Some Photos from past St. Patrick's Days, Ballybunion's Central Ballroom and a Miller's Tale

 Brandon Creek

Mallow Camera Club,   Grade 2 Second Place. Jason Mc Aree.

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Remembering a Mother

Last Sunday was Mothering Sunday. Poet, John McGrath, posted this lovely tribute.

Driver

A faded photograph hangs on the wall,

My mother beaming proud as any peacock

By a gleaming new Ford Anglia.

When times were tough, and love was not enough

Her trips to Cobh and Shannon kept us fed.

My father wouldn’t eat ‘til she got home.

She’d learned to drive a milk float in the war.

Her eyes still danced and sparkled at the telling,

How the farm boys whistled, and policemen smiled.

An extra pint for Irish girls abandoned,

Tied to their children when their men went home

Reluctant for a fight that wasn’t theirs.

Once a year she took us to the seaside

Boot piled high with sandwiches and cake.

Hot water from a woman near the coast.

Her car sits silent in the shed now,

Dust-covered, cobweb-shrouded.

A blanket on the bonnet to keep out the cold.

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Celebrating St. Patrick's Day

Some old photos from our national holiday in Listowel

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Central Ballroom Remembered

When Maureen Barrett, formerly of Ballylongford, saw this photo of the opening of the New Central Ballroom in Ballybunion,  the memories came flooding back.

Here is what she wrote:

Mary,  did you know that Matt Sullivan that opened the Central Ballroom was from Ballylongford-he still has relatives there-I remember he used to come home from England to visit his family regularly and always brought his huge car from England for his vacation-just imagine how impressed everyone was with something like that in those days-he was however just a Bally man no pretensions about him when he was home-I think the architect Creedon is from a Ballylongford family also-

I remember the night THE CENTRAL (as it was referred to then)  opened-the traffic thru Ballylongford was such that one could not cross the road-we were on the main Limerick to Kerry route-memories memories-the mineral bar-the balcony to look down on the dancers-many many marriages started out there-sad to see how it ended up.................................................... 

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A Miller’s Tale

The original Miller's Tale comes from Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. This is a collection of stories told by pilgrims on their way to the shrine of Thomas Becket in Canterbury. As the pilgrims overnight at an inn, they entertain one another by telling stories.

Nowadays, centuries later, business realises the value of stories. Our stories are  interwoven with others' stories to make up the rich tapestry of life as we live it today.

My story for you today is the story of a journey from Coolbane to Colorado.

The tale begins in Freemount, Co. Cork in the 19th century. My great grandfather, Benjamin Brosnahan, and his son, Johnny, known locally as Johnny the Weaver, lived and worked at Brosnahan’s Cross in Ballybahallow outside Freemount, in North Cork. 

I know this because that great repository of stories, The Schools’ Folklore Collection, has more than one account of them under the heading

Local Crafts. 

Ben and Johnny’s weaving business depended on a supply of wool from local women who spun it in their homes. They also needed the services of a local miller. 

Coolbane Mill was run by the O'Shaughnessy family.

Fast forward to 2021. Andrew O’Shaughnessy has navigated the highs and lows of business and he is now the CEO of his own very successful company, Poppulo, an employee engagement company with global reach. 

Among Poppulo’s employees in Cork is Anne Cogan, Head of EMEA Marketing.

 Anne is the great great granddaughter of Ben the Weaver of Brosnahan’s Cross, Ballybahallow, Freemount.

On Monday March 15th 2021 Poppulo merged with Four Winds Interactive, a digital signage company based in Denver, Colorado. The combined annual sales of the two companies will be in the region of $100 million.

Our story has now journeyed a long way from Coolbane and Ballybahallow.

 Digital communication is the new weaving.

St. Patrick's Day in Times Past and Scully's Corner

March 17 2021, St. Patrick's Day like no Other

Remembering other days

St. Patrick's Hall in Upper William Street

Billy Keane was the M.C and the mayor, on this occasion Jimmy Moloney, were on the viewing stage.

Jimmy Hickey is always busy on St. Patrick's Day. Here he is with his dancers in St. Mary's parish church.

Jimmy and Canon Declan O'Connor in The Square

Liam Brennan took over from the late Michael Dowling as St. Patrick.

A cohort of volunteer stewards kept the parade on track.

Eugene Moriarty and Matt Mooney are stalwarts of the organising committee.

Seán Moriarty looks after the commentary in the Small Square.

Tim O'Leary and Donal O'Sullivan always worked hard to make the day special for us all.

Billy is here doing a piece to camera for local videographer, Denis Carroll.

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Cornered

I published this photo last week. In it Barbara, wife of Dick Cotter, is presenting the Kingdom County Butter Churn Trophy to the winning owners, at Listowel Races in 1979. Barbara's husband, Dick, was the food sales manager at Kerry Group at the time.  He is on the right in the photo.

Then I attempted to outline Dick's Listowel connection and I got it wrong. I missed a generation.

Here is Dick's email.

Richard Cotter	Tue, Mar 9, 9:55 PM (13 hours ago)
to me

Hi Mary,

Just saw the current edition re the Races photo. Just to point that Jimmy Cotter was my GREAT grandfather, Timothy F (Tasty)

was my grandfather, (John) Arthur Cotter was my father, Cecil(ia) was my aunt.Thanks.

My grandmother was Rita (Buckley) from Finuge. One of her 6 sisters was Dora who married Sean O'Brien from Charleville. On

March 1st,1921 (100 years) ago, he was murdered in his house by 2 Tans .He was buried initially in Charleville but was subsequently dis-interred and is now buried in Listowel Cemetery (just inside the gate on right hand side) together with Dora,

their daughter ,Maureen and Maureen's husband, Eugeen O'Sullivan. The O'Sullivans had two daughters and one son, Brian.

All 3 were born over what is now John B.Keanes pub.

Sean O'Brien's murder is featured in North Cork's Fighting story (War of Independence).

Best wishes

Dick

The following 2 photos and text are from Vincent Carmody's Listowel, Snapshots of a Market Town

Dick Cotter puts it in a nutshell here;

Just to confirm the Cotter "dynasty"!

1. John Cotter B 1809-1866
2  James Cotter B 1843-1913
3 Timothy Cotter B 1881-1952 A.K.A Tasty!
4 (John)Arthur Cotter B 1912-1969  Sister; Cecilia Margaret B 1916-1971.
5 Richard Cotter B 1945-so far!

I know that some Listowel sources think that Tasty & Cecil were siblings but that is incorrect. 

She married late in life to her childhood sweetheart Eugene O'Connell (brother of Thomas O'Connell, Bridge Road) in 1970.

They both died in UK in 1971 within a short time of each other (less than a year married)-sad. 

Gene had served with British Army in Burma-WW2. 

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The shop has now been in the Scully family for as long as I am in town.

The shop as it is today is occupied by Chic Boutique

Photo by Pat del Savio

One of the many iterations of this corner shop

Ballyduff place names, Remembering the Convent and St. Patrick's Day around the world

Rattoo Sunset

Photo: Bridget O'Connor

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Ballyduff  and Some Other Placenames

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The Day the For Sale Signs Went Up

I have been looking through some old photos while I am in lockdown. I came across these that I took on the day the auctioneers came to erect the For Sale signs at Presentation Convent Listowel in 2007

Sr. Nuala O'Leary R.I.P and Sr. Consolata Bracken

Preparing to erect the sign

The beautiful front garden, always so well kept and picturesque

The empty grotto

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St. Patrick's Day Memories

Some photos from around the world from the archive

In Shawnee

In London

In New Jersey

In New York

In New York

in Toronto