Harvest thanksgiving in St. Mary's, Mayor Kennelly of Chicago

Evening in Ballybunion

Lovely evening sky Ballybunion Angling and Coastal Views

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February 1951

Michael Kennelly's caption "First Rome reunion social in The Lake Hotel, Killarney, Feb. 1951"

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Thanksgiving for the Harvest in St. Mary's Listowel

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Chicago mayor with Irish roots

Martin H. Kennelly was elected in 1947, and worked with the City Council to create modern superhighways, an airport and subways. His diplomacy enabled many projects.

One year later, he supported Chicago censors who banned Jean-Paul Sartre’s play, “The Respectful Prostitute.” Kennelly declined an invitation to a private showing saying: “I do not like the play. I do not like the title. The title alone would be enough to ban the show, as far as I’m concerned.”

Kennelly established the tone of second term with these words from his Inaugural Address on April 19, 1951: “The pattern of adherence to sound moral values in government has been established. Its basis is efficiency, economy, integrity, impartiality—and the service of only one special interest—the general welfare. There must be no deviation from this standard.” He maintained this standard.

Some of his mayoral successes included extensions for Wacker Drive and the Outer Drive. Congress superhighway and the Congress Street Bridge were constructed. The sewer construction program and the Chicago Skyway were completed. Plans were initiated for extensions to the West Side Subway, the Northwest superhighway, the South Outer Drive and O’Hare Airport.

He was defeated in the 1955 Democratic Primary by Richard J. Daley. He retired and concerned himself with community affairs. He assisted his alma mater and other organizations.

Martin Henry Kennelly died on November 29, 1961, and was buried in Calvary Cemetery in Evanston. He lived his life according to the lines he quoted from Edgar Guest in his First Inaugural Address on April 15, 1947: “If freedom shall new splendors reach/ And not be dragged into the dust/ This to our children we must teach—that/ Public Service is a trust.”

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Didn't he do well

Ger. Greaney with his proud parents at his conferring in UCC last week

Scouts on tour, Crusaders and some Halloween fun

Setting out for Austria Dec 26 1948

Knaresborough 1947

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Crusaders

Irish Runner Magazine posted this great picture of Kerry Crusaders in Dublin for Monday's marathon.

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KDYS Halloween Parade

Listowel youngsters heading down Bridge Road for the start of the 2014 Halloween Parage organized by KDYS, Listowel.

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Getting the word out early

My friends in Athea are making sure you know about their event in good time.

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This one is booked out

Community spirit in Ballincollig and Athea

Up The Village

This is Ballincollig, Co. Cork and it is where  many people I love now live. The Village is what native people have always called this massive dormer town. It must be the biggest village in Ireland.

Ballincollig is still en féte in celebration of a momentous victory in The County Senior Football Championship. This might seem like a bit of overkill to places in Kerry, well used to club victories but you might understand better the appreciation of this victory when I tell you that Ballincollig GAA club was set up in 1886, just two years after the founding the GAA. This makes Ballincollig GAA one of the oldest clubs in the country and this is the very first time ever they have won a senior club county football  championship. 

The place has gone bananas.

The church is bedecked in bunting. You would be forgiven for thinking that the bishop or some other church dignitary was due a visit.

This is Scoil Eoin. It and all the other Ballincollig schools were temporarily uniformed in Green and White. The visiting team members included many past pupils. They wangled a whole week off homework for the delighted young supporters.

Dunnes Stores showed its support.

So if you are passing through Ballincollig, be sure to congratulate them. They are still on a high.

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Athea Victory

This is  Athea Tidy Town Committee celebrating their victory in the 2014 Limerick in Bloom competition.
If you are anywhere in the vicinity, do drop into Athea, one of Ireland's loveliest villages, in my opinion.

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Still preserved and loved in Athea

butter churn

wash board

These artifacts can be viewed at  Blueberry Home Bakery in Athea

Something old, something new…..

Another great oldie from Mike the Pies on Facebook

Mike the Pies early 60's. Paddy Murphy, Jack Mangan, Dan Joe Leahy, Dan O'Donoghue, Danny Hayes, Jack Leahy, Mick Halpin.

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Then and Now

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Outward Bound for Rome 1950

Michael Kennelly's caption on this group of photos says "On board the Inisfallen from Cork"

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Big job underway at Ballybunion Castle

The walls are being strengthened and treated to withstand the ravages of the sea. The top bit which was blown down in a storm will not be replaced. It's good to see that this landmark will be with us for a while yet.

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Athea visit with some old friends

Phil and Frank visited me last week and I brought them to one of my favourite places, Athea

 Phil and Frank ar Shlí na Sí

They had seen bug houses but never before a bug hotel.

They left their worries behind with the worry fairy.

The local craft group were working that morning and their keen eyed marketing manager spotted some potential customers.

Phil and Frank bought a fairy door for their granddaughter  and one of the very artistic ladies customized it especially for Cara.

We had a lovely lunch in Blueberry Home Bakery where we found my book sitting on the table for the entertainment of the diners.

October, Mike the Pies, Lough Derg and I've seen the future and it's digital

St. Michael's Graveyard on a misty October morning, 2014

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Mike the Pies

This iconic bar in Upper William St. takes its name from the famous meat pies which were traditionally served there during Raceweek. The photographs below appeared on the pub's Facebook page

Mike the Pies

Local people put the date of the first photo at 1984 or 89. The second one shows the popular pub in more recent times.

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Scouts in Market St. in the 1940s

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Memories, Memories!

Michael Kennelly's Lough Derg picture brought back many memories for my blog readers. Listowel people took many of these pilgrimages right up to the 1980s. with many people traveling to the penitential island year after year.

Names for these ladies are slow in coming forward but this might be helpful:

"From that picture of the Lough Derg group on the boat I recognize two people: Eileen Bunyan, Convent Cross (in the dark suit at the back) and Margaret Brown, Convent St. (looking at the camera with coat over her shoulders.


One diligent historian has taken it upon himself to write to the record keeper in Lough Derg. Below is her reply:

Thank you so much for your email .  It is amazing to see the old photographs from the pilgrimage in 1954.

I can check our pilgrim ledgers to see if 1954 Season is there – not all years were preserved.  If it is there then it simply lists the pilgrims names, no address etc.  But perhaps I can identify Michael Kennelly’s name and see who is listed immediately before and after him.  Did the 2000 pilgrims travel over the course of the whole Season (1^st June – 13^th August). 34,039 pilgrims in total made the pilgrimage in 1954, the second highest number for any one season since pilgrims numbers have been recorded since 1861.  The highest number was 34,645 recorded in 1952.  I wonder what was the reason for such high numbers in the early 1950’s?

Leave this with me .  Our archives are on the Island and I am now back in our office in Pettigo Village for the winter months but I do plan to go across to the Island one day next week to tidy up a few bits and pieces and I will check the ledgers then.

Best regards

Maureen Boyle

PA Fr Owen J Mc Eneaney, Prior

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Did you have one of these?

This is a photo from the 1970s of  little girl on her typewriter writing her first novel.

Fast forward to 2014. Today's little girl who, in the parlance of the trade, is "a digital native" will write her novel on her tablet. It will never see paper. It will be downloaded by anyone who wants to read it and it will come with interactive graphics and lots of embedded content.

The long predicted demise of the book, as we know it, is upon us. Future generations will subscribe to a service like Netflix, pay a regular subscription and read whatever they want when they want on their tablet or smart phone.

Dedicated ebook devices like Kindle have had their day too. Future readers will merely flip their tablet into "book mode" and hey presto, they have all the benefits of back lighting, book marking etc.

Such is the onward march of progress!!!!

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Nowhere to go In Ballybunion