Ballybunion, Listowel Town Park, Postboxes and Cashen fishermen

Heron at Fota

photo; Chris Grayson



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More from St. John's Ballybunion

Above are the priest's tombs, below is the side entrance.

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Commemorative Garden coming along nicely

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Seeing Double in North Main Street, Cork

On a recent visit to Cork I was surprised to spot these two mailboxes side me side in North Main Street. There must have been huge volumes of mail in this part of town once upon a time.

The boxes are from different eras as you can see from the different designs.

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Cashen Fishermen in the 1980s

Photo and caption from Cashen Connections on Facebook

April 1958

(Lt) to (Rt) : Seamus Rourke, Jamsie (Mac) Mc Ellistrim, Willie Stack-Sullivan, Richie (Mouse) Diggin, Behind Richie: Willie Mc Carthy, Sean Rochford, Francie Diggin, Jackie Stack-Sullivan, John Neill, Johnny Healy, Mikey Reddon, Behind Mikey : John Carthy, Far background: John Patrick(John Taid ) Sullivan
All gone but not forgotten!

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Cycling News

Stage 2 of Rás Mumhan will start in Listowel on the Easter Weekend 2017

Easter Garden at St. Mary's, Pillar Postboxes and a circus tent blows down in Listowel in 1862

(Photo; Chris Grayson )

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Easter Garden in St. Mary's Listowel

For the past few years Martha Woulfe has been creating a beautiful Easter garden in the sanctuary at St. Mary's. This year's, 2016, is her best yet.

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Postboxes revisited

Michael O'Sullivan wrote to me on the subject of the local postboxes. He reminded me that the one pictured below is over 100 years old because it is an Edward V11 and he died in 1910.  Michael writes "The last Victorian box I heard about was in Knockanure up to about ten years ago but is not there now."
( I wonder what happened to it.)

The above box is in Bray, Co. Wicklow. It is a Penfold design and there were only 150 of this design in Ireland

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A Circus Tent Blows down leading to a court case in 1862

 Monday, 01 December, 1862; (From the archives of The Irish Examiner)

CITY SESSIONS—THIS DAY.

John Davit v. Thomas Hogini. This was an action to recover £19 6s,
stated to be due to the plaintiff on a contract entered into with the
defendant. The plaintiff is a band master, and contracted to supply
the defendant who owns a circus  with a band of six performers and a
big drum—seven in all—for the sum of £9  13s. a-week. He now sued for
a fortnights salary.

The plaintiff, examined, stated that be had been some time with the
defendant and was paid his salary up to the 8th Nov. From the 8th to
24th however, he got nothing. He produced his letter of engagement
which was written by Mrs Hogini, the defendant's wife. He was still in the
defendant's employment, and had been paid regularly since the 21th Nov.

In reply to Mr. Blake, the witness stated that there were no
performances during the fortnight for which he was now suing. The
defendant's tent was blown down while they were performing in Listowel
and they did not perform again until the defendant opened a circus in
Cork. He did not, therefore, give the defendant a single " blast" for
the £19 6s. Mrs. Hogini had promised to pay him. 

He was not
disemployed for the fortnight, from the 8th to 24th, by Mr Hogini for
his engagement, was for the whole of the winter season. For the
defence, Mr. Blake examined Mr. Hogini, who deposed that all the
company were disemployed after the accident at Listowel, as they had
no place to perform in. When they were coming into Cork together he
recommended Davis to give concerts, and said that he would help him.
Davis did not come near him for a week, and he did not know what Davis
did during that time. His Worship asked who had to pay the bandsmen
during the fortnight they were idle. " Davis said that he had. His
Worship said he should give a decree for the amount claimed, payable
at the rate of £1 a week. Agent for plaintiff—Mr. M. J. Collins. For
defendant—Mr J C Blake.

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Lofty's

John Kelliher scanned this photograph from one of his old negatives.

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Annual Clean up Under Way

The photo below was taken at 8.00 a.m. on Saturday morning last as most of us were still in bed. It shows local volunteers heading out on the clean up. They collected 100 bags of litter from the approach roads to town.

Photo: Listowel Tidy Towns

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One Listowel man was out early on Saturday morning April 2 2016, doing his bit to keep Listowel tidy.

Old postboxes, shop changes and Josie Enright, dancer

Beautiful Ballybunion

Another beautiful Ballybunion sunset by Mike Enright

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Old post boxes

I have a fascination with old post boxes. I photographed this one in East Ferry recently. It dates from the reign of Queen Victoria. There is another Victorian one in Macroom. I spotted it one day while stuck in traffic.
Why do I mention this now?
I recently read in tourist literature for Guernsey that that island's St. Peter Port claims to have the oldest postbox still in use in the British Isles. Their one is on Union Street and it was put in place in 1853.

Queen Victoria came to the throne in 1838. Could we be about to burst Guernsey's bubble? How do we find out?

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Then and Now

Veterinary Centre, The Square

Cheryl's Vintage Shop

Halo on Church St.

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Josie Enright, renowned Irish dancer from Moyvane

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London Irish

The London Irish Centre recently added these photos to its website. The people in the photos are not identified but I'm sure the scenes will be familiar to many of my older readers.

The rooms were fairly cell like.

It must be Sunday, judging by the suit and tie.

Christmas Social

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Earth to Echo and a random act of kindness

When my grandchildren are on holiday with me, one of our preferred rainy day outings is to the cinema. This time we went to see Earth to Echo in the intimate Screen 3 at Listowel Classic Cinema. The film, reminiscent of E.T. was actually quite good.
As we made our way to the cinema along the John B. Keane Road we met Billy Keane out walking. Billy put his hand in his pocket and stood to the two boys in memory of their grandfather, Jim Cogan, whom Billy always acknowledges as having contributed to his education. Such random acts of generosity are more rare nowadays and the boys told me that they only ever experience this type of  spontaneous generosity in Kerry. Some traditions are worth keeping. Standing to children is one of them.

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Daniel O'Donnell and Dolores Keane in the INEC recently  (photo Facebook)

Changes at An Post in Listowel

Postal  staff in Listowel, Lyreacrompane, Lixnaw, Lisselton, Ballybunion, Asdee, Ballylongford, Tarbert and Moyvane have moved to the new Listowel Delivery Service Unit at Caherdown.

The unit formerly housed the Imperial Stag factory.

The new facility includes a purpose fitted mails processing operation.

An Post says the move was fully agreed at national level by the company and union representing staff and is a common feature of An Post mails operations around the country.

The new Listowel Delivery Service Unit will house thirty postal staff.

This includes eighteen who were formerly based in Listowel, two each from Moyvane, Lixnaw, Ballybunion, and Tarbert and one each from Asdee, Ballylongford, Lisselton, and Lyreacrompane.

Undelivered mail and parcels will still be collected at those local post offices.

An Post says these custom-designed Delivery Offices enable it to provide a better quality and more efficient service for customers.

(information from Radio Kerry website)

When I called to Cahirdown to bring you news and photos, I was greeted by my former pupil and erstwhile postwoman, the lovely Claire Sweeney. She introduced me to her new boss, Jer.

The fine new airy spacious building is super wheelchair friendly. 

Well done, An Post

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Postboxes, old and new

Postbox at the new facility in Cahirdown

Postboxes at the post office

This is now; that was then

There is a post box at Convent Cross. It dates from another era in our country's history.

You can just make out the words Post office under the many layers of paint.

This is the postbox at Leahy's Corner.

The old ones were certainly more attractive looking and add something to the streets cape. The new ones are merely functional.

Post bikes in for running repairs at iBike

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The caption on this one says "Man playing the harmonica and boy playing the spoons at a pub in Kerry in 1974."

Any ideas?

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