Listowel changes

One little corner of Listowel is badly hit by the downturn.

I only moved a few paces to take these three photos yesterday. Sad!

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This was the scene in Cahirdown last week as a new pedestrian crossing was being put in place outside Topaz.

As you can see the crossing is between the entrance and the exit of the busy filling station.

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This corner looks great now.

And this one.

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Kay Caball of Find Your Kerry Ancestors has a great blogpost here:
http://mykerryancestors.com/blog/

Muiris OSuilleabháin was one of the famous Blasket writers. Kay tells us that his daughter was a friend of Anne Moloney's. This is what she says:

Muiris’ s daughter Máire Ní Shúilleabháin-UíChiobháin, who is now a retired Nurse. living in Galway.   My  sister-in-law, Anne Moloney (Scully) got this lovely letter from Máire reminiscing about their schooldays  in Dingle.  

We left Connemara in 1954, four years after my father, Muiris Ó Súilleabháin, had drowned.   At this point his sister Eibhlín, nó Neilí Sheáin Lís, had died in Springfield and also her brother Séan – both in their forties – of heart disease or heartache and loneliness.   A mixture of all I would say, as their sister Máire had returned to Ireland and married Pádraig Ó Ciobháin, and settled in Carraig, Baile na nGall.  Máire was the eldest of the three Súilleabháins who had lived in Springfield.  It was said that Máire leaving to go home affected them greatly and thit an tóin as an sail and cailleadh le huaigneas an bheirt.  Níor phos cheachtar acu.

   This left my father Muiris, who was drowned in 1950 and Mike who was now a tailor in Dingle, married to Hannah Philí Ni Chearna, with no family.  Mike had served his time in the tailoring trade with the Lynch family in the Cottges in Dingle.   He had died in 1951 of heart disease.

   Hannah was now alone in Goat St, as was the custom in those dark days, she was ‘mad to have me stay with her for a while’ for the company.   So in 1954, I landed in Dingle where I spent three magical eccentric years, leaving an imprint on my soul forever more.

    The small house backed onto the Convent wall where I went to school at the age of 10 and spent three happy years.  The nuns were wonderful women, totally dedicated, be it in the classroom, or in the large welcoming kitchen with the Aga and its warmth, where I was brought on a few occasions.  I must mention Sr. Mary of the Sacred Heart or Sr. Mary Tarrant, who arrived as a fresh-faced new teacher and mothered and cared for me whilst I was there.   She certainly influenced us all greatly and we never forgot all she taught us.

   Three years afterwards, I was to attend a Catholic girls’ school in West Yorkshire, run by the Passionist Sisters, and found that what I carried with me from Dingle, placed me in a different

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Don't forget that special guest is turning on the lights in The Square tonight, Nov 22 2013


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Did you see this one? 
From the Surrey police!

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The Christmas lights go on tonight. Here is a pic from last year to get you in the festive spirit.

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A Lidl Bit of Lidl Magic

Lidl, John B. Keane Road, Listowel on Weds. Nov 20 2013

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I saw this in St. John's last night.  Great play, great show…well done all. The 2 remaining shows are fully booked. There is an extra show on Monday night but book early.
(John Kelliher took the photos)

Autumn in Listowel, Harp and Lion and Knitwits

The trees are in their Autumn beauty

The woodland paths are dry….

Beneath those rugged elms, that yew trees shade,

Where heaves the turf in many a mouldering heap

Each in his narrow cell forever laid,

The rude forefathers of the hamlet sleep.

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 A well known landmark is getting a facelift. Fred Chute is doing a magnificent job (as usual) on The Harp and Lion.

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Knitwits busy hands

Knitwits is going from strength to strength. Our little group is growing in number. Soon you will be able to buy products knitted by Knitwits members in Namir's new venture, Craftshop na Méar
 opening shortly in Church St., Listowel.

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Important date for the diary

Everyone is invited to The Lartigue Museum on Sunday night next Nov. 24 2013 at 7.30 p.m. for the launch of a very significant book on the North Kerry railway Line.

Anyone with even the remotest interest in Railways or in Listowel's rail history must buy this book. It will be available on the night at a special price of €10.

If anyone belonging to you worked on or had any connection with the line, come along at 5.00 p.m. on the night and talk to Maria Leahy who is compiling an oral history of families associated with the line.

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Talk on St. Padre Pio in Lixnaw

Listowel Co. Kerry today and more on Listowel, Ontario

Three shops in a row on William Street, all closed.

Meanwhile McKenna's has been repainted.

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A few more then and now photographs

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Guess what Michael Lynch (archivist) found in the archives of the County Library.

It's the choir from Listowel Ontario who visited us in 1971.

Michael writes:

"Just a wee bit about the Listowel Ontario Choir!  I’ve found a photograph (attached) in “The Kerryman” photo archive.  It appeared in the paper on 8 May 1971, and was accompanied by a note stating that the Choir had just finished up at the Cork International Choral Festival, winning 1^st prizes in the No. 2 Schools and No. 4 Schools Competitions.  They also finished 2^nd in the No. 3 Schools Competition.

The Choir also played a concert at the Killarney Town Hall (3 May 1971) as part of the Pan Celtic Festival.

There’s a good article in “The Kerryman” on 19 June 1971, which states that Listowel Youth Club’s finances (which had been built up through organising “hops at the Plaza”) had been drained by their provision of hospitality for the Canadian choir.  Two dances at the Listowel Arms had severely dented their finances."

(It sounds like they ate us out of house and home.)

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You heard it here first….maybe

Namir Karim, our genial host in Scribes is opening a craft shop. He should be up and running in time for all your Christmas gifts. Craft demonstrations, classes etc are all in the plans so watch this space!

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Good news on the Great Southern Trail

"Kerry County Council have made an application for funding for the extension of the Great Southern Trail under the National Cycle Network funding scheme. This fund of over 6 million will be allocated to Local Authorities and priority will be given to “ projects that are off road and have the potential to be world class trip attractors in their own right”.
An announcement should be made before year end from the Department of Transport on the successful applicants."  (Jimmy Moloney)

Bromore, McSorleys and Listowel Races

One of my favourite places in Kerry is Bromore and I have been featuring some of Mike Flahive's photos recently. Liam Enright, when he was at home on holidays this summer visited with his family and took some lovely photos which he sent me.
You must remember that these were taken during our heatwave in July 2013

The children are Liam's, venturing as near as they dared to the cliff's edge.

That was then, this is now;

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Cork at Christmas 1961

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Hard to believe its 50 years.

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McSorleys is one of the most famous Irish pubs in New York.

http://www.mcsorleysnewyork.com 

Vincent Carmody paid it a visit with his son Kevin.
Vincent is anxious to point out that there 3 other people at the table!

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Photo by Healyracing

Lovely article HERE about Listowel Races (Thank you Jimmy Moloney for finding it.)

Listowel's fine young men named

Names as supplied by Aidan OMurchú

Front row 

Oliver Doyle, ?, Ned Lyons, John Burke, Mark Walsh, ?, Christy Walsh, Tommy Moore, Padraig Walsh, ?, Aidan Murphy, Ned Moriarty, Eamonn Hartnett, John Beechinor, Stephen Coffey.

Middle row

Neville, ?, Keating, Maurice Chute, Colm Keane, Paudie Carey, Michael Hannon, Paddy Horgan, Pat O Donoghue, Tom O Connell, John Sweeney, Gerry Kiernan, Gerry Murphy, PJ Browne, Tom Connor,

Back row

O'Reilly, Pat Stack, Eamonn O Carroll, Maurice Carroll, Kevin Woulfe, Raymond O Mahoney, ?, Nelius Scannell, McElligot, Tadhg Moriarty, Barry, Reidy, Pat Duggan, Dan Doyle, ?

Without being 100% sure, I think that 6 from photo are deceased.

Not bad. I see a few names there who might be able to name the rest.

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Some premises then and now

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One thing I love about Listowel people is their enormous pride in their own. Anyone with a Listowel connection who does well is a source of great pride. That is why when I heard that a Redemptorist priest who was born in Listowel is coordinating the relief effort is his part of the Phillipines, I had to share the news with you.  His name is Fr. Aidan MacMahon and he has served in the Phillipines mission for 35 years. He is a long time gone but he is still one of us and we're proud.

Listowel, a staunch GAA town is proud of Jonathan Sexton and Tadhg Kennelly who have found success in different codes. So I was thrilled to hear that Bernard Brogan is coming to town on Friday next to switch on the Christmas lights. Bernard, with a very strong Listowel connection, is a huge star of Dublin GAA. It will be great to welcome him home to his mother's hometown. I hope that a huge crowd turn out in The Square on Friday November 22 2013.  There will be mulled wine and hot chocolate to warm us.

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A Christmas image from last year to get you in the mood

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Newtownsandes Creamery Social 2013 from Jer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TnwMwLVqJU&feature=youtu.be

Odds ans ends for Friday

Killarney’s Jessie Buckley is to share a stage with Jude Law in a West End production of ‘Henry V’. Read all about how she feels;

How Jessie Buckley went from Kerry to the West End 

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This is a photo of a young John Lennon with his mother, Julia.

It seems he wasn't exactly a model pupil.

"A pair of detention sheets which reveal the schoolboy misdemeanours of a 15-year-old John Lennon are to go on sale, revealing his "extremely cheeky" side.

The documents uncover his antics at Quarry Bank High School for Boys in Liverpool where he was renowned as a ''class clown''.

Reasons for punishment given by his teachers include ''sabotage'', ''fighting in class'', ''nuisance'', ''shoving'' and ''just no interest whatsoever''.

On two occasions the Beatle even managed to receive three detentions in one day.

The sheets cover the periods when he was in Class 3B between May 19 and June 23 1955, and in Class 4C from November 25 1955 to February 13, 1956. His surname is written by a teacher on the top left corner of each page."     (Mark Little on Twitter)

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Donal óg Cusack's Picture of Liam Walsh's hurley making workshop

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Who would be a jockey?

"Thankfully both Voloniste and Ciaran Fennessy were ok after their spill at Kinsale PTP today. See action in gallery on www.healyracing.ie — "

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Time to get out the diary and fill in a few dates not to be missed

November 15 Buddy Holly night in John B's

November 19-24 Big Maggie in St. John's 

November 21-24 Listowel Food Fair

November 24 launch of North Kerry Line in The Lartigue Museum

November 17 at 9.30 on TG4 Tar Abhaile

More about these last 2 in due course.

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Yeats' passport

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Not long now!