Woulfe's, Listowel Sporting Ballads, Carnegie Library and Tralee

Woulfe's Bookshop

This is Woulfe's Bookshop in Church Street Listowel

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Listowel Football and Sporting Ballads

 Vincent Carmody gave us an essay on some of the sporting ballads written by Listowel people. I will serialise it over the next few days.

Listowel and the written word have been synonymous over the years, so it is of no surprise that many of the town’s penmen have at various times put pen to paper to record in verse form for posterity the deeds of man and beast.

One of the earliest pieces that I know of is a short unrhyming lament by a player who had played for Listowel against Tralee. We do not know the result of the match, nor the name of the writer,

Likewise, the Painach Somers,

Near his eye he got a kick,

Saying, “For we are shamed, lame and blind,

Since we played in sweet Tralee”.

The Somers referred to was a Tom Somers from Convent Street, a local wit and all-round sportsman. He was once asked if he ever score a point.  “I did once”, was his answer, having paid Mrs Grady for a pint, she gave me the pint, then after a while, she put up a second pint thinking I had her paid for it, I sang dumb for once.

At an athletic meeting he won a race for the first time. As he was congratulated on coming first, his answer was, “I am first at last, I was always behind before.”  

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The Carnegie Library 

 All the talk of the library prompted people to look up the origins of the Carnegie in Listowel. Here is the result of some delving into the archives.

Not great but the best we could do

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The Mall, Tralee

The Mall Tralee is pedestrianised. It is now a lovely space.

On the Saturday I visited it even had its own preacher.

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St. Patrick's Day in Listowel