The Kerryman Unbuttoned, Healy Father and son, Listowel Community Centre revamp

Photo: Paul Tips, Mallow Camera Club

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The Kerryman Unbuttoned, (Part 3) by Redmond O'Hanlon

The strange idioms of North Kerry speech

Nettles do no stink in Kerry. They burn or scorch. A prick is a pinch and soup is called broth. Leggings to the Kerryman are gaiters and it is only with difficulty he conveys the distinction between boots and shoes. Shoes and low shoes mark weekdays from Sundays. Mud is puddle and puddles are locks. The Kerryman wears his short coat, indifferent to the stranger’s perplexity as to the whereabouts of the counterpart. Surely, I reasoned, when I first heard the expression, there must be a long coat in his wardrobe. This does not follow at all. With a characteristic disregard for logic, your Kerry man, and still more your Kerry woman and most of all your Kerry girl will speak of a half twin when they mean a whole one, and a square of crackers hot from the oven when they mean a triangle.

Let us take a walk through the fields. See the bullock “itching” himself against the gatepost, when in actual fact he is scratching his hide. That horse standing at the fence may be false and one has to learn that this trait has reference not to a vicious disposition but to the animal’s uncertainty of foot while under a cart. Admire the riot of saffron buchalawns proclaiming at once the fertility of the soil and careless husbandry.  In early spring one may get a malicious satisfaction  from the Kerry farmers attempts to convey in words the distinction between freshly springing oats, barley and wheat. He lables the lot grasscorn and thinks you a purist if you insist that barley and wheat are neither grass nor corn.

(more tomorrow)

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Father and Son from the John Hannon Archive

 This is yesterday's picture of Jimmy Browne with Paddy Healy on left.

On the right of this photo is a young Liam Healy, son of Paddy. Any ideas who the lady and child are?

And

Forget Clouseau, Poirot, Miss Marple and the No. 1 Ladies detective agency. When the Listowel Connection network gets working on the case they leave no stone unturned. Many people identified A.T. Chute and Violet McCarthy but the second man and the two ladies were a mystery. The grapevine has gone into overdrive and through the intervention of Beta Whelan, Junior Griffin, and the super sleuth when it comes to identifying Listowel people, Margaret Dillon, we can now say with certainty that the man behind on the right is Charlie McCarthy. His son, Danny, confirmed his father's identity. The fact that he wasn't wearing his glasses threw most people but not Margaret.

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Listowel Community Centre Revamp

When I visited last week the front of the Community Centre was painted and there was scaffolding all round the side.

The reception area was gutted and the shop is relocated. I was delighted to see the same smiling face, Mike Molyneaux,  behind the counter .

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Hard Working Tidy Town Volunteers

I was in The Square at around 7.00 p. m. last evening and I met this happy crew setting out on their weekly tidy up. Years of relentless hard work and dedication is what it takes to win a gold medal.

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Nearing Completion

This corner of town is completely transformed. Listowel's newest pharmacy is looking well.

A Famine Commemoration, the new pharmacy at Upper Church St. and my visit to Santa 2017

John Kelliher's lovely photo of St. John's in Winter 2017

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Widening the park gateway

When this essential work is complete we should see a big improvement in traffic movement on Bridge Road.

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A Famine Commemoration in Listowel

John Pierse makes it one of his life missions to make sure that Listowel remembers its Famine dead. His latest deed to keep the horrors of The Great Famine before our minds is a plaque at the hospital chapel. This plaque was unveiled on Saturday November 18 2017

The convent chapel is the last remaining piece of the old workhouse that is still in use.

The plaque was commissioned by Listowel Tidy Towns Committee and was executed by Darren Enright to John Pierse's design. We also received a booklet on the day with valuable information about the Famine in Listowel.

John Pierse is a very painstaking historian. He left no stone unturned in his efforts to locate a photograph of the flower of the lumper potato. The lumper was the potato that everyone grew in Ireland in the nineteenth century. It was softer than today's potatoes and was eaten raw by the people in the workhouse. Unfortunately it was very susceptible to blight.

Jimmy Moloney was the very able M.C. for the ceremony.

Julie Gleeson, chair of Listowel Tidy Towns, John Pierse, Kay Caball, John Lucid, Bryan MacMahon, Jimmy Moloney and Mary Hanlon.

Julie spoke on behalf of Listowel Tidy Town who organised the event.

Sr. Margaret spoke on behalf of the Sisters of Mercy in whose chapel the plaque was erected.

The blessing was an ecumenical one with Fr. Hegarty and Rev. Harding performing the prayerful dedication.

Some local people among the large attendance.

Ballybunion Tidy Town Committee were invited.

These four Mercy sisters came from Killarney

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A Corner of Town is Changing

Refurbishment at Doran's continues. Soon Upper Church Street will have a whole new aspect.

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I met Santa Yesterday, November 26 2017

Folks, if you are familiar with the Lartigue, you won't recognise it and if you've never been, you'll think you are in Wonderland.

These are just some of the elves who have made this Listowel Santa experience happen.

The North Pole Express

will run every weekend from now until Christmas. Click the link above to book. There is a trip on the Lartigue, a visit to Santa, a cookie decorating and Christmas tree ornament decorating workshop. There is hot chocolate, story reading with Mrs. Claus and a Christmas movie in Santa's own private cinema.
Listowel singers are singing carols live and there are goodies to take away. These goodies include a lovely Christmas story book written and illustrated by Olive Stack and visiting artist Jennifer Walls.

There is great credit due to everyone who worked hard to make this happen. I am particularly delighted to see the baton of volunteerism passed to a new generation.