Babe Jo and Corkmen

The lady on the left is Babe Jo Wilmot who was a well known character in Listowel in 1950s onwards. Here she is in Ballybunion with 2 friends.

Here she is again much later when she had become Babe Jo Collins. She is pictured during Writrers' Week, which was founded by her more famous brother, Seamus Wilmot, registrar of  UCC. With her are Eamon Keane and Frank Lewis.

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For a short time in the 1980's when Cork was on the crest of a wave, Corkmen exiled in Kerry at the time decided to form a Kerry Corkmen's Association.  It looks like Cork had won a lot of the GAA silverware that year so quiz buffs will be able to date it. The people I know in the photo are Gabriel McCarthy, Martin McCarthy, Fr. Jack Fitzgerald, Paddy Guiney and Eddie Moylan. Some of the other faces look familiar but no name will come to me. Sorry lads!

Lartigue then and now

This is a picture of a steam train on the streets of Cork in 1962.

Listowel had its very own steam train, pictured below. Click on the link below and read all about the restoration project of this unique mode of transport.

http://www.lartiguemonorail.com/

  Ballybunion

Lisselton

I took a trip on  the modern Lartigue monorail recently.

On the left is the restored engine and on the right the museum and visitor centre.

The locomotive is kept in pristine condition by a committee of hard working volunteers.

No automated points here. Every job has to be done manually. I was fascinated to watch these local men happily do the manual work done by their Listowel fathers before them.

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Green shoots of recovery?  Maybe.

Coco Kids opening shortly.

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 Random Irish news;

Elephant on the loose in Blackpool, Cork

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AR51Jo2Tmw&feature=youtube_gdata

My weekend

Last weekend Listowel was bathed in sunshine and temperatures reached 20 degrees. I had my son and his family visiting.

On Saturday a crowd gathered outside Jimmy Deenihan's office to protest about a plethora of issues, e.g. closure of rural schools, bed closures, the bogs, household charges etc.etc.

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I headed off to the park and later for a walk along the riverbank with my visitors.

I have rarely seen the water level in The Feale so low.

As we walked we spotted this lovely heron under the bridge. We met John Pierse who told us that, when he was a child, he heard local people call a crane a Johnny McRory. I hope I have the name right. I wonder if this was just a Listowel thing or do other places have this name for this elegant bird.

There are 2 new ducks in the river. Here you can see one of the old pair keeping a close eye on the newcomers.

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Remember yesterday's picture of the chinese beach. What a contrast to my picture of Ballybunion on Sunday morning.

My beloved boyeens loved having the place practically to themselves. They built a big castle complete with a moat. Oh to be 6 again!

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Very poignant images from the funeral of Jim Stynes, literally and figuratively a giant in Australian. 

http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/0327/stynesj_gallery.html

Crowds and posters

Yesterday was the first day of summertime and if yesterday's weather is a portent of what's to come this summer, we are in for a scorcher.

I had visitors for the weekend and we were able to go to the beach and even go in the water for the first time this year. More of that tomorrow. Today I have some crowd scenes for you.

Closing of the Eucharistic Congress in Dublin in 1932

Michael Collins addressing a rally of his supporters in Cork.

A typical day at the beach in China

Tom Doodle addressing the crowd in Listowel's Main Street in 1951.

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Some posters I snapped in town this week

I don't agree with this piece of civil disobedience but the movement is certainly very visible.

This sounds interesting if you are a sports fan.

Currently on stage in St. John's

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Something to set you thinking.

A new website is being launched  to urge people to take a 'staycation' rather than going abroad.

While acknowledging that many people cannot afford to take a holiday at all , the site aims to encourage those who can, to holiday in Ireland.

Stayhome.ie states that if one in four people who took a holiday abroad in 2009 stayed at home instead, €235m would have been generated here. 

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Kelliher photo; Tea Dance and Writers' Week 1975

Remember this photo!

Several people recognized Moss Kelliher. I got the following email from Sharon Monahan

I recognize this man as Moss Kelliher he is Moss Kelliher Snr son ( lofty's Dad ) , This is my Uncle and Grandfather both called Moss !!

Keep up the good work 

Regards

Sharon Kelliher Monahan

Another Kelliher source tells us the trip to Killarney was an outing taken while the boys were at home from England where they were working.

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The following photos were shared by Kay O'Leary. They were taken in The Listowel Arms on St. Patrick's Day where young and old had a ball at the NKRO tea dance.

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These are photos from John Pierse of Writers' Week 1975

Have fun identifying people here.

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Would anyone be able to help with this email query from Australia?

G'day,

My name is Robert ( Bob ) Pierse and I'm Australian.

My Great Grandfather John Pierse arrived in Australia from Ireland about 1851/52

following his sister Winifred who came as a famine orphan in 1850.

A Doctor William Pierse also came to Australia and we think is their brother.

Their parents were David Pierse and Ellen Sullivan. Ellen was still alive in Listowel when they left.

I'm hoping you can give us some information on this side of the Pierse family.

Kind Regards,

Bob Pierse

Some old cars; Confirmation Day in town

A feature of this year's Listowel parade was a number of old ( I'm reluctant to say "vintage" since they did  not seem that old to me) cars.

Here are a selection for car lovers

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Could we have done with this fellow? He was photographed in 1963 in Dublin.

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http://www.locusinsight.com/Ireland_files/Emigration/chart.html

The above chart is really interesting. It shows the trends in Irish emigration this century.

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Yesterday the bishop was in town. The confirmandi made a great job of decorating the church.

I was touched by the simplicity of the children's reasons for choosing their confirmation names.

The posters and artwork were the best I have ever seen in the church. Well done all!