Shrove and Bikers

Today is Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras. In places Shrove is celebrated with a carnival. The words carn and vale mean farewell to the flesh.  Shrove Tuesday is the last day before Lent, traditionally a time for abstinence from all the pleasures of the flesh.

A rule in christiandom since the middle ages forbade people to eat meat or any dairy products including eggs during Lent. This was a very harsh deprivation for Irish people whose diet was heavily reliant on milk and eggs.

On Shrove Tuesday any surplus milk eggs and butter were used up in the making of pancakes. This was a last fling before the austerity of Lent.

Shrove, in ancient Ireland, was the time to get married. It was considered one's civic duty to marry and raise a family and unmarried people had no status and were horribly bullied in 17th and 18th century Ireland. Some of these reprehensible customs even continued in parts of Kerry into the 19th and early 20th. century.

Since one could not marry during Lent there was always a rush to marry during Shrove. Nearly every parish in Ireland had at least one wedding on Shrove Tuesday. Some of us remember that Peig Sayers got married on Shrove Tuesday and she mentions in her autobiography that there were "alán póstaí eile ar an mBuailtín" on the same day.

Those who did not marry and were considered of marriageable age had their names put on the Skelligs List. There was a tradition that Lent began a week later on Skellig so people who missed the boat in Kerry were shipped off to Skellig where they had another week to find a mate.

According to Kevin Danaher in "The Year in Ireland" Shrove Tuesday was a time when "practical jokes on hardened bachelors were allowed by custom". He says that in Tralee delinquent bachelors were serenaded with 'music' on buckets and tin cans. We can only suppose that this horrid custom was also practised in Listowel.

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After my lesson in social history I have a few photos for you.

I took this photo on Saturday last. North Kerry and west Limerick bikers were gathered at The New Kingdom in Church St. for their annual poker run in aid of Nano Nagle school.

A great day out was had by the bikers and much needed funds were raised for the school. Well done everyone!

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How's this for parking? Photo taken in Listowel on Saturday week.

Yes, I am reliably informed that this car was parked!

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The governor of Montana is to visit Ireland. Read more here

  http://www.irishcentral.com/roots/Montana-governor-to-visit-Ireland--to-celebrate-Irish-ties-and-history-139687333.html?utm_source=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

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Finally here is a link to a recipe for a Michelin star pancake

http://www.rte.ie/news/morningireland/index.html

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P.S. If you are going to back anything at Cheltenham listen to Ruby first. Here's the link,

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/racing/ruby-tips-bob-for-festival-glory-184479.html

Back to the grind...

My two lovely grandsons have returned to their parents and to school so now I can give more time to the task of blogging. One of the perks of being a  Listowel Nana is that you get an excuse to visit Kerry again as a tourist and to enjoy the brilliant child friendly treats our lovely county offers.

This is our path to the playground beside the pitch and putt course.

Here are my two boys on our daily visit to Flavin's, our local independent newsagent. Flavin's is an old fashioned shop with a friendly service and an ambiance that harks back to bygone parochial times in Ireland.

Our heroes dividing the spoils. In the background is The Dandy Lodge in The Town Park.

I took this photograph on one of our days out. We were in Kennedy's pet farm outside Killarney. If you are on holiday in Kerry with children you must go here. My picture shows the boys feeding Bambi.

They got to handle and cuddle the puppies. They saw baby chicks, hamsters, rabbits, lambs, calves and newborn piglets. They were even chased by a turkey cock; in short they experienced all the delights of the old fashioned mixed farmyard of my childhood. We take children to zoos to show them exotic animals but of equal importance is a chance to see, close up, the everyday animals of the Irish farmyard.

Kennedy's have all the bases covered. There is a huge indoor play area with a sand pit, 'sit and rides' and  a children's wonderland in the form of a vast wooden play area.

Even though the weather was still a bit chilly, no trip to Listowel would be complete without taking in Ballybunion.

Here are the boys in Listowel town square having a run on one of the low wall features.

Last week was a lovely family time for me. I thank God every day for the great blessing of living long enough to get to know my grandchildren.

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My old photograph is not totally unrelated.

This lovely family portrait was shared by my friend, Maureen Connolly. It shows 3 generations of her family, the Leahy family of Knockanure. One of the Leahy brothers is not present. The photo was taken before he was born. It is such a precious record of family.

My Silver River Feale

This is a piece of tree that has been swept downstream in recent weeks. Doesn't it look like some kind of arachnoid monster.

A photographer friend took this lovely picture of the "monster" with the bridge in the background.

The bridge 

On my way home from the river I photographed the ball alley. What a pity some vandals have marred the good work of our young people in painting murals there in previous years.

On my way through The Square I noticed our new parking ticket machines.

Listowel Printing Works/Easons is getting there. 

Jubilees

This is the year of the Queen of England's diamond jubilee.

The Diamond Jubilee takes place in 2012, marking 60 years of The Queen’s reign. The Queen came to the throne on 6th February 1952 (her Coronation took place on 2nd June 1953).

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Here is telegram sent for another diamond jubilee.

This telegram shows a message in French from King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola of Belgium congratulating President Eamon de Valera and his wife Sinéad on the occasion of their 60th/diamond wedding anniversary on 8 January 1970.


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Now a date for the diary:

On St. Patrick's Day this is what NKRO have planned.

Meanwhile, I enjoyed this

I think you will too.

Titanic Windows

The Coleman who executed these marvelous windows has a Knockanure grandmother. Jer Kennelly brought us this story.

Stained Glass Windows
St Patrick's Church, Lahardane

County Mayo, West of Ireland

'Titanic Rescue' and 'Emigration' Stained Glass Windows

In 2011 a dream became a reality with the installation of two specially commissioned stained glass windows in St Patrick's Church, Lahardane. The windows were the inspiration of the Addergoole Titanic Society, as part of the preparation to commemorate the centenary of the sinking of RMS Titanic with the Mayo Titanic Cultural Week 8th - 15th April 2012. Fourteen people boarded Titanic from the locality in April 1912, eleven perished.

*Photo courtesy KM Noone Photography, Lahardane Co Mayo Ireland*

Designed by local artist Michael Coleman of Whitethorn Studios, the task of constructing the windows went to Art Glass in Derry, who also has the commission to create the stained glass dome ceiling in the re-created ballroom of the new signature building in Belfast's Titanic Quarter.
The two stained glass windows, one entitled 'Emigration' and the other 'The Titanic Rescue', required research with an eye for detail, as well as respect for those who perished and those who survived.
Fortunately, present day descendants of the Addergoole Fourteen have kept this story committed to memory and the windows are a memorial to their ancestors. The windows are appropriately placed either side of the existing marble memorial plaque, which was placed in St Patrick's Church in 2002, to honour the memory of the fourteen emigrants who sailed on RMS Titanic in 1912.
The Titanic Window, depicting Boat 16 being lowered, is based on what Addergoole survivor, Annie Kate Kelly, who became Sister Patrick Joseph, an Adrian Dominican Sister in Michigan USA, remembered. Annie was standing in line waiting to enter Boat 16. A man accompanying two woman was refused entry. One woman said: "I'll not leave my husband", and the other "I'll not leave my brother". They were Catherine and Mary Bourke from Addergoole. Annie, next in line, was given a place. As the lifeboat was lowered she looked up and saw her cousin, Pat Canavan, and the others including James Flynn. As the window depicts, Pat was holding his rosary beads and waving.
The lifeboat's capacity was 65, but it was not full. Eleven other passengers who also boarded at Queenstown were saved in this boat, which was lowered at about 1.20am. Eight were from County Longford and three from County Galway. A Galway survivor, Ellie Mockler from Caltra, also became a nun with the Sisters of Mercy.
*Photo courtesy KM Noone Photography, Lahardane Co Mayo Ireland*
The Titanic Window is likely to be one of the very few church windows, worldwide, dedicated to Titanic victims. Equally the Society is not aware of any church window in the country dedicated to Emigration. Significantly, these windows stand alongside the 'Harry Clark' classic church window of the Madonna and Child, a triumphant trio of church craftsmanship for all to see in St Patrick's Church, Lahardane.
American descendants of the three survivors generously donated the cost of the Titanic Window. Then Society members, Bridie Syron and David Donoghue, descendants of 'The Addergoole Fourteen', secured funding for the Emigration Window from other descendants in America and the UK of those lost. Donations were also received from other local descendants and from people with an interest in the Addergoole Titanic story.
The official dedication and blessing of both windows takes place on Sunday 15th April, as part of the Cultural Week, 8th to 15th April 2012 and will be a lasting legacy to the memory of all Lahardane emigrants.

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Last week I met Mrs. McAulliffe in Catch of the Day as she was buying some fish.

Time was when we all bought our fish in MacAulliffe's. Mrs MacAulliffe remembers when mackerel was one shilling. In those days there used to be a long queue outside her shop every Thursday and Friday. I remember queues down the street as far as Scully's Corner on Holy Thursdays.

On my way home from town I met these two boys spraying the weeds and keeping Listowel looking beautiful.

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NKRO's festival date is confirmed for the week beginning August 3 2012. The week's events will run until August 10. If you want help in locating ancestors or  relatives prior to your visit, please contact

info@northkerryreachingout.com

Committee members, remember tonight's meeting in The Seanchaí at 8.00 p.m.

Keep an eye on the Facebook page or follow us on twitter to keep abreast of plans.

Love is in the air.

This has to be the most unusual Valentine's Day present of all; "In 1835 an Irish Carmelite by the name of John Spratt was visiting Rome. He was well known in Ireland for his skills as a preacher and also for his work among the poor and destitute in Dublin’s Liberties area. He was also responsible for the building of the new church to Our Lady of Mount Carmel at Whitefriar Street. While he was in Rome he was asked to preach at the famous Jesuit Church in the city, the Gesu. Apparently his fame as a preacher had gone before him, no doubt brought by some Jesuits who had been in Dublin. The elite of Rome flocked to hear him and he received many tokens of esteem from the doyens of the Church. One such token came from Pope Gregory XVI (1831-1846) and were the remains of Saint Valentine.   On November 10, 1836, the Reliquary containing the remains arrived in Dublin and were brought in solemn procession to Whitefriar Street Church where they were received by Archbishop Murray of Dublin. With the death of Fr Spratt interest in the relics died away and they went into storage. During a major renovation in the church in the 1950s/60s they were returned to prominence with an altar and shrine being constructed to house them and enable them to be venerated. The statue was carved by Irene Broe and depicts the saint in the red vestments of a martyr and holding a crocus in his hand." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Valentine's Day in 21st century Listowel - some shop windows ______________________ And from Noreen O'Connell an old love story, a lovely photo of her grandparents; And Noreen's own wedding photo Check out this site for an account of Ireland's 10 most famous couples http://www.eneclann.ie/2012/02/ten-greatest-irish-lovers/ You might like to visit this site to read  about Ireland's greatest love symbol, the Claddagh ring; http://www.irishamericanmom.com/2012/02/13/the-claddagh-ring-irelands-enduring-symbol-of-friendship-faith-love-and-loyalty/

Hard times, hard times come again no more...

On my way to the library I spotted  these daffodils struggling to break through a thorny bush.
Where there's a will there's a way.

In this little essay, Vincent Carmody reminds us that children of the boom are not the first to experience hard times. Been there, done that.

The euphoria of what was the Celtic Tiger has long since vanished and people are now readjusting to what many foolishly think is living life on the bread line. As one who remembers growing up in Listowel in the 1950’s, I can recall that most people just had about enough to live on, but they just got on with their lives and as I remember would go out of their way to help each other. There was a greater sense of neighbourliness than there exists today. 

Then if you got a tear in your pants, there was a patch put on it, likewise socks that were holed were not replaced at once, they were darned. Shoes when needing repair were taken to a shoemaker and only when he would deem them irrepairable would a new pair be bought. Many (myself included) would take off our shoes and go barefoot during summer days.

Most families would deem themselves very lucky to be able to go to Ballybunion on a Sunday during the summer. Spain, or any of the must go holiday destinations of our recent past were only to be found in school geography’s or atlases. Very few people owned telephones. These, when required, were availed of in certain pubs or shops who offered a public telephone service. Not every house had a radio and televisions were a generation away. Most fun was to be had outside the home and games were made up by children themselves. DVDs, Consoles, Nintendos and, dare I say Computers, were at the time, light years away.

Christmas came just the once in the year and was eagerly looked forward to. Santa’s gifts, for boys most likely guns and holsters, a hat and tin badge, games such as Snakes and Ladders and Ludo, or for the more mechanical, Mecano sets, and the girls, a doll and pram. These presents would be valued for the year and only discarded as a last resort, again when irrepairable.

Life back then was uncomplicated, ordinary people in the main requiring simple everyday things.

I would like to share with the blog readers some draw tickets which I have unearthed. It seems that no permit was sought; the details are as follows.

(1)                       TO BE DRAWN FOR        

                              At the market Listowel

                           On Sunday 8^th March 1931

                            A splendid Silver Watch

                           …………………………..

                        The property of Michael Walsh

                          Tickets ………………6d each

(2)                                     TO BE DRAWN FOR

                                    At Michael Doyle’s Dromin

                                  On Saturday 19^th May 1929

                                        A Splendid Bicycle

                               The property of Michael O Brien

                                 ………………………………..

                             Tickets ………………………1/- Each

              And the third one which I think is real social history.

(3)  No. 344                       BAZAAR AND 

                        

                                  Grand Drawing of Prizes

                          Fé Comhairle Ceanntair Sinn Féin, Ciarraidhe Thuaidh

                                                                      PRIZES

                   1. Photo of Austin Stack.      3 Six of our North

                                                                Kerry Martyrs.

                  2. Alarm Clock.                    4 A Watch.

                          Luach………………………….6d

   Drawing starts at 7.30 p.m. in the Hall at BEDFORD, LISTOWEL.

  on January 26^th. 1930.

 

                                   EIRE  SAOR. EIRE SÉANMHAR.

A very different Ireland indeed. Thank you, Vincent.




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Some photos to show that we still retain some of the old ways

Photo taken through Jimmy Hickey's cobbler's shop window.

 Sign on Mc Kenna's door

On Jackie MacGillicuddy's

Kay's Children's Shop