Some Aspects of Listowel in Summer 2020

Some Images from Town

The Square through the gate of the Intreo office.

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Brendan Mahony is working hard. His shop  is open for business.

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I wonder how soon is soon.

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Danny's and Bailey and Co.  are closed but Danny is available online.

Don't be without a tasty fish for tea.

Morkan's will be open in Phase 2.

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Church Street

Woulfe's and Perfect Pairs will take your order on line and both shops are open for a few hours for collection.

After a few weeks of closure, Eason is open.

These two kind caring signs are at The Hair Lounge.

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Early Morning walker

I met John Pierse taking an early morning constitutional on Sunday May 31 2020. John is always really the most interesting man you could run into to on Listowel's streets. He has a brain full of various interesting facts.

On Sunday he told me that in the years between 1841 nd 1851, 18000 people died in North Kerry. John is the acknowledged expert on The Famine in North Kerry.

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Church Street Mural

Charlie Nolan has recorded and edited a lovely video of the unveiling of this mural by Olive Stack and paid for by the Church Street Traders. The unveiling took place on Nov. 15 1998. It's a lovely souvenir but sad to see so many of the old stock of the town now no longer with us. The mural is a lovely addition to our streetscape. Church Street traders can be proud of their legacy.

Mural unveiling

Listowel in Lockdown, Moonlighting and Bewleys of Grafton Street

Bank Holiday Monday, May 4 2020

Photos: Tom Fitzgerald

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Moonlighting in the 19th Century

Kerry Evening Post 1813-1917, Saturday, January 17, 1885

MOONLIGHTING North Kerry, Intimidating farmers near Listowel; Three labourers named Cornelius Hunt, John Connor, and John Drury, residing at Knockanure within four miles of Listowel were arrested at about half past one o’clock on Tuesday morning by Constable Brazil of the Lissaniskia police proection post, under the curfew clause of the Crimes Act and conveyed to Listowel at four a.m. under a strong escort. The parties were also charged by Messrs Daniel McElligott, Denis Dee, and William Moore with having used intimidatory language towards them, for having each taken portions of a farm from which a man named Cornelius O’Connor had been evicted for non-payment of rent by Mr T W Sandes, of Sallowglin.

Story from Cathleen Muvihill on Glin Historical Society on Facebook

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Better in Black and White

 This is a photo of Johnny Clifford posted by Ballybunion Photographic Club

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Bewley's Harry Clarke Windows

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Can you help, please?

Jon Riley sent the following email.

I  am looking into my family history and trying to find out about the family of a Joseph P O’Carroll from Listowel. I know he was born in 1943 and may have married and lived in Leicester, England in the early 1960's and may have moved to Leeds in 1965/66.

If you know  of anyone who may have any information I would be extremely grateful.

Thank you

Jon Riley

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Another One Bites the Dust

Ah! Pity!

Brent Geese, Craftshop na Méar, Hosiery Explained and a Magpie Drops in for a Take away

Brent Geese at Sunset in Beale

Ita Hannon

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John Kelliher's Drone Photos

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Craftshop na Méar

Tom Fitzgerald took this photo of the Listowel Writers Week gang at  a craftshop Christmas event;
Mary Cogan,  Una Hayes, Eilish Wren, Bernie Carmody, Seán Lyons, Maureen Connolly and Masiréad Sharry

The late Eileen Hannon with Danny and Noreen O'Connell at the same event.

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Deja Vu

Noel Roche

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Hose and Half Hose

The question of hosiery came up last week when we were discussing Duhallow Knitwear and how it was always referred to in my home town as The Hosiery.

Our friend, Nicholas, did a bit of research on the internet and this is what he found.

I  believe it all started with mens' wear - (late 13c., "covering of woven cloth or leather for the lower part of the leg, with or without feet," from late Old English 'hosa' "covering for the leg") and developed into basically everything that covered the leg from the knee to the ankle. 

At first, the hoses on the two legs were separate pieces of material- a solution was necessary to preserve modesty, so a cloth codpiece was invented to cover the gap in material.  this was amended to metal to cope with  a certain vulnerability to injury. In the 400s,  following a widespread outbreak of what we would now call (to spare blushes) a 'social disease,' the codpiece was essential to cover the effects and visible signs  of the disease and the manifold 'medicines' applied to combat it. I believe Gucci revived the codpiece in modern times as a fashion statement rather, I suppose, than as a 'nod' to the more indelicate associations.  And it was an unexpected motif in the Spring 2020 menswear collection by American designer Thom Browne, shown in Paris in 2019. Like everything else connected with male vanity, it is believed that codpieces were much aggrandized and exaggerated in size by some.... Henry the V111 was one who did this, as depicted in Holbien Junior's portrait. I presume Kings, depending on male heirs to keep the line going, would at least, have to appear capable of doing so (or be prepared to behead his Queens and kick out the Pope).  

There is a contemporary male-worn item commonly used contact sports, and in ballet: the 'jockstrap.'  

It is time to call a halt on this somewhat  distasteful topic. It may not all be suitable for your Blog. In any case, you have the final editorial call and you may disregard any or all of the above as you wish.

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Piazza Express

During lockdown we are all taking time to observe Nature all around us. Part of that observation for a photographer is also capturing the moment in a snap.

Tom Fitzgerald was fascinated by this magpie who swopped down to take away the remains of his piazza.

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The Confirmation Class of 2020

When the story of the Coronavirus pandemic of 2020 is told these boys will be saying, "I remember it well. It was the year I was to make my Confirmation but...."

Photo: Scoil Realta na Maidine