Vistors, Canine and Human, Painting Number 21, Knockanure 1924 and They've extended the playground

Helios and Molly pose at a well known Listowel landmark.

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Signs of The Times 2020

Lovely to welcome family again. Here are Bobby Cogan and Carine Schweitzer with Helios and Molly posing for a Covid memory in St. Michael's Graveyard, Listowel.

When the pandemic is a distant memory these signs will remind us to treasure all our freedoms.

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Painting Number 21

Lovely job!

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The Playground is Bigger

They've enlarged the smallies section of the playground.

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Some Old Scholars Named

Once upon a time there was an old school photo, Knockanure 1924. Only part of the old photo was salvaged and an old man was asked to name those he knew.  Much later, after the man's death the photo was found and restored. Here is the result.

These are the names; (Several faces damaged in original picture, so many of names may not match the good quality picture)

 Knockanure Boys;  Buckley Description: 

1st Row; Bub Flavin, Pat Finucane, Mike Moran, Fr Con O Connor, Jim Nash, Joe Finucane, Mick Finucane, Ned Nash, Mikey Connor. 

2nd Row; Pat Moran, Pat Nash, Jim Connor, Larry Collins, Pat Keane, John Connor Gortdromagowna, Martin Carmody, Tom Sweeney and Tom Connell of Kilbaha. 

3rd Row; Matt Costelloe, Pats Moore, Matt Dillane, Bill Kennelly, Patsy Connor, John Liam Connor, Jim Connor, Tim Leahy and Dan Relihan. 

4th Row: Jim Moore, Con Lynch, Tom Noel Jackeen Sweeney, Fr John Connor, Jack Crea Keane, Paddy Scanlon, Pat Flavin and John Murphy. 5th Row: Francis Carroll, Pat Flavin, Jim McCarthy, Jack Moore, Tim Liam Connor, Bill Moore, John Finucane (Duke), Jack Connor?, Bob Stack, Pat Kennelly, 

Other possible names in picture)

Bileen Ahern, Jim Moore, Michael Connor ( Nakie), P Kennelly, Con Lynch, Tom Nolan, J Sweeney, John Connor Kilmorna?, Jack Keane, Pats Scanlon, Pat Flavin and John Murphy.

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A Missing Season in 2020

As I walk around town these days what strikes me is the speed with which the Covid 19 emergency was sprung on us. People  closed their businesses hastily expecting the closure to last a few weeks. Now many premises are like the Marie Celeste, everything abandoned as if the occupants had left in haste. Con Dillons is a case in point. They hadn't got around to taking down the Christmas decorations when the pandemic struck.

Helios in The Square, Debs Dolls and Dudes, Moyvane Girls 1950s and Ireland by the Sea

A lovely Cork dog who is a very willing model.

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A New Business Opens

Everyone is wishing the best of luck to the plucky Debra who opened a new Hair Salon recently.

It is next door to Helena Halpin's lovely boutique. Blossom.

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Moyvane Schoolgirls in the 1950's

1950's Moyvane Girls : 

Front L. to R. Teresa Stack, 

Hannah Foley, Breda Moore, Nell Culhane, ? Carmody, Mary O'Rourke, Theresa Flaherty, Mary Kissane, Anna Maria McEnery. Middle L. to R. Mary Ann Mulvihill, Lil Carmody, Kitty Culhane, Kathleen Culhane, Catherine O' Connor, May Carmody, Noreen Buckley, Brenda Moriarty, Mary Culhane. Back L. to R. Eileen Stack, Mary Carmel Cunningham, Ellen Mulvihill, Helen Hanrahan, Collette Noonan, Christina Guiney, Bridget Bunce, Marie Stack, Margaret Bunce

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Hard Times for The Listowel St. Vincent de Paul

Listowel St. Vincent de Paul chapter depends for its income on weekly bingo, sale of goods in its William Street shop and charitable donations. The first two income streams have dried up during the Covid pandemic. 

On Saturday July 18 2020 they organised a big sale of goods in The Ozanam Centre and the town came out in force to support them.

I hope they did really well because they will have many demands on their help in the upcoming hard times.

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Ireland, the Best Place to Holiday in 2020

Photo: Banna by Breda Ferris

Photo; Cliffs of Moher, Máire Clare

Photo; Ballybunion, Mary Nolan

Photo; Kilkee, Geraldine O'Connor

Photo; Evening time in Ballybunion by Carine Schweitzer

All of these photos were taken this week.

Old Listowel, St. Michael's Graveyard, the telephone system in the good old days and old friends in Childers' Park

Photo: Chris Grayson

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An Old Postcard

Do you remember the low wall around St. John's? At one time it had a railing on top and the faithful used to tether their horses to it.

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St. Michael's Cemetery

R.I.P. John B. and Mary

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Those Old Phones Again

Nicholas Leonard remembers

Hi, Mary. Love the old phones. But they had their faults, too.  Many years ago, in a previous life, I sometimes operated an old switchboard telephone system similar to the one you show. 

It worked fairly well but, at times, It was very hard to 'get a line.' One feature of our system which could be rather risky for callers was the handset. 

Ours had a button which was pressed to allow the caller, operator and the recipient, to hear each other. When a call was connected to the recipient, the operator, by keeping the line open and releasing the button, could listen in on a conversation. I must honestly say that I never did listen into  calls. I would be horrified if anyone listened into my calls, and it was a mean act. Also, it could get one sacked, and rightly so. Tales of operators listening in are legendary- true or not. One operator whom I knew was supposedly uncovered when the caller shouted at him to get off the**** phone, and the operator immediately replied 'I'm not on the phone!'  A woman, RIP, I knew, call her M., was said to be infamous for news-gathering; she operated the switchboard in the local Post Office in the Midlands. She was said to listen to most calls she connected. We were on friendly terms and always got on well. However, I was on a call home via her switchboard one day and, conscious of her alleged practice, I stated, about a private matter, that I would write home instead of saying anything on the phone- as M. would be listening in. The next time I met her, the smile and friendly welcome was gone, and a scowl was all I got ever after. In a way, I was sorry I had lost a friend, but it seemed to me that she had been listening, and that wasn't very 'friendly.'

I often wonder if the listening in in the old days could ever match the evil of  the 'listening in' and data gathering and stealing that goes on today- and we don't even know about it! NL.

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NCBI shop sold

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Nothing beats a Chat with Friends

Old friends, Anne Enright and Nell Reidy, take a rest from dog walking and pitch and putting for a chat and a catch up.

JFK in Cork, The late Peter McGrath and Perfect Pairs to Retire

Kingfisher

Photo; Chris Grayson

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I Remember it Well

No social distancing in Cork in 1963 when the U.S. president, John F. Kennedy drove in a open topped car down Pana.  A few short months later in another open topped car in another city the Camelot dream was ended by a sniper's bullet from a "grassy knoll".

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Photo: Tom Fitzgerald 

Fr. Michael O'Doherty with four young ladies. Peggy Sweeney is on the far right. I dont have names for the others.

Peter McGrath R.I.P of Market St. Listowel

Photo; Tom Fitzgerald

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North Kerry in Summer 2020

Clare and the River Shannon from Knockanore

Old Graveyard at Lisselton

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Closing Down in Summer 2020

An Blascaod , Fun Run 1985, Listowel Courthouse Plaza and KCC Outdoor staff reunited

Blasket and Tiarach  photos by Tom Fitzgerald

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Fun Run 1985

Photos: Con Dennehy

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Listowel Courthouse and Plaza in 2020

Aras an Phiarsaigh in the background.

Listowel Library

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Friends Meeting

Our Town Gardener, David Twomey takes a minute off to catch up with his old work colleague.

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Another Closure

Fr. Pat Moore R.IP., Brian Cowen's Visit, Jeanie Johnston and Lislaughtin

Photo: Eamon Ó Murchú

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Fr. Pat meets the Pope

Fr. Pat Moore and Pope Francis

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More Photos from Brian Cowen's Visit in 2008

 

With John O'Sullivan

with Michelle Buckley

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St. Michael's 1979

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Mike O'Donnell, Muralist

Mike must be one of the most prolific muralists around. This is his Jeanie Johnston at KUH.

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The Story behind Lislaughtin

Lislaughtin was a Franciscan Friary near Ballylongford. It was built in 1470 and from then until the horrors of 1580 it was a place of worship and learning. King Henry V111 had years earlier passed a law dissolving all religious houses but Lislaughtin, in its remote location had escaped detection for decades.

This beautiful window has fascinated artists and locals alike. It is replicated in a lovely silver sculpture at Ballylongford Church

One day in 1580 a battalion of English soldiers was in the area when the monastery bell rang for prayers. The man in charge of the soldiers ordered them to  immediately attack the abbey and the monks inside. The boys scattered left and right fleeing for their lives. Three old men were slower than the others and only got a few hundred yards away. ` The soldiers captured them, The story goes that they cut off their ears so they would hear no more prayer bells. They dragged them back to the abbey, made them to kneel before the high altar. They tortured and beat the holy old men, and, as a final indignity, beheaded them.

The abbey now is a ruin and is more used as a graveyard than a place of worship.

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Great to have family visit again