Monday, 21 September 2020

Knotweed, A Hard Raceweek in 1890 and A Blow- in with an interesting Story to Tell


Lovely but deadly! This is Japanese Knotweed. If you see it anywhere, please give it a very wide berth. I am afraid it is flourishing all too widely this year and we will have a big job to rid ourselves of it. Dont cut it or touch it or under any circumstances do anything to propagate it. Don't even try to kill it. It's a job for experts.


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Things were Rough in 1890



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Down Memory Lane


Talk of Lena Mullally and bag of chips after the pictures prompted a few emails.

Jim McMahon wrote:

Mary , it was nice to hear that Lena Mullally was not forgotten. She was one of a number of larger than life wonderful women in Church street in the 40’S and 50’s .A whole essay could be written about her but that’s for another day. For now sufficient to say she brightened our young lives. 

Liz Chute was also in touch.

Séan McCarthy referred to my mother, Betty Chute's café as Betty's Emporium , where that individual would have bought his two bags of chips .

She  was a woman before her time and was a successful business woman in Listowel long before it was known of in Ireland.


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From Waterford to North Kerry...A Rose's Story




Orla's Afternoon Tea in a Box


When I asked Orla Cusack Walsh to tell me the story of how she came to relocate to Kerry, she told me that it all started when she was selected as the Waterford Rose in 1998.


Orla with 2018 Waterford Rose, Kirsten Mate Maher

At the Festival of Kerry in 1998
 
Orla tells the story best in her own words.

In 1998 I had the privilege of representing my beautiful county, Waterford, at the Rose of Tralee Festival. It was my first trip to Kerry as an adult and I was not disappointed. As the garda escort led us along the old road into Tralee, the excitement was electric. What followed was a week of incredible memories, new friends and eventually a husband, two children and 3 dogs! 




Orla and family

 

In 2002 I returned to the festival with Texas ’98 Rose, Caroline Wilson. During that trip I met my now husband, Kerry man, Liam Walsh. 

 

Liam had been an escort the previous two years and had been asked back to cover for a day and a night that year. We chatted and met later at the various events and later we joined the former Roses and Escorts for a sing song and a catch up. I sang Katie that night. (It is clear that the song and the name are special to Orla) Caroline and I left in the early hours and hopped into a taxi.


Recent photo of Orla and Liam
 

A week later Liam called me to wish me a Happy Birthday. He had asked a friend for my number! Months later he told me he had followed me out to ask for my number, but I was gone. I knew early on that he was the man I would marry. He is a gentleman, kind and caring. The rest, as they say, is history. 



The happy couple on their wedding day


We were engaged the following August and we married in June 2005 in St Mary’s Church, Ballygunner, Waterford. It was important to me to marry there as I laid my bouquet on my brother’s grave after the ceremony. It meant we were all there. The sun shone and we celebrated well into the early hours. 



Katie and her Grandparents on her First Holy Communion day

 

I moved to Lisselton in 2005 and we worked on our home. In January 2008 we welcomed our daughter, Katie, and in May 2010 our son, Dylan. 




Katie, like Liam, plays the bodhrán. She also plays football with Listowel Emmets and rugby with Listowel RFC. Dylan sings and has been part of the Kerry School of music Junior Choir, Listowel. Dylan also plays rugby with Listowel RFC and does Taekwondo with Master O’Mahony in Listowel. 




Katie is in 6th Class in Killocrim NS and Dylan is in 4th class. We are incredibly proud of them and all their achievements. 

In 2011 I took redundancy and became a stay at home mum for a time. Liam built his business, St David’s Poultry Services, over the years and in May 2019 moved into a purpose built unit designed by local architect, Petra Walsh. Michael O’Muircheartaigh cut the ribbon at the official opening in August, 2019 and 3 weeks later Liam won a well deserved award for his fantastic work in the industry. All his hard work, dedication, and time away from us had paid off. 


 

My qualifications and training are in the culinary and retail areas. I started baking professionally again in 2011 and eventually attended markets and food fairs.



I pottered along for a few years and slowly built my business, Orla’s Country Kitchen and Ballydonoghue Cookery School. A few weeks after Liam won his award, I too won an award at the Listowel Food Fair 2019 for my smokey bacon quiche. 

It was all coming together.



During the lockdown earlier in 2020, Katie and Dylan did cooking videos on Facebook and every week we donated 60 cake slices to Buds Ballyduff Meals on Wheels Service . 

We kept this going until July and plan to start again once a month from October. 



 

Today my business is growing from strength to strength. My Afternoon Tea in a box is a success and with Christmas just around the corner, biscuit cake Christmas puddings are on the way!



As I write, I feel blessed, as I look back on the years since 1998. The memories of the Rose of Tralee and the reason I now live in Kerry. I’ll always be incredibly proud to be from Waterford and will always feel privileged to have represented my beautiful county. I will always be a “blow in” and I’m fine with that, as there’s nothing like being a blow in, in the beautiful Kingdom!



 When she had told me her story I realised that Orla is, at heart, a family woman. I had asked her for her story and she told me more about her family than she did about herself. 

The Rose of Tralee committee are always at pains to point out that it is not like other beauty pageants. The Roses are chosen to embody the best of what it is to be Irish. Orla is an excellent example of all that the festival stands for. 

She is a true beauty; a Rose inside and out.

 

Friday, 18 September 2020

Bernard Brogans Book, Outdoor milking, a Golf Photo and Tralee Community Garden

 Footballers and their Books


If there had been our usual book launch for Bernard Brogan's book, Jimmy Deenihan would have been the man doing it.
There was a kind of mini launch anyway and Jimmy sent me two photos. The first is placing Bernard's book among the poets and literati.


I think Bernard Brogan is more at home in the Sports biography section. I'm not really the target market for sports biography but I did read Jimmy Deenihan's which he published to raise funds for the Lartigue restoration project. I'd highly recommend it  to even non football fans like myself. Some great stories there.

According to tales on the Late  Late Show and elsewhere, it was Jimmy who "made the match" between Bernard's parents so he has a lot to answer for to Kerry fans. If you have any football fans on your Christmas list, Bernard's or even Jimmy's books would be a sound bet.

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Cow Time



This photo popped up in a Facebook page called The Irish in London. She must be the quietest cow in Ireland. no halter, no spancel, no stall. Patience personified.

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An Old Golf Photo


Patsy O'Sullivan gave me this photo a good while ago. I posted it a while back with a request for names.
Nicholas Leonard sought the help of his old friend and colleague, P.J. Houlihan, hurler turned golfer. P.J. with the help of a few friends came up with all the names except one.

Here they are;

Back row L to R. Mike Holly,  Tom O’Donnell, Willie Enright, Danny Lyons, Sean Sullivan, Patk. O ‘Sullivan, Brendan Stack, P J.  Houlihan, Colm O Callaghan, John  Molyneaux, Dan Sheehan. 

Front row L to R., J B O’ Shea, Michael Barrett, Patsy O Sullivan, Frank Pierce, Didgie O Connor, Jerry Brick, unknown.

Now we only need the name of the man on the far right in front and a year and occasion for the photo.


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Season of Mists and Mellow fruitfulness


Tralee Community Garden 2020

Thursday, 17 September 2020

Listowel's First Picture House and Cowboys Remembered, Ballybunion RIC and Races on TV



John Kelliher's photo of the empty racecourse in September 2020 says it all. The sun is setting on a forgettable summer.
Yes, there will be a race meeting this year, but it will be behind closed doors. We'll have to be happy with watching the races on telly.

TG4 coverage will be hosted again by Seán Bán Breathnach with Mánus Ó Conghaile.  Race commentary comes from Mícheál Ó Sé and reporter will be Daragh Ó Conchúir.

TG4s schedule is as follows:

*Monday, September 21 - On-Air @ 3:00pm

Five races live including the main race of the day ‘The Liam Healy Memorial Lartigue Hurdle’ @ 3:40pm.

*Tuesday, September 22 – On-Air @ 3:00pm

Five races live including the main race of the day ‘The Edmund and Josie Whelan Memorial Stakes’ @ 4:30pm

*Wednesday, September 23 – On-Air @ 3:00pm

Five races live including the main race of the day ‘The Guinness Kerry National’ @ 4:30pm

*Thursday, September 24 – On-Air @ 3:00pm

Five races live including the main race of the day ‘The Listowel Printing Works Handicap’ @ 4:30pm

*Friday, September 25 – On-Air @ 3:00pm

Five races live including the main race of the day ‘The Southampton Goodwill Plate Handicap Steeplechase’ @ 4:25pm

*Saturday, September 26 – On-Air @ 3:00pm

Five races live including the main race of the day ‘The M.J. Carroll ARRO Handicap Hurdle’ @ 4:00pm

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Cowboys and Irishmen


Liam Dillon's story of his mother's frightening experience in Listowel's first cinema prompted many cinematic memories for blog followers.

Mattie Lennon thought of Gene Autry, one of the biggest stars of the Cowboy genre.

Gene Autry was  a huge star of the silver screen and on Sept 7 1939 he and his horse, Champion, rode in parade near the theatre Royal
. The crowd was estimated at 250,000. Autry was known as The Singing Cowboy. His many films were immensely popular on both sides of the Atlantic.

Mattie remembers a line from  the late great Seán MacCarthy

Sean Mc Carthy said that when the first chipper was set up in Listowel two fellows came out of the cinema and bought two bags of chips. One of them said, "I  don't care what anyone says, there's spuds in them."

Cyril Kelly remembers the first Listowel cinema as well. Here in his own inimitable style is his reminiscence...

My erstwhile neighbour, Liam Dillon, relayed a story about his mother's scary visit to the first 'cinema' in the town. That reminiscence aroused a memory that I have of my own mother and her recollections of the same picture house, aka cinema, aka fleapit. In her accounts the pictures were shown in Cooney's, a shed/lean-to/stall behind Nurse Donovan's Nursing Home (next door to North County House) where all the hair-raising episodes seemed to be confined to the brass beds of the lying-in rooms at the front rather than any six guns blazing to the rear. Dickeen Daly was the anti-hero in my mother's cinema tales (People may recall Dickeen, caretaker to the old Courthouse).
 
At any rate, during the showing of a picture, Dickeen's job was to provide sound effects ....remember, this was the silent movie era. So when a new picture came to Cooneys, Dickeen was at the ready for the first few nights with his rattles and whistles and squeaks, plus pebbles and rocks in empty biscuit tins. But, inevitably, as the week wore on and as Dickeen became overly familiar with the latest western or who-done-it, flickering on the whitewashed wall, his stamina was sorely tested. And as Cooney's ventilation system was not designed to cope with a packed and hyperventilating audience, the poor sound effects man was known to nod off. With the result, audience screams of Dickeen! Dickeen! rang out when the gunfight was at its most ferocious, when the fusillade should have been ear splitting. But by the time Dickeen was roused, and the biscuit tin and the rocks and the pebbles were primed, the soundtrack was merely providing rolling thunder and teeming rain for the victim's burial on Boothill.

Sic transit gloria mundi.

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North Kerry man is new CEO of Lee Strand 



Gearóid Linnane takes the next step in his very successful career as he takes up the role of CEO of Lee Strand

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Burning in Ballybunion 


The 1920's was a terrible time in Kerry with shootings, reprisals, burnings and brother pitted against brother in a bitter fight that has left scars that are only barely healed today.
John Keane shared this photograph of the RIC barracks in Ballybunion which was burned to the ground.


Wednesday, 16 September 2020

Castleisland, Repainting John B. Keane's and Galway to see the pope in 1979

Listowel Garda Station in September 2020

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Castle Island
I took a little trip to this lovely town last week. The place was quiet.

They have laid out a great Con Houlihan trail. It will be busy again when we are free to travel.


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Delia O'Donoghue's Ceramics

Castleisland has a beautiful new shop at the top of the town. It's a lovely shop with beautiful things. Delia is a sole trader so you can actually get to talk to the potter herself and she will tell you all about the process of making your treasure.



Artists and craftworkers have been hit hard by the pandemic. It takes bravery on Delia's part to pick this time to follow her dream and open her own studio and shop. She deserves support.

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Derry's Purties



While I was in town, I decided to seek out the shop recently opened by the head of Kerry's daftest family. Derry is the star of his son, Tadhg's, internet capers. The whole Fleming family are now in on the act. 
Unfortunately the shop was closed when I was in Castleisland so I'll have to call again to view the purties.

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John B. Keane's All Spruced up for Reopening


 


Billy posed for me with painter and signwriter, Francis Chute as Francis put the finishing touches to another lovely paint job.

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The Pope in Galway

Kerryman 1979


Carmel Moloney found the photo. If you were with Michael Dowling, Maria OGorman,  and the Kerry gang let us know the story.



Tuesday, 15 September 2020

Halloween, Mullally Family and a Recent Old Style Threshing

 


Russborough House photographed by Eamon ÓMurchú

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We Don't Need Halloween to Scare us in 2020


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Mullally Family of Church Street

When I looked for information about this family, most people remembered Lena who ran the sweet shop after her parents retirement.

The young folk have a word for a super fan. The word is stan. Lena is remembered as a DeValera stan. She famously lit a bonfire outside her shop when the Big Fellow came to town. She was known to give free sweets to any youngster who would shout "Up Dev".

Marie Nelligan shared the following memory on Facebook

"In the 40s, Lena Mullany’s was the only shop that sold bananas. They were too expensive for the average shopper. As you passed by you could always hear Lena singing in the shop."

Below is some of the stuff that Dave's trawl of the internet threw up.

Patrick MULLALLY [Parents] was born about 1865 in probably Tarbert, Co. Kerry. He died on 1 Dec 1908 in Church St., Listowel, Co. Kerry. Patrick married Ellen (Ellie) HARRINGTON on 24 Feb 1895 in Murhur, Listowel, Co. Kerry.

According to the 1901 census Patrick was a "cattle doctor". He was also a shopkeeper with a business on Church St., Listowel.

Patrick died of gastroenteritis aged 43.

Note: I have sometimes seen Mullally spelled as Mullaly.

Ellen (Ellie) HARRINGTON [Parents] was born about 10 Nov 1865 in Kilbaha, Moyvane, Co. Kerry. She was christened on 12 Nov 1865 in Moyvane, Co. Kerry. She died on 5 Feb 1931 in Church St., Listowel, Co. Kerry. Ellen married Patrick MULLALLY on 24 Feb 1895 in Murhur, Listowel, Co. Kerry.

Ellen's baptismal sponsors were Edmund Stack and Mary Stack.

Ellie and her family lived on Church St., Listowel, Co. Kerry where they ran a grocery business. The 1911 census tells us Ellie (by then widowed) had had eight children born alive, five of whom were still alive at the time of the census.

Marriage Notes:

Witnesses were Cornelius Mulvihill and Annie Mulvihill.

They had the following children.

 

F

i

Johanna (Annie) MULLALLY was born on 9 Feb 1895 in Kilbaha, Moyvane, Co. Kerry. She died in probably before 5 Feb 1931.

 

M

ii

James MULLALLY was born on 22 Dec 1896 in Church St., Listowel, Co. Kerry. He died on 1 Jul 1907 in Church St., Listowel, Co. Kerry.

James died at the age of 10. His death record tells us he was "found dead in bed".

 

M

iii

Michael Joseph MULLALLY was born on 28 May 1898 in Church St., Listowel, Co. Kerry. He died on 19 Oct 1940 in Church St., Listowel, Co. Kerry. He was buried in Listowel Cemetery, Co. Kerry.

Michael, who worked as a gardener in Listowel, died of cardiac failure at the age of 42. He was unmarried.

 

M

iv

John (Jack) MULLALLY was born in 1899 in Church St., Listowel, Co. Kerry. He died after 19 Oct 1940 in probably New York.

John lived in New York. It is thought he was married and had a family.

 

F

v

Bridget MULLALLY was born on 10 Jul 1900 in Church St., Listowel, Co. Kerry. She died in probably bef 2 Apr 1911.

 

F

vi

Ellen (Lena, Helena) MULLALLY was born on 5 Oct 1901 in Church St., Listowel, Co. Kerry. She died on 28 Dec 1960 in Church St., Listowel, Co. Kerry.

Lena never married.

 

F

vii

Hanora (Nora) MULLALLY was born on 21 Dec 1902 in Church St., Listowel, Co. Kerry. She died after 28 Dec 1960.

Nora never married. She lived in Listowel.

 

M

viii

Thomas MULLALLY was born on 3 Sep 1904 in Church St., Listowel, Co. Kerry. He died on 21 Mar 1905 in Church St., Listowel, Co. Kerry.

Thomas died at the age of six months of diarrhoea.

 

 




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Remembering the Good Times

This photograph hangs in Coast café in Ballybunion. Ryan Tubridy made his base in Coast as he visited Ballybunion on his trip along The Wild Atlantic Way. 

No skateboarding in the roadway in 2020!

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Ballybunion Threshing Fundraiser for Ard Churam



Photos from Facebook

VINTAGE CORN CUTTING & THRESHING took place on the land of Robert Stack, Doon Road, Ballybunion on Sunday 6th September at 11am. All proceeds in aid of the new Ard Chúram Alzheimer’s Day Care Centre in Listowel.

Monday, 14 September 2020

Aidan's Fruit and Veg, Ballykinlar Memories and All Kinds of Everything

 

Malahide Marina photographed by Eamon ÓMurchú

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Crowleys/ All Kinds of Everything


Here are some of the things you can buy in All Kinds of Everything. Martin Chute painted the sign.

All Kinds of Everything is housed in the premises that was the birthplace of this local T.D.

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New Shop in The Square

It;'s great to welcome a new shop to Listowel Town Square. This is a fruit and vegetablele shop being run by the man who used to sell his stock in The Square at the Friday market. Now you can buy his fresh produce any day.

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A Friendship  Forged in Adversity

( Story from Lynda Kieran in The Leinster Express)


Paul Murphy of Listowel sent this photo of a prison football team in Ballykinlar in 1921 to The Leinster Express. Paul's great grandfather is on the right.

Read on to see why he sent it.

Laois people are being asked to help trace the family of a butcher who formed a close friendship in an infamous British prison camp in Ireland during the War of Independence.

A letter has been found in Kerry dating back to 1956, sent to a Mrs Murphy on the death of her husband Thomas Murphy.

It is from Thomas Cribbin in Portarlington, and it is a bittersweet letter as he recalls his friend, and regrets never making it down to Listowel to meet and talk to him before his death.

The two were the butchers in the Ballykinlar Prison Camp, an internment camp in Co. Down opened by the British authorities to inprison Irish men in the War of Independence. It was famed for its brutality.

 

"Dear Mrs Murphy, It was with deep regret I read on today's Independent of your husband's death. I sincerely offer you and your family my deepest sympathy.

"I was a very close friend of Tom's in Ballykinlar Internment Camp. We worked side by side during that period, when cutting up the meat for our comrades. I had never the joy of passing through Listowel but I was always hoping to do so in the near future, so that I could meet and talk of bygone days but alas it's now too late. May he rest in peace. 

Sincerely yours, Thomas Cribbin, Victualler, Portarlington."




The letter was found by Thomas Murphy's grandson Paul Murphy also from Listowel.

He also sent the Leinster Express the photo of his grandad in a football team in 1921 in the prison and wonders if Thomas Cribbin might also be in that photo.

"Rummaging through my dad's stuff, I came across this letter from a man from Portarlington. He and my grandad were the butchers in the infamous Ballykinlar prison camp in Down. Is his family still around? The prison picture includes my dad and maybe the other Thomas in 1921," he said.

"I'd just like to say to his family how appreciative I am about this letter. It's a nice story coming up to the centenary," he said.

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An Email from a Blog follower


Hi Mary,
I loved seeing your mention of the Irish lacrosse showing such respect to the Iroquois team. I live in Syracuse and this area is rich in history.  The Skanonh Center (Great Law of Peace Center) is located here and is a gold mine of information. You might enjoy visiting the website, www.skanonhcenter.org.

All the best
Angela Barry Melfi

Friday, 11 September 2020

Carrigafoyle, Unrest in Duagh in 1913 and Utopia, a Victim of the Pandemic

Carrigafoyle Castle 2020  Photo: Breda Ferris

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Holy War in Duagh in 1913

 

Irish Examiner Thursday, October 23, 1913


DASTARDLY OUTRAGE

NORTH KERRY PROTEST. INDIGNATION MEETING AT DUAGH.


On Sunday last a public meeting of very large dimensions was held in the village of Duagh for the purpose of condemning an outrage of a most unusual and and at the same time diabolical character, which was perpetrated at Lyrecrumpane some weeks previously. The outrage, which aroused so much horror and indignation, consisted of a shot being fired through the window of one of the most highly respected members of the community, Mr. Patrick Moloney, R.D.C., where, for the want of a Chapel, the Sacrifice of the Holy Mass is being offered up weekly by the Rev. J. Beasley, P.P., in his house. 

The dastardly act of the abandoned miscreant, needless to say, carries with it the unspeakable abhorrence and condemnation of an indignant community, and the extraordinary numbers in which the outraged parishioners as well as many outside the parish, and the representative  character of the assemblage, very amply indicated their feelings, as well as affording practical proof if such were necessary—that their beloved and intensely popular Parish Priest the Rev John Beasley, will not be insulted or intimidated with impunity.  It should be mentioned that, this demonstration was the result of the generous and spontaneous volition of the people themselves, who are almost to a man virile and enthusiastic members of the A.O.H., and who would on no condition whatever brook slight or insult offered their revered pastor. 

After last Mass, the whole congregation, headed by the splendid fife and drum band of the A.O.H., under the able conductorship of their instructor, Mr. Salmon, marched in procession to a substantially-built platform erected al the top of the village, and bedecked with National designs and greenery to a profuse extent.

The arrival of the Rev. Father Beasley was the signal for an enthusiastically and long continued round of cheers.

Amongst those present were noticed—Messrs F C O'Keeffe, R.D.C., President of the Duagh Branch of the A.O.H. (the fourth largest in the county), J J Sheehy, R.D.C., V.C. do; Patrick Moloney, R. D.C: Thomas Relihan, R.D.C; .James O’Sullivan, Trien; Patrick Stack, Thomas Daly, James Mahony, N.T; Thomas Molyneaux, N.T; John McCarthv, N.T; Edward Stack, N.T;  J Casey, N.T.; Jeremiah Lyons, Michael O'Brien, J. Gunn, D. Broderick, J Roche, M Mulcare, Murt Daly, James Hickey, M Gair, D Hayes, T. Dillon, John Dillon, J. Maher. Tom Faley, P. Larkin, James Harnett, P Mahony, Thomas O'Connor, P O'Connor, John Joyce, D Ambrose, James Moloney, Daniel Keane, R Finucane, J Halpin, J Scanlan, Stephen Stack, T Sheehy, C Sheehy, M Sheehy, Michael O'Connor, Jeremiah Relihan, T Roche, J. O'Connor, Tom Keane, John Stack, J Costelloe, John Molyneaux, Jeremiah McCarthy,  J O'Keeffe, J J  Dillon, J McElligott, Thade Galvin, Dan Mc-Auliffe, W McAuliffe, J Fitzgerald, John Flynn, George Fitzmaurice,  Thos. O'Brien, J H O’Sullivan, Michael Sheehy, J. Kelly, G Kelly, P Walsh, M Quill, James Stack, Neddy Stack. John Sheehy, Michael Sheehy, M Relihan, M Galvin, Michael Sheehy, J Sheehy, Batt Dillon, Jack Sheehy, Edward Dillon, Shaun, Darb, Davy Dillon, Jas Horgan, D Flynn, T Flynn, Batt O'Connor, W. J O'Connor, Con O'Keeffe, J Brosnan, Daniel Keane, J Moloney, Matt Dillon, P Lane, C. McAuliffe, Dan L Brosnan, Michael Keane, Maurice Keane, Jerh Brosnan, John Collins, Matt D Dillon, Michael Dillon, J Wiley, D. O'Grady, J Faley, D Brosnan, Tim Brosnan, F O'Carroll, Dan Brosnan, J. Brandon, Pat Keane. John Walsh, M Walsh, Jim Fitzgerald, James Corridan, Moss Corridan, Tady Corridan, etc.

Mr. W. L. Fitzgerald, U.D.C., P.L.G., Listowel, also occupied a prominent position on the platform.

On the motion of Mr. F. C. O'Keeffe, seconded by Mr. J. J. Sheehy,

The Rev. J. Beasley, P.P., was moved to the chair, and amidst enthusiastic cheers and addressing the meeting, said :—

My dear people, I thank you for inviting me here to-day ("You are welcome"). I have to thank you also for the honour you have done me in asking me to preside over this large and important meeting. I am pleased to see you all consider it your duty to hold this meeting here to-day in order to protest against an outrage that has shocked and pained the people of the parish. If there is one thing more than another for which Irishmen are remarkable, and for which they may be pardoned in taking a legitimate pride, " it is for being kind and neighbourly (hear, hear). You all know how much our kind-hearted friend, Mr Moloney is respected for these qualities and for all the virtues that go to make a good Irishman (cheers for Mr Moloney). No man could he kinder, on man more popular—he is popular without seeking popularity (cheers); he is friendly to all, and always anxious to help his neighbours when necessary (applause). It was a particularly odious crime to attack the house of one who deserves nothing but the goodwill of his neighbours—one whom we, all so highly esteem (cheers). It was an outrage not against him alone, but against the whole community, especially against the good people of that part of the parish where it was committed (hear. hear). The outrage is blacker and more painful still when we look at it from a religious point of view. Here is a house which should be particularly sacred to every Catholic who loves his faith. In it Sunday Mass was celebrated for the people of the district. You are all aware of the sanctity of the Sacrifice of the Altar. It is the offering of the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ, Our Lord, for the salvation of the living and of the dead who shall suffer in Purgatory. The Mass is the great Sacrifice of the New Law, the bed-rock of our Faith. It was their love of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass Hint made the Catholics of our country face privations and persecutions of every kind in the Penal days (hear, hear). For it they were ready to give up everything, even life itself (cheers). They gathered round the priest at sacred spots in the mountains and glens and whilst he offered up the Holy Sacrifice they knelt down in humble devotion round the altar. What would they say; what would those who have gone before us say if they were alive to-day of an outrage at a house in the mountains of a parish in which Mass was celebrated on Sundays for the people. Could they imagine how anyone could be so lost, so dead to the fear, of God and to the reverence due to Him as to commit such a crime? . If such an outrage were committed in France at the bidding of a French infidel, what would be your horror? How much worse is it not when committed at home at the  bidding of some person or persons who style themselves Christians? My dear people, we would be unworthy descendants of our Catholic- forefathers, who suffered so much for their Faith, if we did not condemn and repudiate this outrage in the strongest language at our command (hear, hear). Whilst we deplore and condemn it, let us be merciful; let us hope and pray that whoever has so given way to the temptation of the devil as to perpetrate it will repent, and resolve never again to be guilty of such a cowardly and disgraceful deed (cheers). We are upon the eve of a great triumph, for our country's victory is almost in view. The government of the country will be soon, please God in the hands of the people of Ireland (loud cheers). Let us show our fitness for it, and that we are worthy of it by our respect for God, for our neighbours, and for everything that would rebound to the credit of our race at home and abroad (loud cheers), The eyes of the world are on us at present; we are still on our trial; let us show that we are not what the enemies of our country represent us to be, but that we are patriotic, just, straightforward, honourable men (cheers). It is righteous men who should make our land a nation once again (cheers). Let us like good patriots and Nationalists, feel a pride in our native county—the good old Kingdom, and when Home Rule comes, let us be able to prove that amidst all the flags that shall be unfurled. The flag of Kerry shall be up unstained and unsullied (loud and prolonged cheers).

Mr F. C. O'Keeffe then proposed the following resolution—"Resolved,—That we, the people of Duagh, in public meeting assembled, desire to express in the strongest possible manner our condemnation and abhorrence  of the outrage committed at a house, in the parish at which the Holy sacrifice of the Mass is celebrated on Sundays for the parishioners and which is occupied by a gentleman who has earned and enjoys the respect of those around him; that we are sure that the conduct of the miscreant or miscreants has met with no sympathy, and that we trust this district will never again be disgraced by such a foul deed. (hear. hear). In speaking to the resolution, he said he felt sure he had the sympathy of every man present who professed to be a Catholic and a Christian, for he thought no more cowardly or diabolical act could be perpetrated by any person than to fire into a house where the  Holy Sacrifice of the Mass had been offered up for the consolation and benefit of the people of the district (hear, hear). ...

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We Have Another Name

Asdee Players, the gentleman back row , second from left was Jimmy Carroll from Kilcoman, Asdee, my cousin.

He was a farmer and is succeeded by his niece Norma Connor ( nee Long) who still lives on same farm.  John Nolan from Bedford, England 

(Thanks John)

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Utopia to Close


The following is Seraphina's sad message on Facebook

To all our loyal customers, it is with great sadness that I say this, but today I’m announcing the closure of Utopia boutique.

I wish to thank you all, customers retailers friends and family for the most special memories. I thank you all I can never thank you enough for all that we have shared together.
This has been the hardest year to date, we have been working very hard trying to salvage the business,trying to pay the bills,the will is there but unfortunately the way is too hard in this current economic climate.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Kathleen and Mary Louise, who have been with me since I started in 2007. Two of the most loyal and beautiful people it’s been my pleasure to work with. It is very difficult closing, I honestly hoped for a better outcome but I look forward to welcoming you all in for the last time, While we have a closing down sale ....starting tomorrow.
Wishing you all the best in these tough times
love and thanks
Seraphina

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Yesterday was bread, Today it's Sugar

In his search for information about the Mullally's of Church St. Dave O'Sullivan found this interesting titbit.