Wednesday, 24 April 2019

Cherry trees in Listowel, Naming our Streets and The Harp and Lion Stucco

Cherry Blossom Time

(in Listowel)

April 2019







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A Blog Follower Home for Easter


Denise Gore was happy to be home in her native Listowel for Easter 2019. I was very happy to meet her too. She described Listowel Connection as a 'lifeline". So rewarding!

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Listowel's Street Names

Do you remember the story from 1900 about the renaming of Listowel's streets? Well, that story was to have a sequel and Dave O'Sullivan has again done the digging for us. It appears that the vexed issue of the English street names dragged on and on until we have them as they are today, one name in the English language commemorating English monarchs and a totally different Irish name commemorating Irish patriots.





1966-----the story so far

More tomorrow

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Harp and Lion

an iconic Pat MacAulliffe stucco



I took the lower photo on Easter Sunday 2019. The process of restoration is continuing. I look forward to seeing this precious quirky symbol of Listowel restored to its former glory.

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Drama Festival in St. Johns


Tuesday, 23 April 2019

Music in Ballybunion and a few family photos

Gurtinard Wood, April 2019

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Music in a Ballybunion Cave on Easter Saturday 2019

The weather was glorious. The beach was thronged. The town was alive with runners and walkers taking part in the annual run.


There was a mild sandstorm blowing on the beach.

And there in a cave a group of musicians and singers were entertaining a good crowd of delighted and surprised onlookers.






A section of the audience


Singers and musicians

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Black and Tan recruiting poster

Bernard O'Connell found this one.


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Family

Easter is a time for family


When you really really want to go to Funderland but there is a minimum height restriction on some of the rides.....

Unfortunately she didn't measure up but there were lots of rides for smallies too.



My brother Pat with his latest pride and joy

Monday, 22 April 2019

Hospice Walk 2019, Rás Mumhan and Molly is in the Doghouse

Calvary in Mallow

I took this photo in the grounds of Mallow church in Holy Week 2019


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Hospice Walk



In glorious weather on Friday April 19 2019 a big crowd turned out to walk the walk. This annual fund raising walk for The Irish Kerry Hospice is organised with the help of the O'Connor family in memory of Eamon O'Connor of Mike the Pies. Each year it goes from strength to strength. Well done all.






Photos from Mike the Pies and Edel O'Connor's Facebook posts

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Tarbert Walk





Big turnout for the Good Friday Hospice Walk in Tarbert too


And they had a soup kitchen too





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Rás Mumhan in Listowel

April 20 2019






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The Dog Who Ate Milkman


You've heard of the dog who ate the homework, the dog who ate the car keys and lots of dogs who eat postmen.


Our Molly would probably eat all of the above but her worst offence in my eyes was she chewed Milkman. This copy of Milkman was not my own. It belongs to the library. It has a long waiting list of readers queueing to borrow it. I was the first person to whom it was issued.




There she is looking all innocent in the protection of one of the people who love her unconditionally.

Milkman is a brilliant book in case you were wondering and this copy is still readable
AND
 Molly is now forgiven.


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Friday, 19 April 2019

Ballybunion, Listowel History Festival and Cough Syrup from another age

Sing, Sing a Song of Joy.....
Photo; Ita Hannon

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On the Long Strand 

Weather is predicted to be balmy this weekend so make the most of it.  Why not take a trip to Ballybunion.





Photos; Knockanure Local

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A Skillet


You sometimes see these pots nowadays used as planters but their original use was for cooking food for human or animal consumption . This cooking was done over an open fire.

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Sad News

This was taken in Listowel Town Square in 2015 during the annual history festival.

Thi festival has been cancelled for 2019 and it looks like it is unlikely to happen again. Our thanks to the hard working dedicated team who had the vision to set it up and the stamina to hold it for so many years in the teeth of rising costs. Thanks for the memories.

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To Kill or to Cure


What on earth could the "other essentials" be?

Thursday, 18 April 2019

Lislaughtin Holy Well, Whiskey for a Writer and a Powerful Poem

 Young people enjoying a game of pitch and putt in Childers' Park Listowel in March 2019

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Spotted in the Off Licence window

Sounds like just the think for the writer in your life.


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St. Laictín of Lislaughtin


In Lislaughtin Abbey.
About a mile from Tarbert Parish there is a well over which is a bush. One evening two men sat near the well, one was chewing tobacco and as he did so he began spitting into the well. Suddenly he thought a rat ran up his leg, and in his effort to keep the rat from running up he felt the supposed rat in the other leg. He tried to restrain the rat from running up the second leg but the rat went over to the first. The supposed rat ran over the man’s body and he stripped himself on the road but no rat was to be seen. It was no rat but that was his punishment for spitting in the well.

Alice Mc Carthy- Address, Tarbert, Co. Kerry
Informant, Richard Curran, Age 78 Address Tarbert, Co. Kerry
Local Patron Saint
Informant
(name not given)
31-5-38.
The following story was told to me by my father a few nights ago.
The patron Saint of Ballylongford is St. Laictín. The townland of Lislaughtin is called after him and it means the “Fort of Laictín”.
It is said that he lived in Lislaughtin Abbey but in the year 1478 a man named Smith said of an older Church being there dedicated to Saint Laictín.
Saint Laichtín’s feast day is kept on the 19th March. Before he died he walked around Lislaughtin and blessed it. It is said that he was buried in the Church near the Altar with other Monks and Priests.
There is a Well called after him and it is known as “Laichtín’s Well”. It is in the land of Mrs. Sullivan in the townland of Lislaughtin. It is said that he visited the Well on the 13th May 758 with other followers. There are no rounds paid at the Well because it is not certain whether he visited it or now.

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A Powerful Poem from Facebook

Barbara Derbyshire shared Viola Wilkins poem and the accompanying picture.



When this horror ends (because it will end), 
we will do museums and in the showcases 
there will be shoes, letters, small photos, 
Cards, hair, pile of torn cl
othes.
And there will be school classes 
that will wonder how this has been possible.
And there will be survivors who remember 
"if it was human” thinking of Primo Levi.
And there will be intellectuals, well-thinking, 
of all variety that agree “never again this"
There will be TV shows where they interview our contemporaries
And there will be those who will say that they only obeyed the orders. 
And there will be those who will explain they had the courage to disobey
And as always there are those too busy on the shopping channels
Who will say "we didn't know"
And there will be grandchildren 
who are going to ask their grandparents
on which side were you ?
And there will be grandparents, a few,
who will answer with truth "I was on the side of humanity".
And there will be others who will drop their eyes and will not answer.
........ A. Nonymus