Midsummer walk and penance in Lough Derg and long serving firemen

Ron McCoy, Liam Downes and Denis MacAulliffe

 On June 21 2014 about 50 participants took on the fourth annual 22 mile mid-summer challenge of walking the Great Southern Trail Greenway from Abbeyfeale to Rathkeale. This year there was a cycle event with choices of three distances from Rathkeale, Newcastle West and Abbeyfeale to the railway summit at Barnagh on the N21. Here the Sheehan family kindly opened their Barnagh Gardens, where refreshments were served. We got  crepes and  homemade ice cream as well as live music and song.

One man, Liam Downes completed a duathlon by firstly cycling from Rathkeale to Abbeyfeale and then walking back to Rathkeale. Liam did this as a charity fundraiser for the Martina Tierney Fund.

(information from Fr. O'Mahoney NCW)

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And now for something completely different…….

Martin Sheen in Dalkey 1980

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Lots of painting and sign writing going on in town these days. This is Francis Chute, a man with a pedigree as long as my arm in the sign writing business.

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Lough Derg

Lough Derg

For further information contact Maureen or Sharon 071 9861518  email:  info@loughderg.org 

Fitzpatrick Coaches (ex Listowel & Limerick) 1st – 3rd July.  Contact Tim 086 2508796

Cronins Coaches (ex Cork) 5th – 7th July & 9th – 11th August.  Contact Karen 021 4509090

Cashel & Emly Diocesan Pilgrimages 27th – 29th June & 25th – 27th July.  Contact Fr Martin Murphy 086 3868877

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Donal Óg Cusack wrote the best account I've read of the Suarez affair;

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/columnists/donal-og-cusack/donal-og-cusack-suarez-is-just-another-crazy-mixed-up-kid-not-a-bad-person-273535.html

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John Kelliher posted this photo of himself and others who received awards for long service with the Fire Service.

 Like all emergency services great to have them, bad to need them.

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Among the many lovely responses I had to my post on Jim's first anniversary was a recommendation by   a friend that I listen to I Just Stepped Out by Felix Dennis.

I am grateful to everyone who contacted me at this time of fond memories and sad gratitude.

"Relics of auld decency" and some World Cup madness

St. John's Listowel on a balmy June evening 2014

While St. Mary's is closed for refurbrishment, the Catholic faithful are worshipping in St. John's on weekdays. It's a lovely intimate space for a small community mass. One morning I took the opportunity to photograph a few of the old protestant plaques on the walls. People who know Listowel will recognize some of the old names, mostly now gone from our streets.

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My friend, Kay, is in good company in Flavin's window

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William Street is deserted during a World Cup game

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Meanwhile in Mexico

Believe it or not, according to Random Cork Stuff on Twitter this is the scene in a Mexico operating theatre on June 23 2014 .

The Virgin Rock, Special Olympics and Duagh Sports complex

Mike Enright is a Ballybunion fisherman who is constantly on the water. He brings his mobile phone and just snaps whatever catches his eye. Some of his photos were reposted on the Radio Kerry website. The photos were so good that a "real" photographer saw them and just had to come to Ballybunion to photograph these sights for himself. Mike is becoming a one man tourist industry.

The special Olympics qualifiers held in UL  was a very successful time for North Kerry Eagles. They won eleven medals in all and Listowel gave them a big bualadh box and a parade through the town to welcome them home.

I took some photos at the parade on Wednesday June 18 2014.

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Duagh Sports Centre

Nearly there!  (Photo Duagh Sports Complex via Facebook)

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Listowel, where it is easier to write than not to write  (John B. Keane)

A day out in Fota, Junior Griffin and Listowel sailors

It was Fathers' Day 2014.

Three happy little girls decided to treat their Daddy to a trip to Fota Wildlife Park.

Some of the fabulous animals and birds we saw up close and personal in Fota.

Fota has recently added a tropical house and a Tiger Garden.  If you haven't been for a while,
these are well worth going for.

You can actually watch butterflies hatching out and learning to fly.

For obvious reasons I had to photograph the tiger through a fence.

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These blocked up windows are in the premises at Leahy's Corner, now Punjab Spice Indian restaurant.

The reason for the blocking up of windows is explained in Wikipaedia thus;

The window tax was a property tax based on the number of windows in a house. It was a significant social, cultural, and architectural force in England, France and Scotland during the 18th and 19th centuries. To avoid the tax some houses from the period can be seen to have bricked-up window-spaces (ready to be glazed or reglazed at a later date), as a result of the tax. In England and Wales it was introduced in 1696 and was repealed in 1851, 156 years after first being introduced. France (established 1798 - repealed 1926) and Scotland both had window taxes as well for similar reasons.

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St. Mary's is a building site this June 2014. The work is projected to take 2 months.

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One of Listowel's most genial and knowledgeable gentlemen, John (Junior) Griffin with his trusty bicycle.

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A Life on the ocean waves for Listowel father and son team

Derek and Conor Dillon

Father and son duo from Listowel in County Kerry are taking on the double-handed challenge in this year's Round Ireland Yacht Race. The pair Derek Dillon and son Conor, a 19–year–old Univesity of Limerick student, will race the family Dehler 34 'Big Deal' that is based on the Shannon Estuary.

The Foynes Yacht Club pairing have been racing together inshore for over  ten years, and have competed at numerous ICRA's, Cork Weeks and Calves Weeks. The pair are sponsored by leading marine supplier, Union Chandlery.

They recently made the move into offshore racing, enjoying recent success in multiple ISORA Qualifying races. 

'We look forward to the competitive adventure associated with doing such an endurance race, double- handed', father Derek told Afloat.ie

The pair also plan to compete in the Volvo Cork Week double-handed and compete fully-crewed in Cork Dry Gin Calves Week, in which they have finished first in class in the past two consecutive years.   

(Afloat.ie)

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In response to Monday's post, a friend sent me this short poem by Jet Stack for all the carers