April Horse fair, The Kindness of Friends and St. Senan's Well

Celtic crosses in St. Michael's  Cemetery, Listowel

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It's a Good Day When

Your friend brings you scones, just because.......

A U.S. friend sends a card to say she appreciates what you do.

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I wasn't the only one taking photos at the horse fair. I ran into Steve and Helena on Market Street.

 sellers, buyers and some of the goods and animals for sale on April 4 2019

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Spotted on a Listowel Window

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St. Senan's Well

Tarbert School collection. Nora Scanlon Dooncaha.

Our Holy Wells

There is a well in Tarmons known as St. Senan’s. It is in the corner of Buckley’s field in Ballintubber.

This well is not deep and a stream flows out of it. Always in the month of May people pay rounds at this well on every Saturday of the month.

This is how people pay rounds. People pick up seven pebbles out of the stream and then kneel down at the well and start reciting the Rosary. Then they start at the right hand side of the well and walk slowly all round reciting a decade of the Rosary while going round. At the end of each decade they throw one pebble away. Then when the seventh round is paid they kneel down and finish the Rosary. Then they take three drinks out of the well and wash their faces at the stream. Then they usually tie a piece of string on an overhanging bush. It is said that according as the cloth wears away the disease wears off the patient.

It is called St. Senan’s well because it was St. Senan who blessed its waters. From the well you can see the ruins of seven churches and round tower in Scattery built by St. Senan.

There are no fish in the well and the water is not used for household purposes. Once a woman went to fill her kettle at the well. She forgot to bring a vessel with which to fill her kettle. She left her kettle at the well and went back for a saucepan. When she returned the well had disappeared and the bush with it. It went from the top of the hill to the side where it is now.

Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

Collector- Bernadette O’ Sullivan- Informant Gerald O Sullivan, Age 60, Address, Tarbert, Co. Kerry

The Loo Hullabuloo Part 3, Some Wild Flowers, A Tree Planting Project and a Horse Fair

Cherry Tree in Blossom

On the John B. Keane Road, Listowel in March 2019

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Looking to The Future

Photo: Listowel Tidy Towns

Friday April 5 2019 was a very significant day in Listowel's history. In an initiative from Kerry County Council and facilitated locally by Listowel Tidy Towns Group, young people from Listowel schools planted 420 saplings in and around Childers' Park. All the trees are native Irish species. Future generations of Listowel people will enjoy this important legacy.

Hard working Tidy Towns' volunteers Imelda and Bridget are the school liaison officers. They are pictured here with some of the Junior Tidy Towns' Group before the tree planting.

Photo credit: Listowel Tidy Town's Group

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Listowel's 's  Public Toilet

For those who have been following this story which began back in 1942 we are now in the 1970s and the headline writers are having a field day. Everyone seems to be about to lose patience with the saga when eventually a solution is reached , a site acceptable to everyone is secured and the toilet built. 

Thanks to Dave O'Sullivan for the research.

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Flower Miles

Flowers on the right travelled many miles across Europe to a hall table in Knockanure. The flowers on the left came from outside the window.

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April Horse Fair 2019

The traditional horse fair has morphed into a street fair. You could buy just about anything from a needle to an anchor on Market Street on April 4 2019.


Here are a few snapshots of the fair.