Mary Gore, Centenarians in Limerick, and children enjoy a day off school

St. John's Arts and Heritage Centre, Listowel in October 2017

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The Late Mary Gore

Some time ago I posted a small tribute to Mary. I couldn't for the life of me find the few photos I had put together to accompany such a tribute when I got round to doing it. As often happens, I came upon them when I was searching for something else so here they are.

Mary with a beloved granddaughter, Leigh in The Square at the Friday Market some years ago.

Mary chats to Eileen Greaney at a book launch in The Seanchaí.

Mary's daughter, Helen and Mary's lovely husband, Cliff

Three generations of Kellys.

Mary with her neighbour of many years, Georgie Molyneaux.

Fond memories of a lovely Listowel lady.

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Some Limerick People who lived to a great age

Old age in Limerick

First, Archdeacon Patrick Lyons was born in Kilmallock on 16 March 1893 to Jeremiah Lyons, a farmer, and Bridget O’Keeffe. In 1911 he was a boarding student in St Munchin’s College, which was on Henry Street at the time. He was ordained as a priest nine years later. He has served as the parish priest to Ballingarry for 42 years. Patrick passed away on 1 January 1999, aged 105 years and 291 days. Next, Bridget O’Malley was born in Cappamore on 24 May 1883. In 1905, she entered St Leo’s Convent in Carlow as a postulant and was professed as a nun, becoming known as Sr Bernardine two years later. She spent over eighty years in the convent, passing away in 1989 aged 106 years 196 days. Finally, Bridget Cagney was born in Croom on 2 July 1876, the second youngest of Patrick Cagney and Ellen Irwin’s twelve children. She joined the Presentation Order in Listowel, Co. Kerry in 1895 when she was only 19 years old and became known as Sr Berchmans. She became a teacher in the convent primary school and taught music into her eighties. Two of her sisters and a brother had also taken religious orders. She passed away in 1981, aged 105 years and 160 days.

Get Fresh Air!

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A Warning to Anglers in The Feale

I photographed this sign on the river walk. It is warning about the dangers of the spread of crayfish plague.

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Schools Out for Ophelia

Last week schoolgoers had two days off due to Hurricane Ophelia. Day 2 of the hurricane, October17th was a balmy summer like day and it was lovely to see families making the most of the unexpected holiday.

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At the NeoData Car Park

I snapped this yesterday. I don't know what's happening here. Are they extending the carpark?

Colbert Street, Tralees Island of Geese William Street, Listowel and a night in the home of a knight

Colbert Street, Listowel

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Con Colbert's memorial card from the Capuchin Archive. Colbert Street is named after him.

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The Island of Geese, Tralee

This is a strange little corner of Tralee with one of the most unusual names.

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Bryan MacMahon's poem in The Square

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William Street

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The Night I Met the Knight

The late Desmond Fitzgerald, the last Knight of Glin was an affable and kindly man. One Christmas many moons ago, I, with a group of my fellow teachers, went to Glin Castle for our Christmas night out. Hiring the castle out for these kinds of large parties was one of the plans the knight hit upon in his efforts to save his family seat. The beautiful old castle needed a huge annual budget to run and the farm was not sufficient to meet all of the outlay. So there is your blogger, at the left hand of the knight and at his right shoulder is the late Sr. Nuala O'Leary.

Images of Listowel and Maidhc Dainín ÓSé remembered

A Listowel Sign

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Brendan Kennelly's verse in Listowel Town Square

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Our Fish Shop

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Charles Street

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Maidhc Dainín ÓSé R.I.P.; the Listowel Connection

Maidhc Dainín ÓSé was the father of Daithí ÓSé. Ever before Daithí found fame, Maidhc Dainín was a well known author of several books in the Irish language. He was also an accomplished musician.

Maidhc's day job was as a lorry driver for Kerry Ingredients in Listowel.

Maidhc was tickled pink when his autobiography, A Thig ná Tit Orm (Oh house, don't fall on me) was chosen as a text for the Leaving Cert. Every year during a period in around the turn of the millennium Maidhc used to come to The Seanchaí during Seachtain na Gaeilge to read from his book and to play for the students.

I hope I have uploaded the little clip properly. Maidhc was describing the deal he made with the director of the Cúrsa Samhraidh. He would play for the small weekday ceilí in exchange for free admission to the Ceilí Mór. Money was scarce and the céilithe móra were where the girls were so he was anxious to try his luck there.

Maidhc was a breath of fresh air after Peig. He told his story with humour and much self deprecation. My pupils loved him.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam uasal.

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Micheál Flavin R.I.P.

(Photo shared by Noreen Keane Brennan on Facebook)

Micheál lived in Church Street, Listowel. He was Bryan MacMahon's friend and preferred bookseller. His shop is still in the Flavin family. Long may it continue to trade in his memory.

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Storm Damage in The National Park, Killarney

Kathleen Griffin braved it to work during Hurricane Ophelia. She took these photographs in Muckross on the day after, October 17 1017

Something old, something new and the flea trainers are identified

KDYS Building was once the Carnegie Free Library

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Two National Treasures

A cap gun

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A Dublin Street Scene in 1974

 This photo tells us a lot about Irish life back then.

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This fantastic evening sky scene was shared by Féach News

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Under our feet in There Square, Listowel

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Photo Of Old Dublin

Moore Street in the 1960s

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Clarification

from someone who was there

The boy on the left, the flea tamer  is John O'Sullivan, also known locally as Seán Tack, the boy on the right, the flea catcher, is Conor Keane and that is John B. Keane squatting down inside the frame

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No, It's not a Holding Cell

This is the photo that set some blog followers talking this week.

I wandered down to the back lane and took another snap, this time from the other side of the building.
Still looks a bit like stables or a garage as described by Rose Shine who grew up nearby.
Then came this missive from Jim MacMahon who also remembers the building well.

"Mary , when I was a boy in the 1940s that building was a storehouse of a sort , maybe guards' cars although there were few of them about . We used to gather there to watch the Mulcahy brothers , sons of the super , fiddle around with cars . On wet days there might be a dozen or so boys and youths about . Pat Given , of course, or Niall Stack would be able to give much more detail if you ask them , regards Jim"

Next stop Pat Given or Niall Stack. I'll waylay them one day soon at morning mass.

I wonder does any serving garda follow the blog. We might be able to get a photo of the interior of the shed now.

This is the lane beside the building. That is the back of the Garda Station at the end. Looks like lots of the windows are boarded up. Could it be they feared they would blow in in the recent Hurricane?

Bank of Ireland, a Match Programme, a poem and a warning to returning exiles

Bank of Ireland, The Square, Listowel in October 2017

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Alice Taylor Poem

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A Rare National Treasure

This is a match programme from when Mayo last won the All Ireland Football.

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John B. Keane [poem engraved in The Square]

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Braying Stag in Killarney National Park October 2017

Photo: Jim McSweeney

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Returning "home' after Years in Exile

It's not all a bed of roses for returning emigrants. 300,000 people left Ireland out of necessity in the 1990s. Now some of them want to come home.  Here are a few quotes from people who addressed a recent webinar on the difficulties of coming home to Ireland.   Source: Irish Central

“Make sure the reason you move home is not just sentimentality,” said Siobhan Gibney, who moved home to Co Mayo after 26 years in Australia.

“People should stop and think carefully before making the decision to move home. It’s a terrible thing to live a life of regrets, but Ireland changes. Life is about opening new chapters. We have been lucky to settle in Westport and I feel like a bit of a fraud to be at this conference, because my experience of moving home has been mostly positive.”

Yvonne Tierney, who moved home to Galway after almost 20 years in Chicago, said it had been extremely challenging to deal with officials who expected her to have Irish documentation.

“Both my partner and I had drivers’ licenses for over 15 years in Chicago,” she said. “Yet we couldn’t transfer our licenses over and we haven’t even been able to get quotes for car insurance. Our job qualifications did not transfer over, either, because both of us qualified in America.”

Rita Feeney, a teacher who returned from Dubai, said the only information she received about returning home came from a Facebook page. She had been teaching in the UAE for over ten years, but found that her experience was not deemed fully relevant in Ireland.

“For me, Ireland is not appealing right now,” she said. “Family and friends are the only reason I am home. I am not teaching at the moment. I am in a factory and I hate it. It’s good to be home, I have no regrets, but I do want to take off again. I do wish this country would make it more attractive for us to come back.”

Julia Scully, who has just moved home after 20 years in Seattle, said she was overwhelmed by the paperwork she has faced since she returned to Ireland.

“It has been tough. I just feel it’s very, very difficult to get going here. It’s difficult to have to take 12 driving lessons when I have been driving for over 20 years in the US. Sometimes I feel like packing everything up and just moving back to Seattle,” she told the conference.

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Clarification 

not quite from the horse's mouth but from an eye witness

Hi Mary, with regards to the old building behind the Garda Barracks, as a child, I always assumed it was used for servicing the police cars, as there was a huge oblong shaped hole in the floor, like a pit that you see in garages. Many happy memories of playing in there with the sergeants daughter, Mary Sheppard and friends, happy days. Regards, Rose Sheehan, ( nee Shine of Colbert Street).

(Thank you Rose)

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60 Years Ago

Sixty years ago tonight: Lennon (17) & McCartney (15) on stage together for first time. The Quarry Men on Broadway … Norris Green, Liverpool
Photo and caption from Twitter