Some odds and ends for a Monday

Heather at Bromore Cliffs

(photo: Bromore Cliffs)

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Group of Listowel People

Has anyone any idea who, where, when or why?

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Can Bake; Will Bake

This is Adi Canty from Listowel, winner of one of the National Junior Baking Competition regional finals. The competition is sponsored by Aldi and is in association with Foróige and the National Ploughing Association.The qualifiers of The National Junior Baking Competition were held through Foróige youth clubs and projects nationwide. The National Semi Finals will be held on the 22nd and 23rd of September in the Aldi Marquee at the 2015 National Ploughing Championships Ratheniska, Co. Laois. Two people will be picked from each day and they will go head to head in the final on the 24th of September

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La Place

The new clothes shop in the Square has a name…La Place. 

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Back to Class at Listowel Family Centre

(Photo: Listowel FRC)

Above are some of the beautiful projects made by adult students in the Craft Textile class, run by the VEC in Listowel FRC.

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The countdown has begun

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Solidarity on the shore

This event was organized at short notice but it still made an impact. 

Here is what Lisa Fingleton posted on Facebook to accompany the photo by Rena Blake;

'Solidarity on the Shore' : A candlelight vigil to send light for safe passage and a better life for all refugees. 8pm Friday 4th September. Ladies beach, Ballybunion.What a powerful evening. Thank you to the sixty people who came to show solidarity with refugees on the shore in Ballybunion tonight. Don't forget to bring your clothes etc to Ballybunion Community Centre from 12 next Friday. Photo by Rena Blake"

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Under 10 Winners

Moyvane who won the U10 football competition in Listowel yesterday, Sept 6 2015.

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Winner Alright

I have been following here the fortunes of Sonny Bill, the horse owned by my brother and niece. Yesterday was his last show for this year. He won his class and was declared overall champion of the show in Bantry. What an achievement for a four year old in his first year showing.

The Lartigue and Writers' Week; then and now

The Lartigue is running for the summer

Some of the volunteers who man the service during the tourist season: Toddy Buckley, Brendan Kenny, John MacAulliffe, Junior Griffin, Tim O'Leary and Martin Griffin.

The Lartigue in 1855 when it ran between Listowel and Ballybunion and the restored loco in 2014

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 posted by Limerick Life

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Writers Week 1975

This press cutting which was sent to me by Aidan OMurchú will bring back many happy memories of the early days of our great literary festival.

In 2013 the festival was opened by John Bowman. In 2014 Paul Durkan will do the honours.

It is fitting that Listowel Writers' Week 2014 be opened by a poet because this year sees the awarding for the first time of the Piggott Poetry Prize. This prize will be awarded on opening night May 28 to the writer of a collection of poems which is deemed the best of the over 80 volumns of poetry submitted to the judges. Mark Piggott, the sponsor, will travel from the U.S. to attend the festival and present the prize.
Opening Night this year is a ticketless event. Seats will be allocated on a first come first served basis.


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June holiday Race Meeting

Ladies day will be a feature of the June weekend's racing.

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Mike O'Donnell composed this waltz in memory of Con Houlihan. If I managed to upload it correctly, you will be hearing it played for the first time in Kerry. The pianist is a Russian virtuosa and the piece is called Con Houlihan's waltz.  Enjoy!

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Ard Cúram sod turning ceremony

Árd Cúram is a project to provide day care for Listowel's older people. A hard working committee has worked hard for several years now to bring this initiative to a permanent location. It currently operates three days per week in Listowel Family Centre. On Friday May 16 2014  the first sod was turned in its new permanent location in the grounds of Listowel hospital.
A man who spoke on Friday at the ceremony told us that every good project must have "a dreamer, a doer and knocker". Well, the knocker has been proved wrong and the dream is to be realized because of all the doers in the community.
The final plank of the fundraising is The Ring of Kerry Cycle. A huge team of cyclists is in training and with the support of the community they will raise that vital few extra thousands to see this worthwhile venture over the line.
The first sod was turned by Jimmy Deenihan and Micheál OSuilleabháin and Canon Declan O'Connor blessed the venture.

Mary Moylan, cyclist with Finbar Mawe and community nurses.

Marie Reen, Joan Walshe, Mary Anne O'Connor, Eithne Galvin and Noreen Queally

cyclists, organisers and Canon Declan O'Connor

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Tarbert Cuckoo Walk

If you missed Tarbert's annual walking festival in early May, you can still watch the very interesting promotional video here;

Cuckoo Walk

Listowel people in Lourdes and 38 Shades calendar

This is John Kelliher's beautiful picture of Listowel town square as it looks these nights. The big wheel is proving a great attraction for revealers and photographers.

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This is a group of North Kerry pilgrims pictured recently in Lourdes.

This is my friend Mary with candles she was lighting for special intentions.

Mary again beside the "Kerry Candle". If you look closely you will see that people have put requests on little labels and attached them to the votive candle.

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People passing through Lower William St. and The Small Square on Saturday last were surprised to see lines of men's underwear flapping in the gentle September breeze. All in a good cause though!

It was a clever publicity stunt to alert people to the launch on Saturday night of the fundraising calendar, 38 Shades of Listowel, featuring revealing shots of well known local men.  In a week when female nudity was a hot news topic, Listowel men broke with the trend and bared nearly all.

Calendars are available in Lynchs , The Horseshoe and several locations in town. They cost €10. All the profits go to the rescue services who helped in the recovery of the body of the late John Lynch who lost his life so tragically earlier this year.

 Grab your chance to see some well known local personalities as you have never seen them before.

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An Irish hayfield in 1904, men cutting the hay with scythes and women gathering it up into barrows.

The last of race week

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgP5ZmL6peU&NR=1

Enjoy Fealegood's lovely video  by clicking on the link above

These are some working journalists and presenters who are familiar faces at raceweek.

As promised Donkey Derbies, Wren boys and more

This is a photo of the bookies enclosure at this year's festival. Notice all the electronic screens showing the odds. We, of a certain age, remember the old blackboards and chalk and, of course the tic-tac man. I'm sure there are readers out there with stories of these colourful characters. Nowadays betting information, including on track market moves is sold to the bookies by data collection agencies.

Now to today's anticipated post from Vincent

The two main off course attractions  during raceweek in Listowel were undoubtedly the Donkey Derby  and The All Ireland Wren Boys competition. The late John B. Keane described Listowel Donkey Derby as “A fantastic flight of asses down the historic Church St. course.”

The heyday of the donkey derby coincided with the emergence of one of the best known racing asses called Listowel Factory. This donkey was owned by Paddy Behan of Bunaghara and many of my age will remember his terrific duels with Finuge Lass.

The course for the donkey derby ran from the boy’s school to  Guiney’s in Lower Church St. now Mamma Mia. For health and safety reasons consideration was given at one stage to moving  the derby to Charles St. This would give a straighter course and safer viewing for spectators. At the meeting to discuss this proposal, Mr. Denis Guiney, publican, asked to address the meeting as he heard that they were considering moving the event. He threatened to withdraw his financial support of this event if this happened. The records show that this support amounted to the grand sum of one shilling and six pence.

Another donkey derby memory is that on one race night the well known commentator, Michael O’Hehir was standing on a tea chest giving a live commentary on the action. The same night the excitement of the crowd at the finishing line caused them to surge forward and topple him from his commentary box.

 In a conversation later with Thomas Ashe who was on the original festival committee, he told me that he had been appointed to organize the start of the race. The official starter was none other than Prince Monolulu. The first night over 80 asses turned up at the start. Thomas was wondering whether to hold 10 heats of 8 or 8 heats of 10. When he got in touch by walkie talkie with John B., who was running the event, John B. jokingly suggested that they run all 80 off together.

The Wren Boy competition was started by the festival committee in the fifties. Dr. Johnnie Walsh was the first chairman and John B. was the first M.C. The first competitions were mainly made up of local groups, Killocrim, Ennismore, Dirrah East and Dirrah West. Two of the original “kings” were Jimmy Hennessey and Sonny Canavan.

One memory of mine is of working in a bar in London in the early 1960s and Dr. Johnny accompanied by Jimmy Hennessey in full Wren boy regalia entered the bar. The bar in question was The Devonshire Arms which was popular with film and TV celebrities. One of these, Sir Bruce Seton exclaimed when he saw the goat-skin clad Hennessey beating his bodhran “Good gracious, They’re coming in from the jungle.”

I don’t remember children in the river chanting “Throw me down something”, and I am sure that this tradition only started in the 1970’s.

Nowadays  no horses are stabled in town. There are close to 200 stables at the racecourse.

 The following week it was back to school and life in Listowel resumed as normal. We were left only with memories, which happily we can still recall today.

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John and Noreen O’Connell have contacted me to say how much they are enjoying having their memories of Listowel  Races  in the 50’s refreshed by our recent blog posts.

 Noreen says “ John, being from Curraghatoosane was ensconced in the festival events. He remembers his father, Mick, telling him that the Kigero, a fiddle player from the border between Athea and Kerry ( he lived on the left hand side of the road, after the bridge at the hollow in the road) playing in a shed in the market. He charged 6 pence for a reel and set and hornpipe which the enthusiastic dancers danced to their hearts' delight.  John’s father left his new cap, bought especially for the Races, behind one night, never again to be found!

Noreen and John are not 100% sure of the name. Has anyone else heard tell of this musician?


Update: Confirmation just in that he was called The Kigero. Anyone know why?


Tomorrow blackberries, rabbits and other country pursuits!

Vincent's Race Week memories (part 2)

During raceweek many private houses became eating emporiums overnight, to cater for all the visitors culinary needs. Their windows displayed posters proclaiming, HOT AND COLD MEALS, MEAT PIES, SOUP AND SANDWICHES. These posters would have been procured from the printer, Cuthbertson in advance. He  would also have reams of penny ballad sheets ready for the soon- to -arrive ballad singers who would ply their vocal trades in the streets and pubs of the town during the three days. 


Monies that were made during the week from the the different entrepreneurial ventures were put to good use; rates, fuel for the winter, school fees were paid for, footwear and winter clothing bought and some money could be put away for the rainy day.

The Island bridge was the only entrance to the racecourse from the town itself and one paid to enter here. This allowed entrance to the outside enclosure only.  This was a fully serviced area directly across from the stand. Here also there were bookies, tented bars and a small fun fair. Just like today there was another entrance from the Tralee road up to O' Leary's house. The stand area was much smaller than that of today and there was an extra charge for admittance. 


The island bridge itself in the 1950's was built partially of timber. Horses that were stabled in town accessed the racecourse by means of this bridge. I can clearly remember the sight and  sound of the horses being led to the racecourse  in the midst of the crowd of racegoers. 

Another smell that still prevails in my senses from that time is the particular scent of the trodden grass "coming back from the Island" as people would describe coming home in the evening after the races. At the bridge there were always the three card trick men and their buddies.

The pubs thrived for the week.  At a rough count, I can think of 57 up and running during the 1950s. As evening turned to night and as the drink took hold, singing voices of all standards were raised and Cuthbertson's ballads could be heard in full throttle.

The town's two cinemas, Astor and Plaza, would have two evening performances and Walsh's newly built Super Ballroom had dancing every night.  Mick Delahunty and his orchestra were regulars, aided and abetted by the resident orchestra.A game known as Pongo (a forerunner of Bingo) was played in St. Patrick's Hall.

Jack McKenna had a very interesting contraption in one of his smaller shop windows in Market Street. It was called a continuous projector. At night it showed Movie Tone News.  This included footage from the year's Grand National and highlights of The Cup Final. 


The demise of the "tinkers market" came with the building of the mart in the late 50s. For a number of years they relocated to the bank of the river, near where Carroll's yard is now. As their mode of transport, i.e. horse drawn caravans, disappeared from our roads in the 1960's so ended this era of traveller tradition at the races.

Vincent's Race Week memories (part 1)

Vincent Carmody has shared with us his memories of Race Weeks in the 1950's. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about The Harvest Festival of Racing in a different era. I hope you enjoy the following account too.  

This is surely the one week of the year that Listowel people, no matter where in the world they find themselves, will harbour nostalgic thoughts of their home town and the magic that race week brings. Everyone will have different memories and the following are some of mine.

The build up to the week started nearly immediately after returning to school after the summer holidays.
Writing compositions on the week of the races or a trip to the Island.

The nineteen fifties Race Week of which I write consisted of three days racing, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Paul Kennelly from Ballinruddery making several trips around the town with his hay cart, firstly, dropping of the large concrete stands in which the poles that the multicolored buntings would stand, when these would be in place. He was accompanied by his sons who would climb large trestle ladders and string the buntings from pole to pole. For a while it was the practice to tie bunches of ivy on to the poles.  This was discontinued after some unfortunate hungry ass, who had been tied to a pole, starting eating the only green within his range and died on the spot. Little was Paul Kennelly to know as he decorated the town that two of his sons would make their mark at another racing festival at another time and in another country, I refer to Martin (Murt) Kennelly and his brother Sheamus, who won the 1983 Cheltenham Gold Cup with their horse Bregawn.

Birds amusements would have have arrived at the weekend and would be ready to open on the Monday night, the bumpers and chair o planes were the main attraction, they were always in the back market. The front market( prior to the building of the Mart premises in 1960) was known as the tinkers market. Very many travelers, from all over, would have their horse drawn caravans parked in rows inside the wall at Market Street. The lower side of this yard contained many sideshows and rows of swinging boats owned by independent operators. The colourful sight of the tinkers caravans at night time with the timber fueled bonfires burning outside have remained in my senses since. 

On the Monday evening special trains would arrive at the railway station transporting racehorses. They would then be walked down through the streets and back-ways to the different stable yards where they would be billeted for the week. Hay, straw and the tack would follow, brought from the train by Joe Stokes or Jet Carroll on their long cars. Most of the stabling was privately owned, however the race company had fifty stables at the back of William Street (below the Creamery yard), now a public car park.

On each race morning there was an opportunity to make handy money, the Race Company had their town office upstairs at Leanes in the Square (Harnett's chemist shop). One could buy race cards there for nine pence, and sell them at one shilling. Having bought them, there was a ready market with the throngs of people alighting from trains and buses, each race day there were four special trains as well as the regular ones. These would come from Dublin, Limerick, Newcastlewest and Tralee. Buses would transport people from places not serviced by the railway.

 Many private houses became eating houses overnight to cater for these travelers culinary needs. Posters would have been procured from  the printer Cuthbertson in advance. These posters usually proclaimed hot and cold meals and meat pies.


To be continued....

Prince Monolulu

 
This man was a colourful character who was a regular visitor to Listowel Races.

Ras Prince Monolulu (1881 St Croix, Danish West Indies - 14 February 1965 Middlesex HospitalLondon), whose real name was Peter Carl Mackay (or McKay), was something of an institution on the British horse racing scene from the 1920s until the time of his death.^[1] He was particularly noticeable for his brightly coloured clothing; as a tipster, one of his best known phrases was the cry "I gotta horse!", which was subsequently the title of his memoirs.^[2][3] He frequently featured in newsreel broadcasts, and as a consequence was probably the most well-known black man in Britain of the time.^[4]
Although claiming to be a chief of the Falasha tribe of Abyssinia, the reality is that he came from the Caribbean island of St Croix (now part of the United States Virgin Islands). He styled himself as a Prince after being press-ganged on one occasion, assuming that a prince would be far less likely to be shanghaied.
During World War I he was interned in Germany at the Ruhleben Prisoner of War Camp.
He rose to prominence after picking out the horse Spion Kop (cf. Battle of Spion Kop) in the 1920 Derby, which came in at the long odds of 100-6, and from which he personally made some £8,000, a vast amount of money at the time.
The biography of Jeffrey Bernard by Graham Lord describes Prince Monolulu's death in some detail. It describes how Bernard at the time was working as a horse racing journalist and visited Monolulu in the Middlesex Hospital to interview him. Bernard had brought with him a box of 'Black Magic' chocolates and offered Monolulu a 'strawberry cream'. Monolulu subsequently choked to death on it and Bernard bade him farewell.^[5]
The baptism of Monolulu (as Peter Carl McKay, on 26 October 1881) has been traced in the records of the English Episcopal Church of the Danish West Indies. His father, whose name is not shown in the register, was William Henry McKay and his mother was Catherine Heyliger.^[6]
His family (father and brothers) were horse breeders, raisers and racers on St Croix though they were more conventional. There was a case in the 1920s where their knowledge of superior horses was used against a gambler who perpetrated the murder of a child to make a horse win through black magic.
He appears briefly in the 1952 film Derby Day which is set around the Epsom Derby.

I have lifted all of this information from Wikipaedia but I know that lots of older Listowel people remember  him. Anyone like to share a memory with us?

P.S. I know that some people are encountering trouble with posting comments. If you send any stories to me at listowelconnection@gmail.com I'll give you the credit when I post them. Meanwhile there are a few interesting comments on the first page of this blog.

First day of The Races 2011

Listowel's very own Hollywood has arrived to the market yard.

It's a pity that the weather is letting us down but spirits are high. There is a good buzz in town. Shops are busy and the hurdy gurdies were going all night last night. Ruby Walsh is making his comeback on the racecourse so we are set for good week. There are lots of the old on-street attractions which had been missing for a few years making a return too. There will be a barman's race, a wheelie bin race and live entertainment on a gig rig. There is also a novel jockeys, bookies and uncle Tom Cobbly and all type football match planned. That could be a hoot! 

Countdown to The Races

The town is in full bloom. Everywhere is fresh and clean.

Houses are getting their annual facelift.

 Summer attractions like the live theatre in The Seanchaí are drawing to a close.

The road works on the bridge are finishing. My photo shows tarring in progress yesterday.

All of this can only mean one thing. Listowel's Harvest Festival of Racing is upon us. Yipee! and a big céad míle fáilte to all our visitors. May you lose a penny and find a pound.