New Director at St. John's, Church Street girls, Owen Family of Ballyhorgan Cycling and the Crown Jewels

Wildflower meadow at Ballincollig Regional Park

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They're Changing the Guard at St. John's

Máire Logue is the new artistic director of St. John's Arts and Heritage Centre, Listowel. I photographed her in St. John's with Joe Murphy, the retiring director.

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Church Street Girls

Eileen Sheridan shared a photo memory

Clementine Crowley Ann McSweeney, Gertie Kennelly, Mary OSullivan, Eileen Scanlon, Ann Ryan

Mary Fitzmaurice Mary Walsh , Eileen McSweeney,  Alice Gleeson.

Sadly three of the girls have passed away.

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Owens of Ballyhorgan

Harriet Owen with Tom Fitzgerald and Jimmy Deenihan in The Listowel Arms on one of Harriet's frequent trips to Kerry to reconnect with her family home in Lixnaw.

Harriet sent me a short version of her family history which I published in Listowel Connection. John Stack of Kildare and formerly of Duagh was interested to see that an Owen had married into the Ellis family of Abbeyfeale. Ellis was a family John had encountered when researching his own family as these Ellises were his mother's people's landlords.

He sent us a newspaper cutting

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Resurgence of Cycling

In our cities nowadays you have to be struck by the numbers of people cycling to and from work. I took these photos on Cork's Grand Parade recently. There seems to be bicycles everywhere.

The bike scheme stand was almost empty.

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The Theft of The Irish Crown Jewels

A friend lent me this book. The story of the disappearance of the Irish Crown Jewels and its disastrous consequences for North Kerry is a fascinating one.

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In Dublin Yesterday

Kerry has survived to fight another day. I don't know if the supporters nerves will survive another one, though.

Nano Nagle Place, Old Piseogs and Carrigkerry

 Chris Grayson

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Old Cork

This photo was not taken today or yesterday. I think it's the 1960s and these are tourist caravans on the Western Road outside the Ear Nose and Throat hospital. The street is now one way.

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The Legacy of Nano Angle and The Presentation Sisters

In Listowel we have a memorial to the work of the nuns centralised in our town square. We were lucky to have both Presentation and Mercy sisters helping to educate and care for generations of Listowel people.

The mission of the Presentation sisters was to educate the young ladies of North Kerry and I was privileged to work with them for many years.

Nano Nagle, who founded the Presentation sisters was a Cork woman. The order now has converted their South Presentation school and convent into a magnificent heritage centre. I was there with my daughter, Cliona, a Pres girl,  on Heritage Day 2018

Impressive, isn't it?

 The nuns' burial ground with its uniform headstones reminded me of the graves I've seen in pictures of a battlefield.

It was a bit of a shock to see a grave with a family name. I don't know if she was any relation.

 This was a surprise. I can't imagine how she came to be buried here in South Pres.

 The convent garden is wonderful with borders of lavender on which bees were at work.

In the museum there were artefacts and photos from Presentation communities around the world.There was a stamp from Listowel and a roll book from South Pres.

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Some Little Known Superstitions

From Patrick O'Sullivan's excellent Country Diary

Times were different back then!

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Carrigkerry

Just over the border in Co. Limerick is the lovely little village of Carrigkerry.

McKennas, Donoghues in Glenderry and Australia and a look back at St. Patrick's Day

Beautiful Kerry

Chris Grayson snapped this robin in The National Park in Killarney last week.

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McKennas

Photo: Mike Hannon

Do you remember when it looked like this?


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From a Land Down Under

All over the world there are Listowel people searching for their roots. I am always delighted when someone makes contact to say that Listowel Connection has helped in that search. Here is an email I received from Nan Bailey in Queensland.

"I found your blog Listowel Connection this evening when I googled Glanderry, Ireland to see just where it was. I still don't know, but presume it must be in the Listowel district.

My Fathers Mother, Mary Donoghue was born in Listowel area as were several of her siblings and tonight, for the first time I saw a baptism record for one of them in Family Search, that had Glanderry named as the Fathers place of birth.

This is the first time I have ever seen where my Great Grandfather John Donoghue was from and I was stoked. They were supposed to have lived at some stage above a post office, but I only have that 3rd hand, so don't know exactly where

I have subscribed to your blog and am looking forward to reading more about Listowel and the surrounding area and learning about where some of my Irish ancestors come from."

I know I have lots of Donoghue and O'Donoghue followers who might just be able to help Nan in her search for her Listowel connection.

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Two More Sleeps to St. Patrick's Day 2017

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Shenanigans at a Hooley in Listowel in 1839

Kerry Evening Post Wednesday, November 13, 1839; 

TO THE EDITOR OF THE KERRY EVENING POST

Listowel. 9th November, 1839. 
Dear Mr. Editor.—A series of political dinners have been given, during the past and present week, in our town and neighbourhood; But the grand coalition festival of that exotic and eccentric Maurice Mac O’Connor to Morgan O Connell, M.P.; Pierce Mahony, ex-M.P.; John Cronin of park; Rev Mr Harrington, C.C.; Rev Mr Simple, C.C.; Mr Marshall, Auctioneer and many others.
 The letter goes on to explain the expensive and lavish preparations, items from Limerick and ornaments, wreaths and greens from Ballinruddery , used in decorations. Their motto was “Céad Míle Failte.  Being market day many came to admire the show. 
Pierce Mahony spoke in very dull and prosy language. Morgan O’C admitted that Tories had political interests to support and rights to contend for, as well as the Radicals. Third Toast was The National Board of Education and Fr Mahony who had recently erected a school, but later on in the letter, it noted that the school was, not finished yet and badly needed to educate the children who had bad habits wandering around the Market place.  Mr Marshall speaking under the influence of spirits, it was alleged, mentioned Mr Mc O’Connor being good at feeding pigs and jack asses. Ned Cain gave an explanation the following day about the exaggerated speeches....

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Listowel Cyclists

Early one Saturday morning I snapped these cyclists pedalling through town on their weekly training spin.

Ballybunion, Listowel Town Park, Postboxes and Cashen fishermen

Heron at Fota

photo; Chris Grayson



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More from St. John's Ballybunion

Above are the priest's tombs, below is the side entrance.

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Commemorative Garden coming along nicely

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Seeing Double in North Main Street, Cork

On a recent visit to Cork I was surprised to spot these two mailboxes side me side in North Main Street. There must have been huge volumes of mail in this part of town once upon a time.

The boxes are from different eras as you can see from the different designs.

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Cashen Fishermen in the 1980s

Photo and caption from Cashen Connections on Facebook

April 1958

(Lt) to (Rt) : Seamus Rourke, Jamsie (Mac) Mc Ellistrim, Willie Stack-Sullivan, Richie (Mouse) Diggin, Behind Richie: Willie Mc Carthy, Sean Rochford, Francie Diggin, Jackie Stack-Sullivan, John Neill, Johnny Healy, Mikey Reddon, Behind Mikey : John Carthy, Far background: John Patrick(John Taid ) Sullivan
All gone but not forgotten!

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Cycling News

Stage 2 of Rás Mumhan will start in Listowel on the Easter Weekend 2017