Lost in Lace, The Ball Alley and Royal Ascot

Photo: Chris Grayson

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Lost in Lace

This was one of the loveliest of the exhibitions that was on view during Writers' Week 2019. The exhibition was opened by Madeleine O'Sullivan in The Seanchaí on Thursday May 30 2019.

The lace pieces on display were all the work of local lacemaker, Nora Moriarty. Nora, who passed away in 2018, was a native of Listowel. She lived in Church Street before her marriage to Tadhg Moriarty. When Nora retired from teaching she pursued her dream of a life in craftwork, particularly lace making.  She studied at Mallow College of Design and Tailoring. She received a City and Guilds Diploma in Dress Design. Carrickmacross lace was her passion and she became a member of the Guild of Irish Lacemakers.

Mary Shields from that guild told us a bit about lace in general and Carrickmacross lace in particular. Two of the characteristics of this lace are its scalloped edge and its shower of hail design. Nora was a master craftswoman and took great pains over design and execution of her lace projects. She produced a huge body of lacework in her lifetime. On display were dresses that could be worn from the cradle (a Christening gown), a wedding dress and many handkerchiefs and presentation pieces.

Nora's son, Eugene told us of the family's pride in his mother's work. He drew our attention to some of the pieces that told the story of Nora's involvement with local organisations. She was the first honorary secretary of Listowel Writers' Week and she belonged to three different drama groups. She was a member of the Listowel Singers and the church choir. Members of all of these groups testified to Nora's generosity in making logos, pin cushions and keyrings for them.

I brought my friends to view the exhibition on Saturday. Friends and neighbours of the late Nora helped the Moriarty family to mind the displays. When we visited, Joan and P.J. Kenny were the caretakers.

Many friends of Nora's came to the launch of the exhibition.

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The Ball Alley

This is how the ball alley looks today.

This is how John Fitzgerald remembers good times in The Alley

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Listowel well represented at Royal Ascot 2019

Edaein O'Connell wearing a stunning Aoife Hannon creation at Royal Ascot this week.
Photos from Aoife Hannon on Facebook

Moss Scanlon R.I.P., Wash Day supplies and Listowel Shopfronts

Chris Grayson in Corran tuathail

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Moss Scanlon R.I.P.

This is the photograph from Brendan of Ireland of Moss Scanlon at the door of his harness maker's shop greeting Paud Carey and Michael Greaney.

David O'Sullivan found  an obituary in The Kerryman of January 4 1969

David also found this account of the book Brendan of Ireland in The Independent  of 1961 

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Vision Centre, North Main St. Cork

On Heritage Day 2018 I visited the Cork Vision Centre with my daughter. They had lots of "vintage' stuff on display. Nowadays anything old is vintage.

 Cliona McKenna outside the Vision Centre

 An old barber's chair and some other old artefacts

 Gramaphone

 A man's grooming set

OMO was washing powder and Sunlight was soap from Port Sunlight outside Liverpool

This was a mangle that went over the wash tub. You squeezed the water out of the garment by rolling it between two rollers.

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Speaking of Washing.....

A helpful blog follower found this old postcard.

Was washing day really like this do you think?

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A Very Stylish shop in the old Galvin's off licence

Aoife Hannon, Milliner

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Correction re Altered Images Shopfront

A few weeks ago I featured this lovely shopfront which has been beautifully painted by Chute Family Painting Contractors.

I assumed that the plasterwork was the work of Pat MacAulliffe.  I was wrong.

I met Tom Relihan  by chance last week and he told me that the plasterwork on this shop front was done by Paddy Fitzell. He did this and two other shopfronts in town.
I'm delighted to correct this and to give credit where credit is due.

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Listowel Races 2018, The Earliest Ever Harvest Festival

Listowel Castle, Aoife Hannon, Milliner, a poem for the late Mary Keane and a Broadway star with a Listowel Connection

At Listowel Castle, May 2016

Bryan MacMahon statue in the castle grounds.

The Master with his beloved Square in the background. Bryan MacMahon walked around this square practically every night that he spent in town.

Listowel Castle

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Flowers at The Kingdom County fair 2016

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Aoife Hannon Hats and Headpieces on Display in Main Street

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Second Anniversary for Mary

The late John McCarthy, poet and mad pride activist wrote this poem for Mary Keane as she approached the second anniversary of John B.'s death.


She was always
backstage, producing
keeping it all together,
pub, finances, royalties.
enquiring when writing
their final draft as to
who would exit first?
She replied laughingly,"Sure
that was always my part, all
he did was sit in
the night and write.


They were a perfect
pair, a buttress foreach other.
The gentle character
lines of her face spoke
volumes, of how she had
survived the pregnant pauses,
the standing ovations of
what had gone before
handled the  traumas and
joys from behind the scenes
while he had taken
the bows at the curtains of
life but still when asked
"How are things?" she replied wistfully,
"Aragh, I'm fine, but I'd be better
if John was here."


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Ballerina with a Listowel Connection

Hennessy Sheehan is the daughter of Broadway singer/actor Ciarán Sheehan whose ancestors hail from Upper William Street Listowel. Hennessy is now blossoming into a star in her own right.