Fagan


Mary and Mairead meeting Cora


Another old friend and former colleague, Mary O'Connor


Clíona's Kildare family who now regard Listowel as their second home, Tony and Mary McKenna

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A Writers' Week Memory

I'm still welcoming memories or photos of Listowel Writers' Weeks past. Here his a lovely memory all the way from sunny South Carolina

I’m Robert Koch, the husband of Maeve Moloney of Skehenerin. We are retired and live in Columbia, South Carolina. I read your Listowel Connection regularly, as does Maeve, and she explains to me all the details about people and places in her beloved Listowel. 

I want to relate to you my fondest recollection of Writers Week. We attended Writers Week events in the 1970s and 1980s during our visits with our two sons to Maeve’s parents from our home in Washington D.C.  My fondest recollection relates to a conversation Maeve and I and the children had with the well-known, now deceased, Offaly-born, professor and literary critic, Vivian Mercier. 

During the 1960s in NewYork I had met and studied under Professor Mercier, but I had not seen him again until his appearance at Writers Week circa 1980. The moderator who introduced him mentioned that Dr. Mercier had retired from his professorial position with the University of California at Santa Barbara and that he and his wife, the well-known Irish novelist and author of children’s books, Eilis Dillon, were living in London and Dublin.

 At the conclusion of his presentation, I reintroduced myself to him and introduced him to Maeve and our sons.  Much to my surprise and pleasure, he actually remembered me! We talked for several minutes about our lives, and he was very much the friendly down-to-earth conversationalist with Maeve and the children. 

I then remarked how the climate in Santa Barbara was so lovely-warm and sunny- that I wondered how he could have possibly abandoned living there. At that point his demeanor changed. He became very professorial, pointing at me with his index finger, and he said what I have never forgotten and have been ever heedful of since: “Yes, but what about the intellectual climate.” “Enough said”, remarked Maeve, and we all smiled, talked for a few minutes more, and then parted.

Wednesday 29 January 2020

Ballybunion, Launch of a minute of Your Time and a Mad Shoemaker

Sanctuary, St. Mary's, Listowel




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Ballybunion's old toilet building is Demolished



Photo: Danny McDonnell

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What a Night!

If you're getting a bit tired of photographs from the launch of A Minute of Your Time, you'll have to help me out. I knew that material for this blog would eventually wear thin and that time has come. I'm struggling to find something to share with you every day so if you have any material that would be of interest to people with a Listowel connection, do help me out please.

Meanwhile here are some more of Breda Ferris' photos from October 19 2019


Liz Dunne


My lovely neighbour, Michael Salmon


Mike Moriarty


Miriam Kiely OGrady


Some more lovely neighbours and former neighbours, Alice, Eileen and Eddie Moylan


Namir, Kay and Roza Karim


Nancy


Noreen O'Connell


From Ballyduff and New York, John, Bridget and Pádraig O'Connor


A great supporter of Just a Thought, Pam Brown


Pat Murphy and Vincent Carmody


Pat Galvin


Pat Given



My only brother, Pat Ahern


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A Wintry Walk


Nothing beats Ballybunion on a clear day.

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Only a Few Weeks left


This photo of Namir Karim and Michael Dillane was taken in Flavins just before Christmas. Sadly all that stock is now sold off and there remains but a few last bits and pieces before Joan locks up for the last time, closing the door on an important chapter in Listowel's history.

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Shoemaking In Listowel Long Ago

From Dúchas, the Schools' Folklore Collection

About fifty years ago in Listowel in addition to men making boots there was also men who used to make cheap brogues or low shoes. Every time there would be a fair in Abbeyfeale they would take an ass load of these brogues to the fair and sell them in the fair just as people sell second hand clothes now. The best known one of those was called Johnny the bottoner (O Connor) a brother to famous Patsy. Patsy used work hard making brogues up to the time of the fair. On that night he would be mad drunk. Most of the houses at the top of church street at this time were thatched houses. Patsy would roll home about midnight and break most of the windows up on his end of the street. He would take the road the following morning and would not come back again till things were forgotten again. These brogues were stitched by the hand but at that time the shoemakers used work by "lamplight" and often worked well after midnight.

COLLECTOR
W. Keane
Gender
male
Address
Listowel, Co. Kerry
INFORMANT
Mrs M. Keane
Gender
female
Address
Listowel, Co. Kerry