St. Brigid's Cross, John O'Connell's Footballing Days and Tobar na Molt

St Brigid's Day

Today Feb. 1 is the feast day of our most significant female saint. The St. Brigid's cross, woven from rushes is traditionally made on this day and displayed until Feb. 1 of next year when a new one is made. It is credited with warding off fire and other hazards (Covid 19, hopefully)

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Ireland's Beautiful East Coast

Sunrise in Portmarnock and sunset in Malahide on 23rd January 2021. 

Photo: Éamon ÓMurchú

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John and Noreen O'Connell

 John and Noreen O'Connell in The Central Ballroom Ballybunion in 1966

A recent picture of John and Noreen

More of John's Childhood Shenanigans, in his own words

My life wasn’t all work. I had great fun always. I had a great life.and still I am enjoying every minute of it.

On my way to school I passed the railway gates. Now and again, I dropped a ha’penny unknownst to Mrs Kenny on the track. When the train rolled over it, the ha’penny flattened to the size of a penny, so when the coast was clear again I picked up my new coin. After school I visited Jack Thornton. The shop was darkish and Jack was a bit short-sighted, so he used just feel the coin and thinking it was a penny I got my tomhaisín of black jacks. Miraculous medals were also a great way to get a bit of slab toffee from Jack. You bent off the top. put them on the train track and they were transformed into a tanner ( 6d bit). I remember my brother and myself finding about 5 shillings on the side of the road  one evening. What a stash.  We were made .We were cute enough to say nothing about it at home, so we spent months eating Peggy’s leg. 

Our first football was a sock filled with a balled-up Kerryman.

We waited patiently for my father or a neighbour to kill a pig so we could get the pig’s bladder. This we blew up with a bicycle pump and it was our football as long as it lasted. We had 2 teams of 5 a side, playing back in our field, Botharín Dubh versus The Cross. 

Next we bought a brown ball from Tim Shanahan at Faleys for 25 shillings  but it didn’t last long. We hatched a plan to buy a white O’ Neills, so we canvassed the neighbours for a few bob, sold blackberries and jam crocks until we could buy our real ball at Sean Tack Sullivans for £3. We used to  put our  alarm clock on the ditch to time ourselves and one match lasted for an hour and a half as we were ahead and a smart lad from the Cross put the clock back a half hour to try and beat us, but no good, we beat them well. 

I played for the Gleann and Emmetts later on.

Glossary:

tomhaisín was a little packet for sweets made by folding a little square of newspaper into a cone shape. Tomhas is the Irish for measure.

slab toffee : This was very hard toffee made by Cleeve's of Limerick. It came to the shop in a big slab divided into 1/2 inch cubes which were sold at around 2 for a penny. They were great value as there was hours of chewing in each square.

Peggy's Leg; This was like a stick of "rock" only smaller.

Black Jacks; These were liquorice sweets that left your tongue and lips black for hours.

jam crock; a jam jar or jam pot.

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 A Holy Well

Photos and text by Amanda Clarke From the Archives: Tobar na Molt, Well of the Wethers, Ardfert, Kerry

A priest was illegally conducting Mass. As the priest hunters arrived at the well, three wethers (sheep) appeared and distracted the well hunters leading them down to the strand. Another version has the priest being killed and the well springing up where he was slain. It’s a beautiful spot in its own walled enclosure comprising a deep well, an undressing house (pilgrims once fully immersed in the well), an altar, a double shrine, a rag tree and a mound said to be the burial place of St Ita. Bishop Erc baptised St Brendan here in 484AD , and St Ita fostered Brendan until he was 6 or 7 years old. The altar looks like a chest tomb, the figures meant to represent Brendan, Erc and Ita. They are said to sweat at certain times and the pilgrim should rub her fingers in the moisture then apply it to a sore place, The water was resorted to for many cures and holds a silver trout. It was empty when I visited but I think it’s filled up again. Mass is still held here on St Brendan’s Day, 16th May and it is also visited on May Day, St John’s Eve and Michaelmas. A tranquil and much revered spot.

John O'Connell Remembers a Misunderstanding, Stuttering and a Few Names for the Ballroom Photo

 Break of day in Portmarnock   Photo: Éamon ÓMurchú

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John O'Connell remembers a Childhood Injury

We played rough chase, football and fisticuffs in the yard. Fist fights were a regular and these continued up the back way after school. It was strictly fist fighting and all you ended up with might be a bloodied nose or a shiner. We enjoyed these boxing bouts. 

I always took short cuts wherever I went. This led to thorns in my bare feet, which became infected, and I had  boils, until they burst and out popped a black thorn. Johnny O Connor, the chemist in Market Street was our port of call for cuts when the need arose for a spot of disinfectant. One morning  after the threshing I was piking chaff and stuck a prong through my bare foot. My father told my brother to burn the pike, meaning the prongs, in the fire. It was a superstition that, if this was done, my toe would not fester. My mother tackled the ass and in to the car with poor John and down to Johnny O Connor to clean and bandage my toe. 

When we got home all hell had broken loose as my brother had burned the whole pike in the fire, and it had a new handle that cost 1s 6d. 

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Then and Now

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Stuttering

 

President Biden and poet Amanda Gorman share more than a love of poetry. As children they each had difficulty with certain sounds and stuttered at times.

Stuttering is a speech fluency disorder about which there are many misunderstandings. It is now seen as a neurological disorder and it often has a genetic element.

It used to be believed that people who stuttered were anxious diffident people. Not so. 

Forcing someone who is left handed to use his right hand will cause him to stutter. Not so.

People who stutter are behind their peers in school achievement . No so.

People who stutter are as intelligent, as funny, as confident and as talented as the general population. What sometimes happens is that children who stutter adopt habits to distract themselves from the parts of their bodies involved in speech. They may tap or click their fingers or slap their foreheads or blink in an effort to "get the words out".

We have come a long way in our understanding of speech difficulties. Biden and Gorman are proof that such childhood difficulties are no bar to rising to the top in your chosen field.

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Faces in the Crowd

Margaret Dillon takes a stab at some of the names in this old ballroom photo:

First row from left; Toddy Enright, in the middle of the first row,  Gerald lynch?

The man kneeling is Michael Kennelly, Michael's sister Sis,  is behind the man with glasses. Just behind Sis is another Kennelly brother. Next to him is one of PJ Maher's brothers.To his right is Mrs Harris and husband Jimmy.

2nd row  4th from left Bridie Leahy , 5th Finbarr Mc Auliffe? 6th Peggy Walsh and behind Peggy is Tom O' Connor, next to Peggy is Phil Quigley Chute?,   3 along from Phil is Toddy Enright's sister,  her husband, John O'Connor is behind her.

3rd Row 4th from left Stan? Kennelly , 6th Michael Mulcahy, 8th Finbarr McAuliffe 9th Amidee Crowley

Back row on right hand side; Mossie Walsh and wife Kats,  ? O'Connell (small sq) Carmel ?Heneghan , and 6th from right John Cahill.

Kay Caball had a go at remembering names as well . Here is her contribution. There is some overlap with Margaret's

Front Row:  Well you know Michael Kennelly, 2nd from right. Behind Michael Kennelly is Jimmy Harris. Maybe his wife ? Murphy, Mairead O'Connell, Main St, P.J. Maher.

2nd Row: 2nd in- Vincent Moloney and his wife Angela (Carroll), Bridie Leahy (Leahys Corner House the Square).  Patsy Walsh's sister who married Sean Sullivan next door,  second lady after that with the black stripey top is Marie O'Hara who later married Finbar McAuliffe, second next to her is ?? but she married Johnny O'Connor, Chemist Market St.

Canon Goodman, the Bazaar and John O'Connell's schooldays

 

Beautiful Malahide photographed by Éamon ÓMurchú

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Canon James Goodman

In the brief period around Christmas when we were allowed to move about within our own county, some of my Cork family went exploring in the wilds of West Cork. In a remote corner they came upon a ruined church and rectory with this plaque. Fascinated, we looked up the man commemorated on it.

James Goodman (1828-1896), a native of Dingle, Co. Kerry, was a canon of the Church of Ireland and Professor of Irish at Trinity College Dublin.  However, he is now chiefly known as the compiler of an outstanding manuscript collection of some 2,300 mainly traditional tunes held in the Library of the college.

In his later years, the music collector James Goodman was a canon of the Church of Ireland and Professor of Irish at Trinity College Dublin.  But his 'vernacular' qualities are of greater interest here.  As a native of the Dingle area of West Kerry he spoke Irish from infancy.  Soon he became attached to music as something between a hobby and an obsession.  He sang the local songs, perhaps played the flute, and certainly became an accomplished performer on the Irish, or uilleann, pipes.  By 1866 he had compiled an exceptional manuscript collection of tunes which is remarkable especially for its traditional Irish content.  These tunes, as he said, were partly 'taken down by myself as I heard them played by Irish pipers &c.', and partly drawn from other manuscripts and from printed sources.  Since Goodman's death in 1896 his music has remained unpublished in the Library of Trinity College. (From Irish Traditional Music Archive)

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Listowel Bazaar

These are some of the people who have kept the bazaar going over the years. There was no bazaar in 2020 due to Covid 19.

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Back by Popular Demand

I have some great reaction to John O'Connell's reminiscences. Many people shared similar experiences in a country childhood. Today he is remising about his early school days in the 1950s. The story is documented by his wife, Noreen.

John O'Connell's Holy Comm picture, 1947 in front of convent

Patricia Hartnett of Patrick St

Margaret Hartnett of Clieveragh

 Mary Galvin O’ Connell’s  Ave.

Living just a mile from the Convent school, I started there at 4 and a half and remained until after my First Communion. I can still see Sr Francis as large as life and as clear as then with her long black dress. I had a bottle of milk and 2 cuts of soda bread for lunch. In winter we placed our bottle by the big heating pipe. I never got tea till I was about 10 years old.  

I think it was in 2^nd class I started at the Boys school. I was taught by Mrs Crowley, Mrs Griffin, Masters Flaherty, Mac Mahon, Keane and Sheehy. I liked Master Mac Mahon, he was interesting and fair. One day in Master Sheehy’s class, he lit a fag and took a few pulls, then took out a white handkerchief and blew into it and showed us the brown stain the smoke left. He advised us never to smoke as it would do the same to our lungs. I took his advice and afterwards when training for football  I found it a great advantage. Seemingly Master Sheehy himself was an awful smoker .

Naturally I got plenty slaps as I had  to be out helping  after school, pulping turnips and mangolds, setting and digging spuds, saving hay and turf, thinning turnips, milking cows, playing football and getting up to plenty of  devilment and sure even work was better than being inside doing sums. I became very smart at copying these before I went into school, with the promise of a sweet to my benefactor whenever I got one .

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This is a pulper. Pulping root vegetables for animals was often the children's job. I remember swinging  off that handle if the mangolds were particularly tough.

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Some People are So Witty

Kanturk, That Old Lourdes Photo, A Poem and a Biden Inauguration story

Photo: Criostóir Grayson

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Kanturk in the Snow

These photos were shared on the Facebook page, Kanturk Newsletter. They are the work of local photographer, Janusz Trzesicki. He took these during the heavy snow a few years ago.

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Another Name or Two

Margaret Dillon thinks that the lady with the hat in the second row is Mrs Morgan O'Brien not Sheehy. She and her husband used to have a shoe shop in The Small Square.

The lady at the far right in the second row may be  Mrs. Mulvihill, William Street.

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Laundry by Mary Coll

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A Story from the Biden Inauguration

The apparel oft proclaims the man  (Shakespeare)

Some people are fascinated by what people were wearing to the biggest gig in Washington this year. Much of the limelight was stolen by Bernie Sanders, rocking a 'Grandad on his way to the post office" look.

That story had a good ending. I read this on Twitter; 

"Bernie Sanders threw his meme on a sweatshirt. Charged $45 for it. Sold out immediately in all sizes. Then donated 100% of the proceeds to Meals on Wheels Vermont"

It is to Jill Biden's coat that I am now directing your attention. Forget about the lovely blue sparkly tweed one she wore to the inauguration proper. Take a look at the white one she wore over a matching white dress to the fireworks and concert.

Dr. Jill Biden's Inauguration Evening Dress had flowers from all 50 States plus the US territories embroidered on it, with the flower of Delaware sewn near her heart and the other flowers branching out from it. What a lovely message from a lovely woman.

ETA: "Inside of the coat, representing the lifelong calling and service of Dr. Biden as an educator is a hand embroidery on the lining with a quote from Founding Father Benjamin Franklin:

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”'

The materials used were existing available fabrics to minimize the impact on the environment."

https://tomandlorenzo.com/.../jill-biden-sent-a.../

Pictures from designer Gabriela Hearst:

https://www.instagram.com/gabrielahearst/...

Each flower took three to four hours to hand embroider.  The embroidering was done by Irish designer, Laura Weber from LWPearl.. She was chosen by the designer of the outfit, Gabriela Hearst. Laura and her team hand stitched every flower. The placement of every flower was done with precision . The flower on Dr. Biden's facemark was the emblem of Delaware.

Between Bernie's hand knitted mittens and Dr. Jill's magnificent hand embroidered creation, this inauguration was a triumph for handcrafts and American design.

A Horse Called Peanut, Curly Connor's and the Late Jerry Kiernan

Dusk in Malahide

Photo: Eamon ÓMurchú

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Liam, A Horse who was once called Peanut

This is the story of a lady in Florida who did a bit of online shopping and bought a horse from a vendor nearly six thousand miles away.

(For those of you who are only interested in stories with a local link, let me warn you now that this story has no Listowel connection except me, so,  sorry, there is nothing to see here for you.)

This handsome fellow is EPA Wildfire. The EPA stands for Elizabeth and Pat Ahern, my niece and her dad, my brother. All of their horses are officially registered with this prefix. Horses in the yard usually have a pet name and Wildfire’s was Peanut. In his new home he is called Liam. We'll come to that.

Here is his story.

An intrepid trio of horse enthusiasts, Elizabeth, Pat and their good friend and business partner, Felicity, set themselves a project. They were to buy a young unbroken horse, break him and train him up as far as they could and then sell him on.

They travelled the length and breadth of the country looking for the right 3 year old. Eventually they found him 7 miles from home in Clongeel Stud. He was actually 5 years old and hadn’t been broken because Denny Vaughan, the stud owner, had fallen ill and has since sadly passed away. 

Pat Ahern and EPA Wildfire AKA Peanut

It was love at first sight for the girls.

Then began the slow task of discipline and coaching. Peanut is a real charmer. He took to his task with gusto, nuzzling and charming Felicity into forgiving him when he made a mistake. It was soon clear that Peanut was very good at several disciplines, an ideal eventer.

After some success at local events the syndicate decided it was time to sell. 

Go for Gold is a sale of elite horses in Goresbridge. A horse has to qualify to be accepted for auction. He has to undergo rigorous veterinary testing and X-rays and he is videoed performing. This is an international sale and this year because of the pandemic, bidding was online as well as on the phone and on the auction room floor.  Peanut was No.1 in the catalogue.

Elizabeth and Felicity  were in the sellers’ box. Unbeknownst to them,  thousands of miles away in sunny Florida, Crissa Gillette had fallen in love with their horse and was determined to buy him. She eventually got him for €28,000.

Elizabeth Ahern Breen says a last goodbye and Bon Voyage to Peanut

Then began Peanut’s major adventure. Before this the furthest he had travelled was from his home in Kanturk to Goresbridge. 

Two experienced horse handlers came to take him first to England (he was lucky to get out just before Brexit kicked in), then to Belgium and from there to New York where he had to quarantine. Then he made the long journey to his new home in Florida.

Crissa loved every thing about him except his pet name. She wanted him to have an Irish name. She settled on Liam as it means guardian or protector. She was surprised to hear that it is actually a family name in my family. (Incidentally our surname, Ahern, means Lord of the horse).

Liam settled in well to his new home. He coped well with the heat and, just as he had done in Ireland he charmed everyone who came near. He formed an instant bond with his new rider and the love was soon reciprocated. On Sunday Jan 17 2021 Crissa and EPA Wildfire competed in their first event together. They won.

This lovely horse is living the dream. He has a new air-conditioned home, an owner who loves him, all the treats he wants and admirers everywhere he goes.

 Meanwhile back home in Ireland: 

 In January 2021, while Liam is basking in Florida sunshine his Kanturk family are making snowmen.

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Remember Curly's?

This photograph is from 2008. Today this shop is Woulfe's Bookshop

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+ Jerry Kiernan R.I.P. +

Jerry, who passed away suddenly last week was far and away Listowel's greatest athlete.

Tributes are paid all over the media to this runner, teacher, coach and pundit. He is a huge loss to the sporting world but more especially to his grieving family.

Guím raon reatha i measc na naomh is na n-aingeal dó.

Photo shared on Facebook by David Kissane

St. Michaels  1969

Jerry Kiernan (6th in back row) with the St Michael's College County Cup champions of 1969 and a fair few notable athletes as well.
FRONT: Kieran Fitzgerald, Michael O'Sullivan, Mick O'Connell, Tom Lyons and David Kissane
MIDDLE: Séamus Hynes, Tadhg Moriarty, PJ Browne, Tim Shanahan, Jimmy Deenihan and Pat Stack
BACK: Eamonn Carroll, Maurice O'Connor, Pat Stack, Tommy Flaherty, John O'Connell, Jerry Kiernan and Paddy Quilter.
Our coaches were John Molyneaux and John O'Flaherty who also coached athletics with us.