A Match in 1927

Match Gives Admirable Satisfaction

New York NY Irish American Advocate 1927 -
April 4
North Kerry and Kerry Selected match in Listowel--------------------------
Shortly after the advertised time, the teams were set in motion and from the throw-In North Kerry pressed strongly, but were unable to penetrate the sound defense of the opposing back division. Give and take play followed, and North Kerry, who appeared to be the better trained combination, took the lead and the short whistle found them leading by four points to nil. On resumption the Kerry selected team showed up to better advantage, but were unable to cope with the sustained rushes of their opponents, who were ably led by the indomitable Con Brosnan. ' Towards the finish play lacked somewhat in vigor and interest When the final whistle sounded the score stood: North Kerry, 7 points (and the disputed goal); Kerry Selected, nil. For the winners. Brosnan, Mahony, Stack, Kearns, O'Sullivan and Walsh were most prominent, while for the losers Barrett. Moriarty and Landers gave an able exhibition of the Gaelic Code. The match was referred by Tom Costelloe, one of the old Kerry champions, and gave admirable satisfaction.

 

John Bs, Sam Bennett, Rás 2013, Harp and Lion and Listowel's Scallige Night

John B. Keane Pub looking good in September 2020. It's great to see the door open again.

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Listowel People and A Strange Listowel Custom?

There are certain aspects of Listowel culture that never cease to fascinate me. 

I realised shortly after first moving to town that Listowel people marched to the beat of a different drummer.

The rhythm of life here is different, the whole year built around the annual Harvest Festival of Racing.

When I came to live in Listowel in the 1970s, race week was a  major holiday. Schools closed, shops and banks worked half days. It seemed to me that the whole town decamped to the Island every afternoon.

I soon realised that there were other local idiosyncrasies particular to this town.

Have you ever tasted Ciderina?

Are you overcome with a wave of nostalgia when you hear no knee, high knee, no julk, follow on there longs?

Listowel had its characters and well loved local individuals as remembered a while back on Facebook

Liz Chute shared this Church Street memory

 Church Street was a wonderful Street filled with interesting people . Over thirty years ago Mr Lawlee got a heart attack and was obviously in hospital . A few days later my own wonderful mother had a heart attack herself and believe it or not within a few days Michael Quille had one .  These houses were within 500 yards of each other . One evening whilst all three were in hospital a client of Allos hopped the ball that he had better watch out but Allo quick as ever responded " not at all lads ' tis going in the other direction !!

And from Maurice O'Sullivan

I agree with Liz. Church St. was a wonderous place to grow up with so many characters or oddballs. Molly Flaherty shared Hannah Keane's interest in leaving cert results or "d'onours". Hannah had a massive opposition in the McMahons across the road. It didn't matter that she had such successful children Eamon and John B. d'onours were still paramount. I suppose never in history had so many characters lived in such close proximity. Moll Troy, Dillon (who hated dogs) Lina Mullally, Ginny with the lame step, Nora O' Grady, Short Pants the harness maker, John Joe Dillon, captain Shanahan, Mickey and Delia Kearney, Ina Collins. This is only a fraction.

 

If you remember these people  and this language that the strangers do not know then maybe you will remember Scelligging.

Maurice O'Sullivan brought it up on Facebook. I asked Cyril Kelly about it and here is his reply.

Unfortunately Scelligging pre-dated the MeToo era.  Where do you think that Boko Harum in Nigeria got their ideas? Why from Holy Ghost Fathers of course. North Kerry men wanted to introduce pre Lenten customs in a guise that would appeal to the natives. Ala Fr. Jack in Dancing at Lughnasa. 

I'm attaching an essay broadcast some time ago on Sunday Miscellany with regard to that gallant Listowel custom, Scallige Night. And sure, if it was on the wireless, it must be true.

 

 

SCALLIGE NIGHT  Cyril Kelly

 

I’m sure that what finished up being called Scallige Night in North Kerry actually began life as Óiche na Sceillige in Corca Dhuibhne. But when a word or phrase gets restless and decides to migrate from the parish where it was spawned and reared ó glún go glún, it faces discolourations and distortions, even the deliberate misrepresentations caused by the use of the tally stick. The tally stick was tied about children’s necks to register the number of Irish words spoken and for which they would be duly flogged at the end of the school day. At any rate, I’m sure that by the time Óiche na Sceillige had crossed a few ditches, braved vertigo on Connor Pass, skirted Gleann na nGealt, crossed the bridge at Blennerville and left Corca Dhuibhne behind, it had undergone some semantic slurs, some etymological refinements, and by the time it reached Listowel, it was going about its business under the assumed name of Scallige Night.

Óiche na Sceillige was a custom that took place in Corca Dhuibne on the night of Shrove Tuesday. Spirited young lads, under the cloak of darkness, would run around banging loudly on the doors of local bachelors and spinsters, warning them that, in case they had any notion of getting married, time had not run out. The monks on Sceillig Mhichíl followed a different calendar, one that lagged about two weeks behind the Gregorian calendar which was used on the mainland. So, as of Shrove Tuesday, any bachelor and spinster who had been surreptitiously eyeing each other up and calculating pecuniary plus land prospects, once they had the dowry sorted and she had given her consent to be buried with his people and had, in turn, received assurance that she would reign as bean a’ tí as soon as the old woman passed on, once all of these delicate protocols had been hammered out and spat upon, the happy couple still had two weeks grace when they could hop into a naomhóg, row the nine miles of spring tides and get hitched on Sceillig Mhichíl. 

In Listowel, on the night of Shrove Tuesday, the Skallige Night custom consisted of young lads, maybe ten or eleven years old, getting lengths of rope and chasing young girls around the streets, twining the rope around any who were caught. On this particular Shrove Tuesday night, a group of us altar boys was crossing The Square on our way home having served at benediction. The choir girls were ahead of us, chatting and giggling to their hearts’ content, apparently oblivious to our presence. Don’t ask me which one of us angelic spirits thought of the notion, but suddenly we were all crouching behind the wall of the Protestant Church, struggling into black soutans to enjoy our version of Scallige Night. Girls being girls, they had eyes in the backs of their heads and no sooner had we begun to give chase than they set up an unmerciful cacophony of screeches which was most un-choirgirl-like and began to run like hell. Up through The Small Square, into Church Street, with us in hot pursuit. Amazingly, well amazingly at the time, but maybe not so in the hard earned male wisdom of retrospect, they turned into Bunyan’s back-way, their screams magnified by the archway. 

At the top of the lane they swerved left, racing in the pitch darkness behind the houses on Church St. heading for the exiting arch at The Bon Tons. I was in the leading group of chasers, gaining on the girls all the time. Until, behind Pat Kenny’s butcher shop, I ran slap-slurry-bang into a mound of cow dung. There is nothing like the odour of ordure to cool your ardour. 

Slinking in our halldoor, I hung the altar bag, containing the stinking soutane, in its usual place on the coat rack in the hall. Apart from a remark that I was a little later than usual, there was no other comment passed that night. My father was a smoker, so his sense of smell wasn’t great but my mother was blessed with a twitchy nose that would have made a bloodhound jealous. Not alone had she finely calibrated olfactory faculties, she could get the scent of a lie at forty paces. So next morning, under maternal inquisition, I squirmed and procrastinated before eventually having to admit the truth. By the time she finished a diatribe which was Jesuitically sprinkled with the Litany of Our Lady, Morning Star, Mother most pure, Mystical Rose, I would gladly have swopped our house for seven penitential weeks in a clochán perched on a vertical cliff on Sceillig Mhichíl where I might hopefully be comforted by the sirens of the sea singing, as T. S. Eliot said, each to each and then, just when I might be in danger of getting a purpose of amendment, those singing sirens might remind me of the lovely choir girls in Listowel.

 

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Sam Bennett, Cycling Champion 2020

Photo from the internet

Everyone in the Irish Cycling family is so proud of our own Sam Bennett who cycled first across the finish line of the 2020 Tour de France. He was the stage winner and the overall winner of the green jersey for the top sprinter.

When The An Post Rás rolled into Listowel on May 31 2013, Sam Bennett was in the lead. My attention was elsewhere as I turned my camera on the local people who had flocked to Market Street to see the finish.

Anne and Mairead were at the door to watch the race for the finish line.

Kathy, whose hands were always busy came to the door of her shop, Kerry Krafts.

Hannons and Chutes

Joan and Isobel arriving on a different kind of vehicle.

P.J. and Joan were there too.

Joan and Billy took a minute to pose for the camera as whey waited for the cyclists to arrive.
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Painting for The Races

Armel White spotted Martin Chute giving a quick touch up to the iconic Pat McAuliffe stucco on the second day of Listowel Races, September 21 2020. We may not have as many visitors as usual but we are still painting and titivating and keeping our lovely town as beautiful as always.

C

Mill lane, Raceweek Donkey Races and World Record Breaking "Golfer" and Listowel Ball Alley Project

Mill Lane

These buildings are in Mill Lane. They look to me like an old grain store. I remember horses and their carts pulling up outside such buildings and bags of grain being lowered to them from small upstairs windows.

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Donkey Derbies during Raceweek

I'm sorry this is so small because its great and well worth reading. If you dont know how to make the font bigger, do, as one blog follower told me he does, and read it using a magnifying glass.

Another world record for the Browne family

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Listowel Ball Alley Art Project

The volunteer artists have made a start on redecorating the Ball Alley.

On the day I was at the ball alley I was delighted to see someone using it to practice ball skills.

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How to Behave in Church during a Pandemic

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Another Green Flag for Childers Park

A well deserved award for our local park thanks to all the hard work of David Twomey and his team gardeners, the outdoor staff of Kerry County Council and Listowel Tidy Town Volunteers.

 

Casa Mia, Jed and Danny, Donal Ryan and The Races back in the Day

 Corner of William Street Upper

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Outdoor Dining

Two of the town's Patricians, Jed Chute and Danny Hannon enjoying the Indian Summer 2020 in Listowel's Main Street.

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Old Age

In the 19th century they had a very poor view of the senior years.

Thank God we live in an age when 70 is the new 50

Nicholas Leonard wrote the following

What do you make of the following item, published in 1838 and  from, I believe, a U.S. origin?

 

"Periods of Human Life, from the Wexford Conservative, 1 August 1838.

Decrepitude – From 71 to 77: The age of avarice, jealousy, and envy.

Caducity- (Senility) From 78 to 84. The age of distrust, vain-boasting, unfeelingness, suspicion.

Age of Favor – From 81 to 91. The age of insensibility, love of flattery, of attention and indulgence.

Age of Wonder- From 92 to 98. The age of indifference and love of praise.

Phenomenon – From 99 to 105. The age of insensibility, hope and the last sigh."

'Caducity' I never heard of, but on checking online, it refers to senility, dotage, perishable...

Not sure that the future is all that rosy- not much to look forward to in the above list, apart from the 'last sigh.'

Nicholas

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Happiness is.....

I'm really enjoying this one.

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Listowel Races in the Papers

Eileen Sheridan came across these old 1977 newspaper photos and and Dave O'Sullivan unearthed a great Kieran OShea article from the same paper. 

The 1977 Harvest Festival Committee

The 1924 Race Committee

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.

 

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