Knockanure, John B. on Coaxiorum, A Fan Letter and Milk Stands

Corran Tuathail by Chris Grayson

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Knockanure 2006

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Coaxiorum by John B. Keane

SONNY CANAVAN assures me that the love potion known as Coaxiorum exists and is still in use not far from where he lives. Others have told me that same thing. Willie Finucane and Jack McElligott were offered doses of it but declined to take it on the grounds that natural love was better than artificial. I asked Canavan if he knew what the formula was. He had a rough idea but could not come up with the identity of one ingredient.

“All I know,” said Canavan, “is that it grows in the bog and it’s like a water leaf but it isn’t a water leaf.”

He told me that Coaxiorum was very common when he was a boy but that its use had declined altogether since the Second World War.

“I seen a man to cycle from Carlow on a false account,” Canavan told myself and Professor Phil Deane, who came to see Canavan about bodhráns. Apparently it was 1940 and one evening a man on a bicycle appeared in Dirha West. He asked the whereabouts of a certain woman and he was taken to her. He produced a five pound note, a lot of money in those days, and offered it to her for a dose of Coaxiorum but when she learned he wanted to use it on his master’s wife, she cleared him from the place. So much for Coaxiorum. Maybe some of my readers will have a word or two to say about love potions.

John B. Keane

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Warming the Cockles of my Heart

This is the Braden family of Chicago.

I have been overwhelmed recently by the supportive mail and personal approaches I received from people far and near who read the blog. I'm printing one representative one but I am deeply grateful for them all.

Brigid Braden gets the accolade for the best email. I'm posting it here with a big thank you to Brigid for making my day.

Dearest Mary,
Almost every night before I go to bed in Chicago, your email from Listowel Connection pops up in my in-box, and I get the biggest smile on my face. I love to happily check in on Listowel before I go to bed.  Tonight after reading your post with “Unwelcome Letters” I could not go to bed before sending you off a note. 

You bring such joy, to so many.  And the ones with joy sure don’t let you know it enough I’m sure because I should be writing to you every other day to tell you about how a story touched me and made me dwell for quite a time in a happy place.  Not to mention how many times a sister or brother would contact me the next day and say “Did you see (insert story) on Listowel Connection” and want to talk more about it.  

Mary, you are doing wonderful work!  I love the John B. response you put up there.  And don’t you know, I’m sure my siblings will be calling me tomorrow to talk about it.  I will be talking to my young kids as well about it, because it is the world around us we are living in.  Don’t we know about it in the USA for sure now.  The crazies almost feel to outnumber the sane, but in truth they are just shouting the loudest for a time. 

Just know, you are a shining light to many and bringing out the best of us and in us.  Thanks a million.  We love you!! And keep up the fantastic work!  

Faithfully,

Brigid Braden
Ps.   I owe you a lunch next time I’m in Listowel. We were coming in with a big family group in July 2016 to Allos and you fell ill.  I’m sorry it has taken so long to get back to you, but have a feeling our paths are sure to cross. Three Cheers!!
A few of your Chicago fans::

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Milk Stands

Last week I posted this photo of the milk stand at my old family home in Kanturk, little suspecting what fond memories it would evoke for so many blog followers.

"Love the milk-stand-and building- all nicely cared for and painted. Where I come from, milk-stands were often located at crossroads and the farmers would bring their tanks there. The lorry would travel a main route and collect all the tanks at junctions with minor roads."

When I travel the Nadd road from my home in Kanturk to Cork I pass such a crossroads. It has a sign saying Welcome to Donoughmore beside a piece of roadside art depicting two milk churns on a milk stand. I searched the internet for a photograph of this. I didn't find it but I did find another piece of roadside art along the same theme.

This photo by a lady who blogs as Irish American Mom is in Kildorrery in Co. Cork

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Boyeens No More

My beloved grandsons all grown up and off to secondary school.

A Hen Party in Ballyhoura and Kildorrery

A Weekend in Ballyhoura

‘Tis not today nor yesterday I was last invited to a hen party. But that is where I was recently and without doubt it was the very best hen party I was ever at.

A hen party with the mother of the bride and the soon to be mother in law of the bride in attendance was always going to be a tame affair, or so we thought.

The hen in question was my lovely daughter, Clíona, and the party was organized by her two super organized bridesmaids, Darina and Anne.

The venue was Ballyhoura country. We stayed in some lovely mountain lodges:

 (Ballyhoura Mountain Lodges)  nestled into the hillside. Ita, who runs the show here was super helpful before the event and was on site late on Friday evening to settle us in. Think cozy log cabins, roaring fires, toasty warm rooms and the most comfortable beds ever. (Very poor phone coverage but who needs a phone when you are having fun?)

 We had some ice breaking activities, a few drinks and lots of chat and catching up. And so to bed. The above picture is Clíona with two old friends, Fenella and Emily who are soon to be mother hens.

Breakfast over in the hen house, we headed out for our morning walk. Ballyhoura is famous for trecking, cycling and horseriding. We didn’t really feel up to these but we took a gentle walk through the woods. The bride to be was up for a spot of ziplining on the way.

We stopped to view Castle Oliver and the hotel where Kim and Kanye West holidayed.

Back in the lodges we ate quiche for lunch. The quiche was provided for us by the ever dependably delicious Thatch and Thyme.

Saturday afternoon’s activity was The Great Ballyhoura Bakeoff.  We were divided into teams and tasked with preparing cupcakes which in some way described The Hen. Our group made a chocolate and prosecco variety because the hen is sweet and bubbly.

Because Ballyhoura was basking in glorious sunshine, we held this activity outdoors.

The Hen sipped on a glass of prosecco as she oversaw the baking.

We beat and mixed and weighed and the oven worked overtime.

Soon we undertook the decorating. This was literally and figuratively the icing on the cake as the winning group definitely impressed the judge with their hand beaded display which spelled out her name.

My group fell at the last hurdle. While my team's cupcakes were delicious, our icing left a little to be desired.  But our finished display definitely excelled.

Tasting and judging was carried out while the bakers pitched a cheesy pitch full of flattery and sycophancy, in an attempt to sway the judge.

The winners declared, prizes given and we all fell to eating the spoils. The raspberry and vanilla were agreed deserving winners with the blueberry buns second. ( I had actually brought the blueberries for my breakfast, but all’s fair in love and war….)

Washing up done and order restored, the hens dolled themselves up for a night on the tiles in downtown Kildorrery, famed in song and story;

“Have you ever been up to Kildorrery

Indeed if you haven't that's quare

Sure it's only five miles from Ardpatrick

And three from the cross of Red Chair

And when at that cross you are landed

You will see a big hill looking down

And on top of that hill bare naked and chill

Stands famous Kildorrery town.”

It’s a beautiful little town with one of the best restaurants in Ireland. If you are travelling between Cork and Dublin on the M8 it would be well worth your while to make your lunch stop in Kildorrery. The Thatch and Thyme is worth travelling for.  Even the city based hens and the ladies who travelled from abroad declared that it was one of the best meals they had had anywhere.

Down the road is Ollie’s Bar where the hen party were the VIPs for the night. Those to whom these things mattered declared that Ollie’s Bar in Kildorrery stocked a variety of gins, (including Dingle gin) to rival the selection in any city bar. The bar also helped organize the bus to bring us into town, they laid on music and they announced to us when the nearby chipper was about to close and they allowed us to eat the chips in the bar and to wait until our bus came back to collect us even though the pub was now closed and the washing up done.

What happens on a hen party stays on a hen party. I can tell you though that our musical entertainment on the night was Darragh Lee from Youghal. He is a lovely young man and a great musician and singer. He is very tolerant of numerous requests for songs not normally on his playlist. His claim to fame is that he had two chairs turn for him on The Voice of Ireland. He made the wrong choice of mentor but that’s a story for another day.

 The hens joined by some local folk did a conga down the street from one door of the bar to the other, sampled the local McDonal delicacy of chips with cheese and curry sauce and generally had a ball.  I think we might be still the talk of the village in Kildorrery. I hope they didn't think all those verbal invitations to the wedding were genuine.

The new hen was welcomed into the coop by her lovely mother in law to be  and her soon to be sisters in law.

Back to reality on Sunday, we tidied up, restored order and sadly left our mountain hideaway behind, vowing to do it all again in Listowel in May.

"I've been to Crosshaven and Youghal
Ballybunion, Tramore and Kilkee
Ballycotton and likewise Dungarvan,
Those famous resorts by the sea.
For my health I have travelied through Ireland
But now I've at last settled down
Though lacking in wealth I've been gaining my health
Up in Kildorrery town."