Horse Drawn Caravan Holidays in the 1960s and St. Patrick's Day 2016

The Year has Turned; We're in New Time

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Charles Street 2016

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Do you remember when Horse Drawn Caravan Holidays were all the rage ?

Photos from Historical Tralee and Surrounding areas

There is a Listowel connection. The following story and photos were shared by Canon Declan and featured on Listowel Connection in 2012. It is worth revisiting the tale again.


The most popular Kerry company running these holidays was Slatterys but other companies based outside the county had overnight stopping sites in The Kingdom. One of these companies was Shannon Horsedrawn Caravans owned by a family business, MacNamaras of Limerick. The tourists (mostly from the U.S.) flew into Shannon, picked up their horse and barrel -top caravan in Adare and sauntered off to tour a little bit of West Munster. There were pit stops along the way for the horse to take a rest and the visitors to get to see some aspects of Irish life.

One such rest stop was on the farm of the O'Connor family in Springmount, Duagh, the family of our parish priest.  Canon Declan O'Connor, P.P. Listowel has shared some of his photographs from that time with us in listowelconnection.

The visitors loved the fact that they were on a  real working farm with fresh milk for tea and free range eggs for breakfast.

Helping the O'Connor family to feed the hens and collect the eggs was a treat for children raised in cities and towns.

This photo would not have been out of place on a John Hinde postcard. It is the O'Connor twins from Springmount, Duagh 

Canon Declan remembers well the excitement when  a very illustrious family of visitors overnighted with the O'Connors while on their Shannon Horsedrawn Caravan tour . They were Patricia Kennedy Lawford and her niece, Cora Kennedy.  Jean was the  sister and Cora, the niece of John F. Kennedy. Cora was the daughter of Ted Kennedy.

In this photo, Declan and his sister, Valerie are enjoying a cuppa with the sister of the late President Kennedy just visible in the background.

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A few more from The Square on St. Patrick's Day 2016

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Every Life is Precious

On Easter Monday 2016 as we commemorate the deaths of the rebels who were executed after The Rising, let us ponder this.
Five rebels were killed on Holy Thursday, April 27 1916. On that same day 538 Irishmen were killed by a German gas attack in Hulluch, France. The gas used was a mixture of chlorine and phosgene and it was of sufficient concentration to render the Irishmen's gas masks unable to cope with it. These casualties and the thousands more who died in WW1 have been airbrushed out of our history. Many of them too were motivated by loyalty to their country.

Humans of Listowel on St. Patrick's Day 2016, and The Country Boy in St. John's

More from Listowel St. Patrick's Day 2016

Some photographs of Listowel people on St. Patrick's Day 2016

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Post Boxes

The old British post boxes are so much more photogenic the An Post ones of today. I'm so glad they left them behind.

This is Listowel's example at the corner of The Square.

In Dublin they are painting them red for the commemorations of 1916.

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Something to look forward to

Next week all roads will lead to St. Johns from Thursday Mar. 31 to Monday April 4 for The Lartigue Theatre Co. present John Murphy’s comic drama reflecting on the social problems of emigration and rural life in the late 1950’s.  Directed by Denis O Mahony, the cast features; Lucille O Sullivan, Clare O Connor, Margaret Murphy, Robert Bunyan, Mike Moriarty and Con Kirby.

 

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St. Patrick's Day 2016, Martin Hickeys and Ballybunion Beach on St. patrick's Day 2016

More from St. Patrick's Day in Listowel 2016

The man himself     (photo: Elizabeth Brosnan)

In Listowel Town Square people gathered to watch a short concert before the parade. The weather was the kindest it had been in ages.

Even the animal companions were decked out in green.

On the stage Comhaltas had assembled dancers, singers and musicians. Glór na Gael members were keeping  a watching brief.

Their turn over, members of Listowel Folk Group stayed to see the rest of the concert.

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Collection for Cancer research and Services

Margaret MacAulliffe and Judy MacMahon were at Nora Mulvihill's fundraising tea and cake party.

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Vincent Carmody posts a Poignant Picture

(photo and text Vincent Carmody on Facebook)

"Today, I am posting a photograph of two first cousins, two Martin Hickeys. The younger Martin on the left, lives in Colbert Street 
The older Martin, formally of O'Connell's Avenue, was a long time resident in the Bronx, New York. Martin, predeceased by his wife Margaret, passed to his eternal reward on March 9th 2016 in the loving presence of his family, his daughters and son , Kitty, Coleen and Eddie.

I count myself very fortunate to have made friends with Martin, many years ago,and enjoyed his wonderful company on each of his many visits back to his beloved hometown of Listowel.
When he returned, his main pleasure was meeting up with his old neighbors and friends, walking the streets and back ways and above all, being down by the woods, ball alley and riverside. These places, he once told me, were those closest to his heart. He will always be remembered as a real gentleman by his many friends in Listowel. Our heartfelt sympathy to his grieving family."

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Meanwhile in Ballybunion

Mario Perez, their resident sand artist had created another masterpiece on the beach.

The fine weather brought a nice few on the beach.

Amy Sheehy, Artist, The Convent and St. Patrick's Day Concert in The Square

Another great capture from Jim MacSweeney of Kanturk, a member of Mallow Camera Club.

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I never saw a purple cow.
I never hope to see one.
But I can tell you, anyhow,
I'd rather see than be one.

(Gelett Burgess)

At the launch of Amy Sheehy's exhibition of her latest work the cows were not purple but a fascinating shade of blue.

Amy's show, which was dedicated to her late dad, featured cows and women and a bit of T.S. Elliot. There were some lovely paintings on show in St. Johns and I'm delighted to report that the exhibition was a great success with many of the paintings sold on the opening night.

Amy, Bernie and Ruth Sheehy in St. John's on Sunday March 13 2016

By pure co incidence the play I attended in St. John's just a few nights later was called Charolais and was based around one woman's jealousy of her boy friend's prized Charolais heifer.  It was well worth seeing so do catch it if you get a chance.

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May Jim and his former colleagues who have died rest in peace

Staff of St. Michael's in 1979

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The Convent

Since I was in the neighborhood recently I took a few snaps of the convent. The new roof is in place and the building has been secured.

This building, the old primary school and later, Toirbheart, is for sale.

 Presentation Convent Listowel in March 2016

 The windows are repaired or boarded up.

 The trench through the front lawn has been filled in.

Ivy is creeping over the chapel.

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One Horse, One pack of hounds and a Dolphin

Ita Hannon took this photo at Béal on March 13 2016

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St. Patrick's Day 2016 in The Square, Listowel

This year there was a concert in The Square to keep the audience entertained before the parade took off. Maybe next year beaming this concert to the Small Square on a big screen might be an option.  The big crowd that was gathered there missed it.

First up we're Listowel Folk Group with some songs associated with 1916. They were excellent as usual.

A bigger, more sturdy stage would be another good investment before next year. This year the musicians were kind of in the next parish.

I know, I know its easy to criticize. The organizers did a brilliant job but a few tweaks would improve things greatly.

These were the Listowel Comhaltas troupe. They had a great variety of performers, singers, dancers and a young man to read the proclamation.