Adare, London Irish and Dispute resolved in Emly in 1877 and Up the Kingdom lyrics

Photo:  Ita Hannon

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Adare, a Picturesque Village

Adare  is a beautiful village of thatched cottages, stylish shops and great restaurants.

These cottages are being rebuilt and will soon be returned to their former glory.

If this sign was in Kerry, people would be citing it as a Kerry joke.

Contrasting new and old thatched roofs.

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London Irish Centre 2017

Dermot O'leary is a big star on British TV. He has never forgotten his Irish roots and he visits the London Irish Centre often. He is its patron. They shared these pictures from a recent visit on their Facebook page.

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Freeman's Journal (Australia)  1877

Catholic Archbishop Leahy issued a pastoral denouncing the Three-year-old and the Four-year-old factions in the parish of Emly, County Limerick. Since then it appears there has been a mission of Redemptorist Fathers sent down to the district, followed by a visit from the Archbishop himself, who so worked upon the impressible population that the two factions met in chapel, took the sacrament together, and in a wild burst of enthusiasm clasped each other by the hand, renounced all their ancient feuds, and vowed they would never so much as pronounce the offensive words more. 

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The GAA Family

My grandchildren are members of Ballincollig GAA. I have a renewed respect for this organisation. Recently I attended an Under 8 camogie game and it was a lesson in sportsmanship, enjoyment and sheer hard work. I watched the coaches, referees and helpers give freely of their spare time to teach these little girls valuable lessons.

While these under eights have a concept of team, they have no concept of rivalry. My little full back chatted and played with her "marker" whenever the sliotar was at the other end.

No one keeps a score and every half attempt at striking the ball is praised to the heavens.

"Hurley down" was the constant exhortation since only ground hurling is allowed at this level. The coach cum referee, cum mentor cum Daddy was infinitely patient and encouraging.

Here he is giving the team pep talk.

At the end everyone troops by and shakes everyones hand. No one won or lost and they all had a great time in the open air among friends.

Well done the GAA.

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Up The Kingdom

In response to a request, here are the words of Up the Kingdom. I can confirm that it was written by Cormac O'Leary, a fact that seems to have been forgotten over time.

Up the kingdom is the cry of every girl and boy,
To every Kerry heart both young and old;
To the kingdom we'll be true
and to dear old Ireland, too,
Up the kingdom, may God bless
the Green and Gold.

Sons and daughters of the Gael,
come and listen to my tale,
Of a kingdom that is held in high renown;
It's the place that they call Kerry,
Where there's not a care nor worry,
From the highest hilltop to the smallest town.

Up the kingdom is the cry of every girl and boy,
To every Kerry heart both young and old;
To the kingdom we'll be true
and to dear old Ireland, too,
Up the kingdom, may God bless
the Green and Gold.

There's a rumour up in heaven,
said a scholar of religion,
That a Kerry man composed
the great Lord's Prayer;
For when he wrote, Thy kingdom come,
His will has well been done,
There's Kerry men and women everywhere.

Up the kingdom is the cry of every girl and boy,
To every Kerry heart both young and old;
To the kingdom we'll be true
and to dear old Ireland, too,
Up the kingdom, may God bless
the Green and Gold.

Oh, they say that Sam Maguire
he is getting very tired,
Of his yearly trip from Dublin to Listowel;
If you're after football honour,
Well, the ones you have to conquer,
Will be fifteen men dressed up in Green and Gold.

Up the kingdom is the cry of every girl and boy,
To every Kerry heart both young and old;
To the kingdom we'll be true
and to dear old Ireland, too,
Up the kingdom, may God bless
the Green and Gold.

Up the kingdom is the cry of every girl and boy,
To every Kerry heart both young and old;
To the kingdom we'll be true
and to dear old Ireland, too,
Up the kingdom, may God bless
the Green and Gold.
Up the kingdom, may God bless
the Green and Gold.

And if you want to hear it one more time, here are Sarah and Elizabeth Marince giving it welly.

Up the Kingdom

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We have a Winner

We may have lost the football but.....

Listowel native, Declan McCarron on the podium. This weekend he won the Dutch Open Pitch and Putt 2017 in Friesland, Holland.

Rattoo Abbey, Dec. 6 2015 in The Square and a view from Cnoc an Óir

London Irish News

 Dermot O'Leary has been revealed as the new charity patron of the London Irish Centre. Dermot is very proud of his Irish heritage and is looking forward to helping the centre to promote Irish culture and to look after vulnerable people in the London Irish community.

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The Boys of Scoil Realt na Maidine have Built an Igloo

They made it from recycled 2 litre milk containers. Great work, boys!

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Another Great Night in Mike the Pies

Mundy is pictured here with Caitríona MacCarthy. Photo by Denis Carroll

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Rattoo Abbey in the snow

Padraig O'Connor of Ballyduff photographed the abbey in the snow a few years ago.

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People in The Square on December 6 2015

 Damien O'Mahoney promoting Love Listowel

 Pierse Walsh of John R.'s Food Hall

These two from Apache Piazza on Bridge Road were very popular with the children.

Listowel's tree 2015

 Hanleys and Hanlons

 Flavins

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From Cnoc an Óir

Mike Enright took these great photographs from the top of Cnoc an Óir, outside Ballybunion.

Ballybunion

Ballybunion Golf Club and Cemetery

Mouth of the Cashen

Monastery and tower on Scattery Island

Scattery

Boat in the estuary

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Emigrants full of hope

Vincent Doyle sent me this picture which was taken in 1962. It shows Vincent from Inch, Liam Hayes of Tannavalla and Tommy Behan of St. Brendan's Terrace. These three friends worked together in Moloney's Garage before deciding to set out to explore greener faraway hills. They emigrated to Birmingham.

Vincent later moved to London where he still lives. Liam has returned to Listowel with his wife, Una and sadly, Tommy has passed away.

That's it from Opening Night LWW2015: The forgotten diaspora

John Creedon at Bromore

(photo; Bromore Cliffs on Facebook)

 John Creedon was at the fabulous Bromore Cliffs last week for the filming of his Wild Atlantic Way programme for RTE.

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Still More Photos from Opening Night, Listowel Writers' Week 2015

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Welcome to Kerry

This is a photo from London Irish Centre's Facebook page .

The London Irish centre run a yearly trip in conjunction with Kerry Emigrant Support Group, for 32 vulnerable Irish people who have not returned to Ireland in many years.

They send over a team of volunteers and staff to assist, and Kerry Emigrant Support Group hosts the group and pays for the project which is located in Ballybunion.

Here they are hitting the road at the weekend!

When we talk of emigration these days the image we see is happy young Irish people heading off to Australia of Canada. Many of these land good jobs, stay in touch with home through social media and have a tight and supportive network of friends. 

Things were different in the fifties, when many of Ireland's young people were forced to labour in poorly paid jobs in English cities. Many lost touch with home. Some have no family left here now.This aging population of Irish emigrants are often forgotten about.