St. Patrick's Day 2019, Death of a Rev. Mother, Pres. footballers and a poem for Mothering Sunday

Ballybunion in March 2019

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Some Stalwarts of Listowel Parades

Seán Moriarty provides a running commentary in The Small Square.

Charlie Nolan recording it all from the viewing platform.

Listowel 2019 Parade by Charlie Nolan

Denis Carroll records the day for us on the street. His lovely video of this year's St. Patrick's Day  is at the link below.

St. Patrick's Day 2019 in Listowel

Billy Keane was back on the stand in 2019 doing his MCing.

Tim O'Leary and Donal O'Sullivan

Liam Brennan as St. Patrick blesses us all.

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St. Patrick Joins in The Fun

 St. Patrick dances with Mary Twomey  on St. Patrick's Day 2019

 Meeting and greeting

And we all head home, St. Patrick's Day done and dusted for another year.

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Death of Rev. Mother in 1919

Kerry News, Friday, August 01, 1919
(An Appreciation by a grateful patient) Condensed

DEATH of Rev Mother Michael, Superioress of St Bridgid’s Convent of Mercy, Listowel. Requiem High Mass was celebrated on Sunday 13th at the lovely little-church attached to the Mercy Convent, by the Most Rev. Dr. O'Sullivan, Lord Bishop of Kerry, with the Very Rev. Fr. Breen, S.T.L., President St Brendan's Seminary, Killarney, and the Rev. T. Trant, P.P.,Ballymacelligott, her nephew, as deacon and sub-deacon ; Very Rev. Canon O'Riordan, P.P., V.F., Boherbee, as Master of Ceremonies. There was also present in the Sanctuary the Very Rev Dean O'Leary. P.P.. V.G.. Tralee, and the Rev. Fathers , Ferris, Behan and Conlon, O.P. Several members of the Christian Brothers from the Industrial Schools were also in attendance.
Amongst the chief mourners were- Sisters Benedict and Catherine (nieces) Rev. T. Trant, P.P.: Dr Trant. J.P. : Mr. P. Trant, J.P., and Mr Michael O’Connell, Clerk of the Union (nephews) Miss Danagher, Mrs O’Connell (sisters) Miss M. A. O'Connell, Miss B O’Connell, Miss N O’Connell, (nieces); Miss Nora Trant. Mrs. S. Fuller and the Misses O'Connell (grand nieces); Messrs P. Trant. junr., and D Trant (grand nephews} : etc.. etc. A full list of the general public is out of the question.

Rev Mother Michael came to Listowel some 36 years to take over charge, of the Union Hospital and let it be said that from the very start her work was cut out for her, for the Hospital Buildings though large enough were anything but sanitary or comfortable. Uninviting, rough, whitewashed, walls, straw beds, small apertures in the Walls instead of windows a room only fit for a stable to hear mass in were only a few of the many unsightly objects that met the view of Rev. Mother Michael and her faithful little band of nuns when first she entered the then unhallowed walls of the Listowel Workhouse. The change for the better which she wrought in this establishment would if described fully read like a chapter from Fairyland. The sisters transformed the place.

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Presentation Secondary School Team

I think this is a football team back in the day

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Richard Moriarty sent this poem home to us for Mothers' Day

MY MOTHER

DEDICATED TO MOMS EVERYWHERE

WHILE WE’RE TOLD IN SONG AND STORY

OF PEOPLE OF RENOWN

BE THEY WRITERS, POETS OR CONGRESSMEN

OR KINGS WHO WEAR A CROWN

IT’S INSCRIBED THERE IN THE PAGES

THEIR NAMES AND WHERE THEY’RE FROM

BUT I BELIEVE THE UNSUNG HERO

IS THE PERSON KNOWN AS MOM

SHE’S THE ONE WE ALWAYS TURNED TO

WHENEVER THINGS WENT WRONG

THE GENTLE HAND THAT DRIED OUR TEARS

WHILE SHE HUMMED SOME SILLY SONG

SHE WAS ALWAYS THERE TO GREET US

AND HELP US ON OUR WAY

WITH THAT SPECIAL TOUCH

THAT MEANT SO MUCH

AND A GENTLE WORD TO SAY

AND THERE WERE TIMES WHEN

WE CAUSED YOU PAIN

AND TREATED YOU UNKIND

BUT ALL THE WHILE YOU’D SOFTLY SMILE

OH, HOW COULD WE BE SO BLIND

BUT YOU ARE THE ONE WE DO ADORE

AND LOVE LIKE WE COULD NO OTHER

WE THANK YOU GOD FOR GIVING US

SUCH A SPECIAL CARING MOTHER

Richard G. Moriarty

Lartigue Theatre, Jim Dunn's Mural in The Square and an old play

Listowel Town Square, June 21 2018

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Many Hands Make Light Work

Jim and Liz Dunn work well as a team. But I don't think Liz would really claim to be an artist. To illustrate that this was a project in which anyone can have a go Liz took up a brush and coloured in a bit.

From the wife of an artist to the mother of an artist, Helen Moylan chanced her arm at painting in a section. She did a good job too.

In between interruptions/assistance, Jim took the opportunity to advance his project a bit.

 Next up was Seán Comerford. Seán displayed an amazing (to me anyone) aptitude for this kind of thing. He is actually a quite good artist.

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Listowel's Millennium Arch in 2018

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Friends' Meeting

Summer in Kerry is a great time for meeting up with old friends

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From the John Hannon Archive

The late Eleanor Moore and Mark Walsh

Seán Moriarty

The play was in The Lartigue. Seán told me that he remembers a matinee dress rehearsal for children to iron out any glitches in the production. At one stage Seán's character tells Getta Grogan's character that he would like a brandy. As she is pouring the drink, he overhears one child saying to another, "She is giving him whiskey and he asked for brandy."

Seán also remembers Mark Walsh's character is shot. In rehearsal they just made a gunshot noise but in this final dress rehearsal, they had a genuine sound effect and Sean says he saw the fear in Mark's eyes as he feared that the very real looking gun was an actual loaded firearm.

Happy days in the old Lartigue.

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Opening Soon

At 53 Church Street

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His Dream Job for a Genial Listowel Young Man

Story and picture from Mark Boylan of Racing Post

A familiar voice will greet racegoers in the post-Dessie Scahill commentary era with Jerry Hannon set to become Ireland’s primary racecourse commentator.

Scahill will depart from the commentary box on July 26 following an end to his contract with the Association of Irish Racecourses (Air).

Hannon said: “My dream has become a reality. I’m very grateful to the association for recognising the hard yards and sacrifices made over an 18-year period to get to this point.

“It’s on days like these that my late dad and the late Liam Healy are very much in my thoughts.”

The 37-year-old, who began his commentary career in pony racing in 1999, said of Scahill’s influence: “He’s been an inspiration of mine and I wish him all the best for his retirement.”

Paddy Walsh, chief executive of Air, said of the decision: “The model we have operated off in the past has been with one full-time worker for the association who looks after most of the commentaries and that has historically been Dessie. Jerry has been absorbing that role over the past number of years and he will now take over that function.”

Scahill’s retirement and Hannon’s increased role will lead to opportunities for new faces to join the commentary roster, according to Walsh, with Gary O’Brien expected to feature on the schedule, although plans have yet to be finalised.

Walsh added: “We have a panel of commentators to choose from when we have double meetings, holidays and other events. Peter O’Hehir and Richard Pugh have been members of the panel for a long number of years and they will continue to fulfil roles with us. We hope to be adding another couple of names to that group.

Saturday will mark Scahill’s final commentary of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby and the 69-year-old said that although he felt he could have continued on a reduced schedule he had no complaints about the decision.

Walsh said: “I can’t get into the details of arrangements we have with Dessie or any of our other employees but all I can tell you is that arrangements for Dessie’s retirement were all done in full consultation – and agreement – with himself.

“I’d like to wish him all the best on his future as he’s been a great contributor to us for a long time, giving us great service.”