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

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

Preparing for Christmas 2017, Marie Shaw and a Wedding in Germany and Painted Ladies in John B.s

Two St. Johns'

St. John's Tralee

St. John's Listowel

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Looking Forward to Christmas 2017

Great things are planned for Listowel at Christmas 2017

Local elves have been at work preparing a surprise for us all. The polar express will bring Santa into town this year and he and Mrs. Claus will meet North Kerry Children at the Lartigue Museum.

Keep an eye out for updates on this page;  North Pole Express

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Marie Shaw remembers her Christmas in Listowel in the 1950s

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A Wedding in Germany with a Listowel Connection

This is Mary Sobieralski of Listowel pictured with her son Mark on the morning of his wedding.

Mary loves Listowel where she spent her youth and happy years of retirement with her late husband, Wolf. But Mary's smile is broadest when she is in the company of her lovely sons and their families in Germany. This photo of Mary's family was taken later on on the day of Mark's wedding.

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A Most unusual fundraiser in John B.s (text and photos by Mattie Lennon)

Mattie Lennon sends us this account of a great night in John B. Keane's Bar, Listowel.

Billy Keane and Mattie Lennon in John B.s

BILLY KEANE AND THE (BRAVE) PAINTED LADIES.

By Mattie Lennon.

Good painters imitate nature. (Cervantes.)

Hard to argue with that but some painters  tell the story of the most poignant aspects of nature.

   John B. Keane’s pub in Listowel has been home to ventures various and unusual in the past half century but on Thursday 12^th October there was a new departure.   There are two body-painting events organised (for Dublin and Cork) during November, by  Bare-to-Care,  to raise awareness of breast cancer.  Ken Hughes and Eimear Tierney came to Billy Keane with an idea for a publicity event; breast painting!  Three brave women volunteered to bare all.  Ann-Marie Quigley who travelled from Portrush,  Bex Tolan originally from Donegal  and Siobhan Heapes from Cork all had had serious health issues.  All three women spoke honestly and openly about their   terrible experiences.   Anna had a double mastectomy and her partner, Jade, died from ovarian cancer in 2008.  Bex won’t ever be able to have children because of previous painful medical conditions and Siobhan Heapes had breast and ovarian cancer.

  Billy Keane is an established author and one of our great Irish journalists.  His writing, about his own life, has, in my opinion, saved lives.  With Billy the devilment is always close to the surface and while Ken Hughes was the event organiser Billy opened proceedings on the night with, “I want to make a clean breast of this.” 

   Three artists, Stephanie Power, Ruth McMorrow and Ciara Patricia Langan, in the words of Billy Keane,”Formed a bond with the human canvasses.”      

   Tennyson wrote of how,” . . .blind and naked ignorance delivers crawling judgements unashamed . . ”  

    “Naked” and “ignorance” were side by side in John B’s on 12^th October; One couple got up and left. The female said to Billy, “What would your mother  and father think of this? They are turning in their graves. “  I know what Billy’s parents, who both died of cancer,  would think.  They would think that thank God they had reared a son who is doing something to highlight that dreadful disease.  There was certainly no whirring sound in Listowel cemetery that night .  John B. and Mary were not spinning in their graves.  And Billy Keane was too well reared   to reply to such an ignorant comment.

    Bare to Care Dare will take place in Cork on Saturday November 11th and in Dublin on Saturday November 18th. Hundreds of women will come together to celebrate their bodies, their breasts and above all to support each other. To tell their own cancer survival stories. To be proud and celebrate their new post mastectomy or reconstructed breasts. To lighten their spirits while going through treatment right now. To tick something off their bucket list. To laugh and have fun, to share and to support. Those that have lost loved ones to cancer will bare all in memory, to show their thanks to the support the Irish Cancer Society give every day to thousands of women all over the country.

   Eimear Tierney, Spokesperson   told me, “From our perspective, we were thrilled that Billy agreed to get on board with the charity and publicize our campaign. We were elated when he suggested a promotional event in John B's. It's hard to describe the atmosphere and spirit of giving and camaraderie that Billy created that night. Not only did he manage to raise awareness and promote the campaign, he and the guest performers  captured the whole ethos of Bare to Care. The volunteer canvasses were made to feel brave, beautiful and vital by every person that attended the event. He promoted our Bare to Care events as planned but he also provided a safe space for the girls to share their stories and celebrate their womanhood and survival.   We are in awe of Bill's talent and generosity and we couldn't possibly have found a more worthy and appropriate advocate for what we are trying to achieve with these events. We hope that it has inspired women to be brave and register for one of our two events.” (Eimear may be contacted at; hello@baretocare.info)

 Anna-Marie had an eagle painted on her front but not everyone knew.  One woman asked, “Where did she get that beautiful top with the eagle on it?”  Of course she was in Kerry so the answer came like a shot, “Penney’s.”  Where would you get it.

I’ll leave the last word to Billy Keane, “  I learned a lot over the last few weeks. There is so much going on in women’s  bodies.  We need a national conversation, education and more  bare, brave ladies.” 

   Billy insists that the pole in the centre of the bar is there to support the roof and there will be no pole-dancing in the future!

 There was no turning in graves

Some Listowel People, Ballybunion Sea Rescue, Olive Stack's Gallery and Nora Relihan in John B.s

Moon over Béal

 photo: Ita Hannon

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Kilburn in the Sixties

This photo from Twitter will bring back memories to many readers. Kilburn in London was one of the biggest Irish emigrant haunts in the early part of the 20th century. The weekend visit to the dancehall was the highlight of the week for many hard working emigrants.

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Mike Enright of Ballybunion took a few photos of Ballybunion Sea and Cliff Rescue personnel on a practice manoeuvre in May 2016.

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The Kerry Parents and Friends benefit night on May 11 2016 was a great success. Local people gave their talents to fashion a great night's entertainment and Listowel people came out to support them.

Below are just a small few of the local people who were present on the night.

DVDs of the films shown on the night are available to purchase in St. John's.

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Not today nor Yesterday

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Window Shopping at Olive Stack's Gallery

Olive's visiting artists are really producing some lovely work while they are here.

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Nora Relihan in John NB.s

For one night only in John B. Keane's on Thursday May 19 2016, Listowel's best actress reprised a one woman show she first put together for a Sunday Night in the same bar 50 years ago.

Everyone who was present was lucky to witness this tour de force. Nora has lost none of her presence and stagecraft. She charmed her audience with the work of local poets and playwrights. She is truly inspiring.