St. Patrick's Day, Lizzy's, Tae Lane Cinema and a Look back at previous parades

Lower William Street

 Lizzy's Little Kitchen where our celebrated TV chef runs a popular eat-in and take away business. This is one of Listowel's many culinary attractions.

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A Cinema?

This building in Tae Lane was once a picture house. Listowel then had several cinemas, dance halls and places of entertainment.
You know the way sometimes in the theatre they warn you that your seat has a "restricted view" and you find yourself behind a huge pillar or other obstruction. This little cinema had just that...seats with a restricted view. There was a bend in the lane and the building was built around the bend so people sitting in this corner had to lean out a bit to see the screen. All part of the charm, I'm sure.

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St. Patrick's weekend

Just to get you in the mood for our national holiday here are a few photos from previous years. Some of these are from overseas friends of Listowel.

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Celebrating Marconi

This event will be amazing! Fair play and all the best wishes to everyone involved. 
Ballybunion was very busy, exciting and ahead of it's time too, 100 years ago!
On Tuesday the 19th of March Princess Elettra Giovanelli, daughter of Marconi and her son Prince Gugielmo Marconi will visit the former site of the Marconi Radio Station on the 100 year anniversary of the first spoken word from East to West from the Radio Station to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia Canada. In the afternoon they will unveil a commemorative plaque to this historic occasion in Ballybunion.
On March 19, 1919 Guglielmo Marconi made the first radio wireless voice transmission across the Atlantic. And he did it from Ballybunion. 100 years later, there is a commemoration of this historic event in the Irish College, Ballybunion. If you have ever used a radio, then you are enjoying the work of this man. Mark the date: March 19, time 9.30 - 1500

Events include presentations, demonstrations exhibitions , as well as the unveiling of a plaque to commemorate the event, by Prince Marconi (Guglielmo's grandson). The presence of the Marconi family is a great boon.

The Irish Coast Guard rescue helicopter is expected to drop in for photos too!

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Calgary Tower

Barbara Watts sent us this photo to show us what Calgary Towel will look like on Sunday

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

Paddy Drury, a tree creeper and a Food Trail

November...a time for remembering

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A Fascinating Little Bird

Chris Grayson who is one of the best nature photographers I know snapped this little tree creeper. Isn't he well camouflaged.

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Paddy Drury's Epitaph

The late poet, Paddy Drury, was renouned for his witty verses about other people. His tongue was caustic and many a one in his time felt the lash.

Probably his best known lambast is his unjustified criticism of the lovely people of Knockanure.

Knockanure both mean and poor

Its church without a steeple

Hungry hoors looking out half doors

Criticising decent people.

Paddy composed his own epitaph

Here lie the bones of Paddy Drury

Owing their size to Guinness brewery

However, one of the good nuns in the Killarney home where he died prevailed on him not to have it engraved on his headstone. Paddy agreed, maybe because he was well aware that there was no money there for a headstone anyway. However when a band of his friends, under the leadership of  John B. Keane collected enough to erect a gravestone to Paddy and the Drury family, they kept to the usual conventions in these matters and put a more respectful and dignified inscription on it.

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A Few Late Tourists Still visiting us

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Listowel Food Trail 2017

As part of Listowel Food Fair we took a trail around the town on Nov 11 and we stopped to sample some appetising fare at eateries along the wayWe started our trail at The Listowel Arms Hotel

The bar was set very high with lots and lots of delicious nibbles on offer. Like the bad sprinter who bolts like a greyhound out of the traps and then finds that there is nothing left in the tank for the last stretch, I ate way too much here. We had five more stops on our tour and I was beaten already.

On we soldiered to Allos

Here we settled down in the very comfortable back lounge while Armel told us the story of the food we were about to eat. I tasted friand for the first time.

In Café Hanna at John R.'s we had some delicious savoury and sweet treats

Our next stop was Mike the Pies and I told you all about that on Monday's post

Then we strolled down William Street, well sated at this stage but we still had Jumbos, Lizzy's and Gapos to come.

Damien served us turkey burgers and tacos. His butcher, Larry was on hand to verify the provenance of the ingredients. If you thought Jumbos was just beefburgers and chips you'd be wrong. This visit was an eye opener for me.

Lizzy is now a nationally acclaimed cook and her restaurant is one of the most popular in town. Food here was top class.

Lastly we went to Gapos. This is one of my favourite restaurants so I knew the food would be good. It was lovely to meet the chef and hear his story as well as tasting some of his native Armenian dishes.

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V.I.P in town on Friday

Colm Cooper will be signing copies of his autobiography in Woulfe's Independent Bookshop at 5.00p.m. on Friday next November 17 1017

And

A little birdie told me that Mickey MacConnell will be one the Late Late Show with his ballad of Lidl and Aldi.