Photo from North Kerry Camera by Vincent Carmody and what sound advice it is too.
Michael Lane was Listowel's first town crier. Matthew James was the last and there were several who held the post for periods in the intervening years between these two.
The crier rang his bell and made his announcements at regular intervals while walking around the town.
The above link has lots of information about town criers in countries around the globe.
One of Bryan MacMahon's plays features a town crier. Many years ago when there was talk of making the play into a film, Burl Ives was talked of as someone who might play the part.
The town crier or bellman also posted bills. Billposter is a phrase that has fallen into disuse so, for the benefit of my younger readers, he put up posters or flyers.
One such was this following riddle;
Ding dong, ding dong
Lost but not found
From Collopy's Corner up to The Pound
A whole in the middle and furry all round.
What was he talking about?
I won't keep you in misery. The answer is a lady's muff. My younger readers might have to look that one up too.
Vincent is my source for this town crier information. He also told me, because I knew you would be wondering, that in the 1800's Collopy's had a hotel at the corner where Jimmy Deenihan now has his office. The pound referred to is probably in William St.. There was a pound in the premises that now houses an Indian Chinese restaurant.
Vincent also had a few names for my boyeens and he can tell us when the photo was taken. The photo was taken outside St. Patrick's Hall in the 1930's. This was Bryan MacMahon's third class. They were having class here while the school was being refurbished.
In the front row 4 from left is Sean Kirby, 3 from him, the last boy holding the slate is Sean O'Sullivan and next to him is Roly Chute. The boy right in the middle of the next row back is David Fitzmaurice.
Vincent says that Sean MacCarthy or one of his brothers is in the photo. There too is Maurice Stack, and Kevin Donovan.
Thank you, Vincent for all your help. I would really love it if anyone could identify a few more or help in any way with naming the girls.
Omission yesterday: Cian Keenan of Dromclough is also a finalist in the Doodle4Google competition. You can vote for him here
AND
Congratulations to Jim Quinlan whose lovely photo of our bridge at night was featured on TV3 weather last night.
This picture is Paul O'Connor's but you get the idea. Jim's is not up on the TV3 website yet but watch out for it in the next few days.
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