Little Lilac Studio, The Lartigue, Tarbert,Beale long ago

Darkness falls over Ballybunion playground in July 2017

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Being a Tourist

When you live in Kerry people like to visit you in summer. I find it frees me up to be a tourist. I drop everything and take to the tourist trail; with my guests. Regular readers will be familiar with the places I love. One of these is Listowel's Lilac Studio.

My little ones love to indulge their creative impulses. They have many useful and decorative creations at home, souvenirs of happy days in this lovely little studio.

On this visit we ran into some really artistic little girls who were making memories with their very artistic granddad.

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We're on the Train

Another favourite spot to take my visitors is the Lartigue.

All aboard! Tony Behan was the volunteer guard on the afternoon of our visit.

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Tarbert Bridewell

The girls struck the same pose as the prisoner in the yard.

They briefly shared a cell with Mary McCarthy and they felt her pain as she and her infant were condemned to deportation for the crime of stealing cabbage to feed her starving children.

The children were horrified by the punishments doled out in the bridewell in years gone by.

These are my three little visitors as we set out down the ferry road in a mission to visit of fairies.

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Blessing of the Boats in Beale

Once upon a time the blessing of the boats in Beale was an important ceremony in the lives of the boatmen. Liam O'Hainnín and his family photographed this blessing and he shared these photos recently on Facebook

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A Change at Jerome Murphy's Corner

Regions I.T. and computer shop has relocated here from Church Street.

Then and now, What the papers said about Sive in 1959 and a new shop opening soon

Then and Now

Lighting Options 2007

All Regions Internet shop 2016

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Sive in the Papers in 1959

Journalists flocked to Listowel in 1959 to meet the real people who brought glory to the town by winning the All Ireland Drama prize with a play by an unknown local playwright.

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Where to get What if?

A while back I wrote about this book and its author. People since have asked me where they can get the book.
Sarah Murphy is a girl who believes in doing it for herself. She wrote, illustrated and published the book herself and you can buy it directly from her online in her Etsy shop  HERE.
It costs €9.99 plus postage.

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You Heard it Here First

Bailey & Co. is the new shop being planned for Listowel by one of the town's most stylish entrepreneurs, Danny Russell.

Danny has been slowly renovating the old Chutes Bar and now he knows what he wants to do with it. Bailey & Co. which is planned for August 2016 will be a (very) high end fashion destination. It will sell beautiful occasion wear for mother of the bride, bridesmaid, mother of the communicant or confirmandi, deb.,  racegoer, posh wedding guest or any occasion when a really special outfit is called for. Style advice will be available and Danny is recruiting a staff of kind, patient shop assistants.

Good news for the curvier ladies is that he will devote a whole floor to really stylish clothes in sizes 22 to 30.
Bailey & Co. will also stock underwear, millinery and accessories.

Danny has experience in the fashion industry as a stylist and he ran a model agency in the past. All of us who visit his hair salon, Changes or his Kerry Wig Clinic know that Danny has no airs and graces. He has that special knack of making everyone feel special. I wish him well in this new venture.
Watch this space for updates.

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History is Made

photo: Irish Examiner on Facebook

"29 TDs in the outgoing Dáil had family members who had a place in our lower house of parliament.

But siblings are rarer. In Irish history, there have been 26 sets of brothers and sisters, and 10 of them sat in Dáil Eireann at the same time.

What Michael and Danny Healy-Rae just achieved, however, is unprecedented. There has never before been a pair of siblings elected to the same Dáil, in the same constituency." (The Journal.ie)