Chocolate making in the craft shop and an outdoors weekend

Irremore Chocolates chocolate making demonstration in Craftshop na Méar

This is Siobhán Dennehy. She has the dream job. She is a chocolatier, with her own business, Irremore Chocolates. On Friday April 18 she came to give a chocolate making demonstration at 53 Church Street.
Siobhán nearly made chocolate making look easy.

There was lots of heating and cooling, tempering and moulding.

One of the finished products.

Ulla and Mary Sobieralski enjoyed the lesson.

My family couldn't wait to sample the wares.

Róisín enjoyed a good munch on some delicious pure chocolate treats.

Namir, Siobhán and friends posed for a photo after the very enjoyable class.

Siobhán's Irremore Chocolates are on sale in Craftshop na Méar, 53 Church St. Listowel


If you are looking for something different to do this Saturday. Our next workshop will see you walk home with a lovely bracelet.

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Outdoors on sunny Easter Days 2014

Ballybunion half marathon

Photo; Ballybunion Beach Prints

The local Crusaders charity running group were out in force over the weekend.

In Tralee there was a Tír na nÓg children's festival.

I had visitors for the weekend and we spent much of it outdoors.

 Bobby Cogan and family on the patio overlooking the river at The Listowel Arms on
 Saturday April 19 2014.

 Sunny Sunday by the Feale.

 Boys throwing a few stones in the water.

Listowel's lone heron blending in with his environment.

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Writers' Week Programme Launch

Michael Lynch, Nuala Stewart and Dick Carmody are having a quick look at the marvelous National Children's Literary Festival programme  at its launch last week.

The National Children's Literary Festival runs in Listowel in conjunction with
Listowel Writers Week 2014 and it promises an amazing few days of unbelievable treats for children interested in books and writing. I'll be telling you more about this in the coming weeks.

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Novel half written?

This could be your big chance. Writers Week has a few places left in its half way there writing workshop.
Acclaimed novelist, John McKenna is directing this workshop aimed at writers at the half way stage in their work. It's a brilliant opportunity to gain that vital final push to see your magnum opus over the line to publication.

On the streets in Listowel

Listowel basked in glorious sunshine for the Easter weekend and spirits lifted visibly.

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I was in town with my camera

 I met Vincent and Kathleen Carmody and their lovely grandchildren on Upper William Street.

My good friends, Anne and Liam Dillon were out and about on Church Street.

I ran into Mary Moylan, home from Cork on Sunday and later on I saw the same lady head out on her training cycle as part of her preparations for the Ring of Kerry Cycle. She is doing it for Ard Churam.

My visitors love Listowel and would happily spend all their time here out and about.

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Other odds and Ends from town

We now have 2 vamping shops.

 These Listowel souvenir fridge magnets are on sale in shops in town. Where, oh where is the building on the bottom right?

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Jer. Kennelly spotted this in the Knockdown notes on the Athea site

"Thanks to my good friend George Langan for the following interesting bit of news. George says “ Wasn’t there a sense of pride on hearing President Michael D. Higgins mention one of our own fighting Irish when addressing the House of Commons last week. I refer to no other than Tom Kettle MP whose grandmother was one of the McCoy’s from Ballyhahill. I don’t know who drew up Michael D’s speech, maybe he had an input into it himself, he being an avid historian but it was moving to say the least. In addition I would like to add a few extra words quoting the great patriot himself who lost his life at the battle of the Somme in September 1916. Five days before he was mortally wounded he wrote the following lines in a letter home to his little daughter in Ireland, describing the soldiers going into battle he said ‘ Not for flag, nor King, nor Emperor, but for a dream born in a herdsman’s hut and for the secret scripture of the poor.’ and as Michael D alluded to – ‘Kettle died as an Irish patriot, a British soldier and a true European."

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Doreen Buckley posted this lovely photo on Facebook.  She took it before  the dawn mass in Duagh on Easter Sunday morning 2014.

Teachers' Dance in The Astor in 1940s and Writers' Week 2014 programme launch

I don't have an exact  date but people who know such things think that this photo was taken at a teachers' dance in The Astor about 60 years ago.

In the photo, in no particular order, are, John and Peg O'Connor,, Mary Whelan, Joan Curtin, Betty Leahy, Doreen O'Connor, Mrs. Hannon, Margaret Whelan, Mrs Halpin, Mrs corridan, Lil walshe, mrs. O'Connor, Luaí OMurchú, Barney Hanley, Micheál Flavin,Finbar MacAuliffe, John Joe McElligott, ?Hickey, ? Foley

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Ballybunion

Anne's Vintage Tearooms is all old china and tablecloths. The food is good too.

Shwopping is a new one on me but it sounds fun.

This is outside a pub on the main street.

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Last week I attended the marvelous Scoil Realta na Maidine's Salute to Spring

The souvenir ptogramme was very attractive.

Members of Kerry Choral Union on the altar steps in St. Mary's Listowel

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Good Friday tradition in west Kerry

"Nuair a bhíonn sé ag déanamh síos ar lag trágha, Aoine an Chéasta, bíonn gach aon tráigh agus cladach i nDún Chaoin lán de mhnáibh agus de ghearrachailíbh agus de gharsúin, ag bain bháirneach agus ag priocadh miongán. Bíonn bior ag gach duine aca chun na mbáirneach a bhaint....cuireann siad na báirnigh mhóra bhuidhe, méithe annsan ag beirbhiú ar an dteine in oigheann nó corcán.. bíonn a ndóthain mór, agus a thuille 'na theannta, d'annlann na trágha acu, Aoine an Chéasta.
[Seán Ó Dálaigh, Timcheall Chinn Sléibhe]

"Good Friday will be next Friday and we have a custom here to go to the strand for sea grass and other things that's growing on the rocks. All the women and children go to the strand that day. it is an old custom I think. The women of long ago here used everything that's growing on the strand. They are very healthy mind you....Old men and women say that you should not be in the strand when the sun is gone down entirely. I am sure they used be afraid of fairies."
[Eibhlís Ní Shúilleabháin, Letters From the Great Blasket]

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This lovely photo appeared on The Listowel Arms website at the weekend. 

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Me, Eilís Wren and Kay Caball in The Square Listowel on April 17 2014 on our way to the programme launch for Writers' Week 2014.

Actress, Aisling O'Sullivan launched the programme in The Seanchaí. I took lots of photos which I will share with you over the coming days.

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Great Easter for Kanturk 

Joy is unconfined in my hometown, Kanturk this weekend. The local rugby club had a huge win over Instonians in Belfast on Saturday and so will play senior rugby next year, a huge achievement and well feted in this sport - mad town.

AND

Local horse, Rebel Fitz put the icing on the cake of victories with a great win in The Powers Gold Cup at Fairyhouse.

Garden of Europe and Evelyn O'Rourke's Dear Ross

Recently I took a stroll through the lovely Garden of Europe. Several lovely trees came down in the February 2014 storms.

Two men were working clearing the fallen wood on the day I visited.

They told me that they were using the wood pulp as mulch for the remaining shrubs and trees.

These hardy daffodils were blooming on regardless.

Two dogs were enjoying the early spring sunshine.

I spotted these on a tree on the path from the Garden to Gurtinard. Nest boxes?

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This is definitely the end of my WIM Weekend coverage

I know that that is not really a headline but I thought it might be a relief for some of my faithful followers to know that normal service is bring resumed next week.
Before that I have to tell you that I met my friend, Evelyn O'Rourke in Ballybunion.

Me with Evelyn O'Rourke

Evelyn with her mum Peigí, her aunt Eileen and  friend Mairead

Her anxious mum watches as Evelyn relives a very hard time in their lives.

Breda Boderick from Listowel is a fan of Evelyn's and maybe its this selfie craze but I seem to be in far too many photos of the weekend.


Evelyn has written a book, Dear Ross, telling the story of a year in the life of her family. Evelyn was still on maternity leave with her first son, Óisín when she discovered she was pregnant. She was thrilled. The thrill only lasted a very short while as, within a week, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.  
Evelyn wrote a series of letters to her unborn son, Ross, telling him how much she and his dad, John loved and wanted him and wanted to do everything possible not to compromise him in any way.
In the book we read of the horrors of chemotherapy compounded by the discomforts of pregnancy and the trials of looking after a small child.

In Ballybunion we saw Evelyn, the surviver, read movingly from some of the letters. We met Evelyn, the campaigner, passionately promoting the cause of breast cancer research. We  met Evelyn, the family woman, wallowing in the love of her old and her new family. And we met Evelyn, the great communicator standing before us, a testament to the triumph of will, of love and support and modern medicine over this terrible disease.

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During the weekend the local Creative Writing group took the opportunity to sell a collection of their works, A Little Life Music.

As part of the weekend too we got a taster eco tour of Ballybunion.
Danny Houlihan is a man of many talents. He told us about history and wildlife in a really interesting trip to the Cashen and the Castle Green. Below are a few photos from the tour

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Writers Week 2014

The programme was officially launched last night in The Seanchaí. Great night, lots of photos to come but I had to share this one.

 Eilís Wren and Máire Logue of Writers' Week fill in my lovely granddaughters on who's coming to this year's festival.