===================================

The Way I See It

 

 

 

By Domhnall de Barra

 

 

 

The Holy Month of Ramadan is now being observed by Muslims  over the world. It is a bit like Lent for Catholics but far more stringent. During Ramadan, believers have to abstain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk each day. All types of entertainment are prohibited along with sexual activity and impure thoughts. When night-time comes, a big feast is shared by families and they also have a big breakfast just before dawn when they try to eat as much as they possibly can to last them until night. They also have to pray several times a day so it makes Lenten observances a bit of a cakewalk by comparison. I was in Benghazi in Lybia during Ramadan back in the early ‘80s. It was quite an experience seeing how the locals behaved.  Early in the day was ok but later in the evening there would be lots of disagreements and a few accidents because people were so  tense from the fasting and abstinence and tended to lose the rag a bit. Of course there were some who  would go behind a building to have a crafty fag or a drink of water but they had to be very careful because the holy police, or the “God Squad” as we christened them, were on patrol and the punishment for breaking the rules could be very severe.  We lived in a villa and they sometimes raided the house to see if we had any alcohol or offensive written material. The first time it happened we were only there a couple of days and they found a magazine in a wardrobe. It was advertising clothes and on some pages there were photos of women wearing only bras and knickers. This, in their eyes, was pornographic and I had a job persuading them that the magazine was there before we came  and anyway it was in German so we couldn’t read it. They believed me at last and we were warned to be more careful in the future and destroy any offending material.  During Ramadan there was nobody to be seen on the streets just after sunset. It was eerie to stand in the middle of a normally busy city centre with neither a person or a vehicle in sight nor a sound to be heard. After they had eaten  everyone came out on to the streets and it was like a carnival for an hour or two. After the month they celebrated for three days and had a great time.  They had a big problem with foreign papers. I remember one time coming back from a few weeks at home and I had a couple of issues of The Limerick Leader with me for the boys who were anxious to get news from home in the days before mobile phones etc. When they searched my bag  in Tripoli and found them I was immediately taken to be questioned and I was held until my connecting flight to Benhazi had departed. They did not charge me when they saw what type of paper the Leader was but I had to sleep in the airport until the following day so I didn’t try doing that again at any time in the future. We would sometimes go to the cinema because most of the films were in English with Arabic subtitles. The first thing I noticed was that there were no females in the audience. Women were not treated very well as is the case in all Arab countries where they are ruled by religious leaders. On the other hand men have the best of life, looked after hand and foot and they can have up to four wives if they can afford them. There are those who might say that one wife  to nag you is enough but, in those countries, I don’t think the women are allowed to do much nagging. Our own system may not be perfect but it is so much fairer than what I came across in Libya.

 

 

 

The  rejection of both amendments in the recent referendums came as no surprise to me. I appreciate what the government were trying to achieve but when I examined the wordings my mind was made up. We all want to see people who need it supported but when you have words like “the government shall strive…” you realise that it is a meaningless phrase that lets them off the hook. I can “strive” do anything but that does not mean I have to do it. There is also the question of removing  the word “mother” from the constitution. This posed a problem for many people, myself included. Everybody has a mother who is female because men cannot have babies, at least not yet but with modern technology, who knows? Irish people have a very special place in their hearts for mothers  and it would be wrong not to have them recognised for what they do. Then there is the definition of “family”  and giving the same rights to other relationships rather than the conventional man and woman. They got this wrong as well with  phrases like “durable relationships” which are open to interpretation. Groups to be recognised as families should be distinctly identified and not left so vague that the courts would be forever having to make decisions. They simply did not do their homework and in their arrogance ignored professional advised and took the public voters for mugs. The day is gone when people will vote in a particular way just because a certain political party wants them too. We have minds of our own and a referendum is one occasion when we can use our own judgement. The blame game has started but it is a bit much when opposition parties who supported the amendments beforehand, and even campaigned for a yes vote, now want to distance themselves from the government with some of them even saying they voted “no” and “no” despite what the previously advocated. It is a mess but I believe that, if they put the amendments before the people with the proper wording, having taken all the necessary advice, there could be a different outcome. In the meantime the government must realise that we can no longer be taken for granted. Roll on the general election!!

 

 

 

Congratulations to Tarbert Comprehensive Football team who won the All-Ireland recently. Three lads from Athea, Callum Buckley, Evan Curry and James Broderick, were on the team and we are all very proud of them. Many years ago, my own sons, Daniel and Sean went to that school and I have nothing but the highest of praise for it so it is nice to see them achieving such success on the playing fields.

 

https://www.athea.ie/category/news/

 

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Community who would like to avail of the supports of the Irish Heart Foundation:

 

 

 

https://irishheart.ie/support-for-you/heart-support-services/

 

The Irish Heart Foundation aims to support individuals affected by cardiovascular disease & stroke

 

We offer a range of services that include counseling, peer support, expert talks, and online emotional wellbeing program.

 

 

 

Heart Support Network (Facebook):

 

For individuals with heart conditions and caregivers.

 

Benefits: Access to Nurse Support Line, monthly Zoom meetings, peer-to-peer phone support, counseling, and monthly newsletter for those without internet access.

 

Features: Private Facebook group with over 2,000 members, offering advice, information, support, and group activities like online exercise classes and information talks.

 

 

 

Nurse Support Line:

 

Available at 01 688 5001, Monday 9am – 5pm, Tuesday – Friday 9am – 1pm.

 

Offers assistance with heart disease management.

 

Specific Heart Support:

 

Cardiac Rehabilitation:

 

“Cardiac Rehab for All”: Exercise program for those who have experienced a heart event.

 

 

 

Heart Failure:

 

Tailored support for individuals living with heart failure.

 

SCAD Ireland Facebook Group:

 

Independently facilitated group for individuals who have experienced SCAD.

 

Long QT Syndrome Ireland Facebook Group:

 

Independently facilitated group for individuals living with LQTS.

 

 

 

Support Line:

 

Speak to a Support Line Nurse at 01 668 5001, Monday 9am – 5pm, Tuesday – Friday 9am – 1pm.

 

https://www.athea.ie/category/news/

 

---------------------------------

 

WAR: A spokesperson for the Israeli government accused the Canadian government of indirectly funding terror through its support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency.

 

Ilana Stein, the National Public Diplomacy Directorate’s head of international affairs, condemned Canada’s decision to continue funding UNRWA at a press conference.

 

“The taxpayer should know that their money is funding terror, as simple as that. And do they want their money to help terrorists, build tunnels, educate children on how to kill and that they should kill? And train them how to do so? Is that the best way for the taxpayer’s money to be used?” Stein said, in response to a question from the Canadian TV station the News Forum.

 

https://tnc.news/2024/03/12/israel-gov-says-iberals-funding-terrorism/

 

==========================

 

"Holy Is Your Name"

 

My soul is filled with joy

 

as I sing to God my savior:

 

you have looked upon your servant,

 

you have visited your people.

 

Refrain

 

And holy is your name

 

through all generations!

 

Everlasting is your mercy

 

to the people you have chosen,

 

and holy is your name.

 

I am lowly as a child,

 

but I know from this day forward

 

that my name will be remembered,

 

for all will call me blessed.

 

I proclaim the pow'r of God,

 

you do marvels for your servants;

 

though you scatter the proud hearted

 

and destroy the might of princes.

 

To the hungry you give food,

 

send the rich away empty.

 

In your mercy you are mindful

 

of the people you have chosen.

 

In your love you now fulfill

 

what you promised to your people.

 

I will praise you, Lord, my savior,

 

everlasting is your mercy.

 

 

 

Choir Athea March 2024

 

https://fb.watch/qOLrmgffwe/

 

 

 

==============================

POETRY

 

by Gabriel Fitzmaurice

 

Jimmy Nolan, grocer, typed my name,

 

The printed word, just like it was in books;

 

Back then, the printed word was fame,

 

I’d hold it up and look, and look, and look.

 

He took photos, too, of weddings around here,

 

Anything to earn an honest bob

 

(A wooden leg, his walk a little queer),

 

He’d show the snaps to Mam -another job

 

Well done, he courted praise (’twas all he sought);

 

He wrote the local Notes and that was power,

 

He made the news from stories that were brought

 

By locals who would purchase tea and flour.

 

He typed us up, and every week we’d scan

 

Our inch of glory in The Kerryman.

 

=========================================

The Way I See It

 

 

 

By Domhnall de Barra

 

 

 

The terrible events in the Middle East  have taken over the airways since Hamas launched a savage attack on Israeli citizens, killing anyone they saw on the street or in houses. It is hard to comprehend how any human being can be so ruthless but this is a part of the world that is at war for centuries. Both sides hate each other with a passion and are prepared to die in their efforts to defeat each other. Some people will say it is all Israel’s fault because they took Palistinian’s land by force but the conflict did not start there. Who is right and wrong depends on where  in time you stop the clock. It is also regrettable that they are being used as pawns in a battle between the major powers, East and West. Both sides are being armed by the big boys and they know they are not alone, a fact that gives them courage to continue with terrorist acts. If the attack on Israel is to be condemned, and any right minded person would do so, the response from the Israeli Defence Forces is also worthy of condemnation. Cutting off vital services like water and electricity and launching air attacks on densely populated areas is just as bad as what Hamas did. They justify it by saying they have a right to defend themselves but that does not excuse what they are doing. Supposing, during the troubles in Northern Ireland, that England decided to retaliate for the Birmingham bombings  by cutting off supplies to the Bogside in Derry and rained it with rockets, would we feel differently about it?  The international community must keep pressure on to minimise the suffering and slaughter of innocent civilians, no matter what side they come from. Hamas will not be easily defeated and, even if they are, their place will be taken by others who won’t forget the awful events of today. In attacking Israel, Hamas might as well have directed their guns on the people of Gaza because it is they eventually who pay the price. There is no easy solution but surely there are enough sane people in control who know that what is happening is wrong and will strive to reach a peaceful ending. Since the conflict started there hasn’t  been a word about the war in Ukraine, another scene of horrendous war crimes. Respect for human life seems to have gone out the window.

 

 

 

On a lighter note, I did a bit of playing at the concert in the G.A.A. clubhouse in Abbeyfeale, last Sunday, organised for the Gary McMahon Singing Weekend. It was an absolute pleasure to hear the singers who came from as far away as Derry and many more counties in Ireland. The songs were expertly delivered and it made me realise how important they were in days gone by. Each song told a story whether it was about emigration, love, the struggle for freedom or some comical incident that occurred in a locality. They are like pages of history and every effort must be made to preserve them. The only worrying thing about the concert was the age profile of the audience. There were very few people under the age of 60 and  the vast majority were over 70.  This does not auger well for the future of traditional singing even though I know that there are many young people learning and singing those songs today. The problem is they only sing them in competition and don’t get a chance to perform outside of that, especially to their own peers who have no knowledge of the songs or what they represent.  I would urge singing clubs to devote time to young singers and try to attract young listeners as well. Maybe they don’t empathise with some of the songs that come from a time they know very little about. It is of vital importance, if traditional singing is to be saved, that composers make up new songs that are relevant to today’s happenings. In the past, if a team won a final it was celebrated in song locally. There are so many things happening that should be recorded in verse but they are not. Where have all our poets and song writers gone?  Not so long age there were several in the locality like Pat Brosnan, Dan Keane and Paddy Faley, all gone to their eternal rewards.  They kept us up to date with all the happenings and if we go back farther there were even more  people who created verse at will. We should encourage people at a young age to try their hands at making verse. Not everybody is able to do it but I believe that there may be many out there who have the gift and don’t know it. The local Comhaltas branch in Athea has singing classes every Thursday night and I have great hope that the art of traditional singing will survive and flourish in the parish.

 

 

 

It was heartbreaking to see Ireland come out on the wrong side of a really close encounter with the All Blacks in the Rugby World Cup quarter final. Once again this proved to be a bridge too far for the Irish but this time it was different. Up to this we really had no ambitions of winning the World Cup but this team were favourites to do so and it was only the hand of Geordie Barrett under the ball that prevented Ireland from progressing to the semi-final.  The team can hold their heads up high and we should be very proud of them and all the enjoyment they have given us in recent years.  Those who organised the event got the draw all wrong with the four best teams on the one side. It has backfired on them now that France are also out of the competition. What a pity but well done the boys in green.

 

https://www.athea.ie/category/news/

 

----------------------------------------

 

by Tom Aherne

 

17 10 2023.

 

GUARDS ANNIVERSARY: On this Friday October 20 2023 at 1pm St Kieran’s Heritage Association in conjunction with An Garda Siochana will commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the arrival of the Civic Guard’s/An Gardai  Siochana to Ardagh Garda Barracks September 20, 1923. We and members of An Gardai, present and past, family members of Gardai who served in Ardagh and Gardai from the locality will march from Ardagh Railway Station (The Greenway) to the site where the Gardai Barracks was situated. We will also on the day honour the 175th anniversary of the presentation to William Smith O’Brien and the Young Irelander’s by the French of the Irish Tricolour, the Green White and  Orange. The Ardagh Garda Barracks which was destroyed accidently by fire in 1959 is only about one hundred metres away from Ardagh Ford where the famous Ardagh Chalice was found. Afterwards light refreshments will be served in Ardagh Community Centre. We extend an invitation to all to join us on the day October 20, and starting at 1pm from the Greenway Ardagh Railway Station.

 

-------------------------------------------

 

Knockdown News – 17/10/23- by DomhnallDB under News

 

by Peg Prendeville

 

Meanwhile the O’Grady family next door to me lost their Uncle Mossy O’Grady in the USA aged 89 and their Aunt Joan Healy in the UK at the grand age of 100 years. Both sister and brother died within two days of each other. May they rest in peace. All Jack’s family are now gone. A reminder to us all that the years are flying by and our turn will come too. And the world will keep on turning.

 

---------------------------

 

=====================================

One woman who enjoyed her recent visit to Tarbert and Kerry was Mary Pat Palmer- Nepon who arrived here in search of the birth-place of her grandmother who died in Niagra Falls in 1959 when

 

Mary Pat was only five years of age. Sarah born in 1874 was one of three daughters born to Daniel Leane and Hanora Bambury in Dooncaha, Tarbert. Daniel and Hanora immigrated to Canada with their three daughters in 1888. They lived for a short while in Tralee before leaving Queenstown (Cobh) for Liverpool and then on to Quebec. Mary Pat had been looking for a number of years for her grandmother’s birthplace and thankfully Thomas Kissane was able to show them where in Dooncaha the Leane’s lives. As she said her-self it ‘was a dream come true to be able to spend a little time in her world before she travelled with her family in Canada’.

 

From Tarbert Notes Sept. 2023.

 

============================

A Book Review by Frank O’Shea

 

 

 

Vincent Carmody: Listowel. A Printer’s Legacy. The Story of Printing in North Kerry 1870-1970.

 

 

 

Available from listoweloriginals.com

 

 

 

So many people spend all their lives in cities that the experience of growing up in a country town is foreign to them. That small-town familiarity affects the ways of thinking and acting more than we realise. There is something about the closeness, the intimacy of places where everyone knows everyone else, a type of social cohesion that is missing in the big cities, particularly in the large housing complexes that represent home for most citizens. That nearness can act as a kind of brake on acts or practices that might be illicit or anti-social.

 

 

 

In the Irish context, for example, everyone knew who was not going to Mass, who was romantically involved with whom, who was reliable and who was not. You may live now in a large city, but if you grew up in Manorhamilton or Mountrath, Kanturk or Kilrush, you will have memories and experiences that will be different from those who know only city life.

 

 

 

One of the charms of small towns is that they can throw up characters who are special – actors or singers, writers or sports people who go on to wider fame. Take the town of inpho_004189621-390x285.jpgListowel in North Kerry for example. Notwithstanding the sporting success of its former resident Tadhg Kennelly, Listowel and its hinterland is best known as a place which has produced more than its fair share of writers. John B Keane is an obvious example as are his son Billy and nephew Fergal. Then there is the short story writer Maurice Walsh (The Quiet Man), the poet, playwright and balladeer Bryan MacMahon, the poet Brendan Kennelly, the dramatist George Fitzmaurice and the philosopher-poet John Moriarty, all from the town or outlying district.

 

https://tintean.org.au/2019/05/07/a-town-in-print/

 

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Video link

 

https://youtu.be/zQ_8aRsNMzU

 

Filename

 

Ballybunion Strand from Blackrocks July 2023

 

===============================

May 2023

The Way I See It

 

By Domhnall de Barra

 

I must admit it came as a bit of a surprise to learn that Kelly’s Funeral Home was closing down in the near future. It is not that many years ago since there were three funeral directors operating in the parish; Paudie Mulvihill R.I.P., Leo Finucane, who is now concentrating on his business in Gale Bridge, and Kelly’s which was owned and operated by Denny and Mary T. Mulvihill. Now all three are gone from the village and it is just another sign of the times and the decline of life in rural Ireland. I remember Kelly’s in my young days because they also had a dancehall and it was there we gathered trying to learn the steps for waltzes, quicksteps, foxtrots, sambas, polkas, siege of Ennis and many more. It wasn’t easy and many a poor girl went home with sore toes from our clumsy efforts at tripping the light fantastic. It was also the venue for the weekly picture show which was on every Friday. It was a travelling show that served up cowboys and Indians, for us, as school children,  to imitate afterwards, and the best of the old films. We looked forward to Friday night cycling down over Knocknaboul in all kinds of weather and, if for some reason we weren’t allowed to go we would spend the night wondering about what we were missing. It didn’t often happen but, if we had misbehaved in some way, my mother knew the best way of insuring we did not offend again was to ground us for the pictures on Friday night. Of course Kelly’s wasn’t the only dancehall in the village, there was also Scanlon’s at the bottom of the street and this was the one that endured after Kelly’s closed. It thrived throughout the showband era when all the big names at the time appeared on stage. People came from miles around to that dancehall but alas the advent of the dancing lounge in local bars heralded the end of that era and dancing in unlicensed premises came to an end. So we had two dancehalls at the time as well as two banks, four schools, two Gardaí, two priests, two creameries, several shops catering for everything from drapery to hardware, eleven pubs, several petrol pumps and numerous other businesses that served the community well. As time went on we gradually lost most of these and the time is not far off when villages like Athea will just be places to live without any of the facilities like we had long ago. I suppose you can’t keep back progress but I don’t like it and I miss the old days when we had a vibrant commercially successful village.  Mary T. and  Denny were very professional during their time looking after those who died in the parish. Being a funeral director takes a certain type of skill and expertise, dealing with people who are in mourning and ensuring everything goes smoothly. Not everyone has those skills but Mary T. was excellent at looking after every detail and leaving no stone unturned to make families as comfortable as possible during their bereavement. I don’t know what they have in mind but I would like to wish them all the best in their retirement and whatever else they may undertake.

 

There is a lot of unhappiness among GAA fans out there about the fact that some of the major matches, particularly the hurling matches between Limerick and Clare and Tipperary and Cork, are not available on normal, free to air, TV channels. They were streamed on GAAGO which is a pay-per-view app between RTE and the GAA.  I saw this happen to English football over the years. At one time you could get all the major matches free on BBC but then Sky came along with its deep pockets and bought up the rights to broadcast most of the matches. If you wanted to see your team in action you had no alternative but to pay for every match individually or get SKY Sports, which was  reasonable enough to begin with but became expensive after an initial period. Just when you thought you were covered along came BT Sport who got the rights to some matches  so you needed to up your subscription if you wanted to see all the matches. RTE has already made some deals with Sky to cover some championship games but now RTEGO is their own invention and is nothing more than a moneymaking racket. This is happening at a time when the GAA’s coffers are overflowing with the receipts from the huge crowds that have been attending  the matches since the start of the year. They may say they are catering for those who don’t have conventional TVs or the Irish Diaspora who may not be able to pick up RTE  where they are living. If that is their goal, why don’t they make the two available; have the matches on RTE and also on GAAGO at the same time. There are many older people who are not up to date with all the modern devices and depend on RTE for their sport. They may be getting on a bit now but some of them have given their lives to the GAA and deserve better treatment when they may no longer be able to attend the matches in person like they used to in days gone by. The GAA is a great organisation and has done fantastic work over the years, fostering and promoting our native games but they must never forget that they are from the people and should be for the people. Money isn’t everything and I think there are enough wise heads in the organisation to see how the wind is blowing and make our games accessible to all. No one should miss out on an opportunity to see the best hurling teams in the country giving awesome displays of skill, courage and sportsmanship. Unlike Gaelic football, which should be renamed handball, hurling is without doubt the greatest field game in the world so, please GAA chiefs, listen to your supporters and do the right thing.

https://www.athea.ie/category/news/

Following His Commands

You become Jesus' friend when you keep his commandments to love one another. Take some time to reflect on this powerful and profound invitation for intimacy with Christ.

-----------------------

Feast of Our Lady of Fatima – 13th May

The six apparitions of Our Lady to the Children of Fatima took place in the summer

and autumn of 1917, beginning on 13th May when the ‘Lady’ asked the three

visionaries to pray for sinners and an end to the First World War. In the final

apparition on 13th October, the ‘Lady’ identified herself as Our Lady of the Rosary

and called for prayer and conversion. On 13th May 2017 Pope Francis canonised the

two younger visionaries, Francisco Marto, who was born on 11th June 1908, and his

sister, Jacinta Marto, who was born on 11th March 1910. Francisco died on 4th April

1919 and Jacinta on 20th February 1920. Both suffered greatly before their deaths.

The third visionary, Sr Lucia de Jesus dos Santos, who was born on 28th March 1907,

became a nun and was 97 years old when she died on 13th February 2005. The

process for her beatification and canonisation is underway.

Saint Brendan (486-578) – Feast Day: 16th May

Saint Brendan The Navigator is believed to have been born in Fenit Island in 486. He

was baptized at Wether’s Well in this Parish of Ardfert by the local bishop Saint Erc.

As a little child he was fostered by Saint Ita in Killeedy in County Limerick. He

received further education from Saint Jarlath of Tuam and Saint Finnian of Clonard.

He is associated with many places in Kerry such as Fenit and Ardfert and the area

around Cloghane and Mount Brandon. He founded a number of monasteries in this

county. He is particularly famous for his seafaring. He visited Scotland and reached

the Hebrides and possibly areas beyond. His most famous voyage lasted seven

years. Many people believe that he was the first European to set foot on American

soil, nearly 1,000 years before Christopher Columbus! Towards the end of his life he

went to Clonfert in County Galway, where he founded a monastery in 568. That is

where he died and was buried in 578.

-------------------------

FEAST OF ST. BRENDAN:  On the feast Day May 16th we encourage people to visit a local Grotto to Our Lady, or a local Holy Well / Mass Rock, and pray for vocations to the priesthood and synodality. Pray also for the ‘courage of St Brendan’ for students coping with the tension of upcoming exams at both second and third level.  Pause for a moment before any stained-glass window, statue or icon to St Brendan in the church. Notice the detail. St Brendan’s commitment to go forth to share the Good News of the Gospel and his courage in facing the dangerous unknown of the ocean is a model of Christian mission. St Brendan believed his future was in good hands, - the hands of God.

 

----------------------------

GOOD MORING PRAYER

Lord, lead me to look for the positive in all people and in all situations.  May I help bring light to those in darkness, and encouragement to those who feel unhappy.  May I show as much care for others as I would like them to show for me.   Amen.

 

Learn to offer help without remembering and never forget who helped you when you needed it…. Give without remembering – receive without forgetting.

God’s hands never slips, nor will He loosen His grip on you.  You are in safe hands… today and forever.

.

.LAST WORD: There are three solutions to every problem – Accept it, change it or leave it.  If you can’t accept it – change it.  If you can’t change it – leave it.

--------------------------------------------

Prayer of St. Brendan the Navigator

( Feast Day, 16th May )

 

Help me to journey beyond the familiar and into the unknown.

Give me the faith to leave old ways and break fresh ground with You.

Christ of the mysteries,

I trust You to be stronger than each storm within me.

I will trust in the darkness and know that my times,

even now, are in Your hand.

Tune my spirit to the music of heaven and somehow,

                                   make my obedience count for You.                    Amen.

 

Reflection

The Way I See It

 

By Domhnall de Barra

 

I am writing this today, Monday, so I do not know what is going to transpire in the Dáil tomorrow when Paschal Donoghue is going to make another statement on his election costs etc. but, up to now, I must admit to being more than disappointed with the opposition and their baying for blood. On the first day back from the Christmas break, Dáil time was taken up with this controversy despite the fact that people are suffering for hours on trolleys in our hospitals and the housing crisis is at an all time high, not to mention the cost of living. Don’t get me wrong, I am no lover of Paschal or Fine Gael but I think he is a good politician who has done great work in his various portfolios and is very well respected in Europe. If he was guilty of some serious wrongdoing I’d say something but the whole thing is about declaring what is a pilfering amount of money in the grand scheme of things, to do with people getting paid to put up election posters. Politicians in the opposition benches are all too ready to jump up and down and cry “foul” but we all know how the system works. I know plenty of “volunteers” who have worked for various election candidates over the years, putting up and taking down posters, who received a brown envelope when the job was done; no paper trail, no questions asked. If there was an omission of a small amount on Pascal’s declaration of expenses there should be some sanction but he certainly should not be hounded out of office so, please opposition, grow up and realise there is nothing to see here. While on the subject of election posters, isn’t it time they were banned altogether. Going through towns and villages at election time is like doing the stations of the cross with saintly candidates looking down from their  perch on the  lamp posts. To be honest it is an insult to the intelligence to think that we will be swayed by how a person looks from the lofty position they hold for a few weeks. There is also the green problem with all this paper being used when we do not have enough trees in the world.  There has to be a better way for candidates to get their messages across than trying to look like film stars. Most of them are not as good looking as they think.

 

We are supposed to live in a bilingual society. Irish is the first official language but most of us use English, or a version of it, in our daily communications. All official documents have to be in both languages and the same goes for road signs etc.  I have no problem with that but I do not like the “civil service” Irish that is to be seen all over the country at the moment. This was brought home to me recently when I was attending clinics in the Regional Hospital with Noreen. The Acute Bone Fracture Clinic has three sections A, B and C called “zones”. They, of course are on a notice board and also have  an Irish version so Zone A  is also Zón A. Now, when I learned Irish, many moons ago, one of the first things I learned was that the Irish alphabet has less letters than the English one. There is no J, K, Q,  V, W, X, Y  or Z so what genius came up with the word “Zón”. Why use the word zone in English anyway. Do we have to ape everything that America has to offer?  The failure of those who decide Irish translations and terms for new words is widespread throughout the country.  Just down the road from my house there are two road signs pointing to Knocknasna. One is for the townland and the other is for Knocknasna School. On one the Irish version is Cnoc na Sná and on the other it is Cnoc na Sionnach. I have no idea where the latter came from but surely somebody must have spotted the signs and realised that there can’t be two versions of the one name. Walking along the greenway from Abbeyfeale there is a sign telling you are entering the townland of Ballybehy, or Ballaugh as we know it. The Irish version is down as “Bealach Beithe”. It should of course be “Bealach na mBeithe”. They changed the name of Dingle from Daingean Uí Cuais to An Daingean, which has no meaning at all. Likewise they got rid of Nás na Rí (Naas) and replaced it with “An Nas” another name that means nothing.  I could give several more examples that show how little our native language is appreciated by those charged with its official use. It was bad enough for the British to butcher most of our beautiful placenames and leave us with meaningless drivel but it is hard to take when the present culprits are representing our own government. Our traditional names should be preserved because they are descriptive of our surroundings and they should never be changed or diluted.

 

While I am in the mood for complaining, I notice that there is going to be a sharp increase in the cost of alcoholic drink in pubs in the near future. This time it is the breweries and distillers who are raising their prices but of course there is an add on for government tax. This is happening at a time in Ireland when rural pubs in particular are closing because of a change in social habits and the knock-on effects of the Covid lockdown. The local pub has played a big part in Irish society and, yes, some people did drink a bit too much but the vast majority enjoyed their couple of pints and had the craic with friends and neighbours for a couple of hours.  For some who live in isolated areas, it was their only social outlet and, putting it plainly, it kept them sane. By raising the costs, pubs are going to be forced out of the market because there is only so much spare money to go around and people will have to cut back or give it up altogether. They are killing the goose that laid the golden egg and I’m afraid the future does not look bright.  Hope I am wrong.

https://www.athea.ie/

 

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The opportunity to travel from Rathkeale to Listowel by train ceased on the first Saturday of February in 1963. It was the beginning of the end of the Limerick to Tralee railway.

 

With the recent extension of the Greenway to Listowel, the railway corridor once again links Counties Kerry and Limerick: albeit by shanks mare and bicycle.

 

The new February Bank Holiday weekend coincides with the sixtieth anniversary of that last regular passenger train and the Great Southern Trail company, the voluntary body which has been working on cycle and walking trails in Limerick for three decades, is organising an opportunity for a cycle along the entire 50km route or a run/stroll along shorter sections.

 

The company is hoping that some hardy cyclists might take on the whole route and that walkers might do shorter sections of it.

 

Some of the old railway buildings are privately owned and people enjoying the day out are asked to not encroach on that privacy.

 

The four small stations of Kilmorna , Devon Road, Barnagh and Ardagh closed permanently after the service was ended. 

 

The four larger stations survived for freight and occasional passenger trains until Abbeyfeale, Newcastle West and Rathkeale closed in 1975 with Listowel following suit in 1977.

 

The Great Southern Trail group has been commemorating this February weekend every decade since 2003. In that year there were multiple events throughout West Limerick.

 

“In 2013, a walk westward from Abbeyfeale was prevented from crossing the Kerry border. Ten years on, it is great to see that Listowel and Kilmorna have now joined the Greenway,” said Liam O’Mahony, Chairman of the trail group.

 

“Let us not wait another ten years to extend from Listowel to Tralee. In Limerick we hope the reopening of the Foynes to Limerick service will also facilitate a parallel Greenway linking Limerick City to Adare, Askeaton, Foynes, West Limerick and North Kerry.”

 

The Great Southern Trail group would welcome any photos from the weekend to newcastlewest@gmail.com

 

People submitting photos are asked to mark the email with one of the eight locations but no other caption. The photos will be uploaded to the www.southerntrail.net website.

 

For more history of the railway and greenway, see YouTube’s “Journeying from a Railway to a Greenway”.

https://www.limerickpost.ie/2023/01/23/remembering-limericks-railway-link-to-listowel/

 

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Rallysport-style report on Kerry crews in action on last weekend’s Corrib Oil Galway International Rally

Feb 8, 2022

 

 

It was wet, windy and mucky.

There were traffic jams everywhere.

It was so great to be back.

It was a classic Galway, the Kerry crews who made the finish earned every bit of it.

Many locals made it to the finish, many more did not.

Kerry Motorsport News presents its (almost) traditional Rallysport Magazine style rally report.

Every Kerry competitor covered plus those from outside the county who are members of the two local clubs.

 

7: Cathan McCourt/Liam Moynihan (Ford Fiesta RC2)

Fourth in the International section

Leading the local contingent was Killarney and District Motor Club member and Millstreet, County Cork resident Liam Moynihan. He was on pacenote duty for Cathan McCourt in a Ford Fiesta Rally2, the pair set consistent top four and five times to finish fourth in the main category. A right-rear puncture on Sunday’s fourth stage proved that even the front runners could not stay out of trouble on their way to fourth place overall.

 

 

11: Daniel Cronin/ Shane Buckley (Volkswagen Polo RC5)

Fifth in International Rally

Daniel Cronin and his London-based Rockfield co-driver Shane Buckley said it was a very difficult weekend to get used to a new car. They finished fifth in the new Volkswagen Polo Rally 2 that they acquired only days before the rally.

“Of course it’s a good car, it was designed by a Kerry man,” said Buckley in reference to Volkswagen Motorsport engineer, Richard Browne, from Firies.

 

 

16 Paul Barrett/ Kevin Reilly (Ford Fiesta RC2)

Ninth in International Rally.

Paul Barrett, whose grandfather came from Ballyduff, finished ninth in his Ford Fiesta.

The Kildare man admitted he struggled through the waterlogged stages, which included an overshoot on stage 11.

 

29 Declan Gallagher/ John McCarthy (Toyota Starlet)

Did not finish

Declan Gallagher and his Killcummin co-driver John McCarthy had a short day after putting their Toyota Starlet off the road on the opening stage of the event.

 

 

43 Peter Wilson/John McCarthy (Ford Fiesta RC2)

13TH in the International section

John McCarthy guided Peter Wilson to 13th in the main category but they could have finished higher only for the windows in their Ford Fiesta kept getting steamed up during the horrifically wet Saturday loop of stages.

 

 

47 Connor Murphy/ Sean Collins

In the national section of the rally, Connor Murphy and Sean Collins finished 10th. They were on their second outing in a newly built Ford Escort – they failed to make the finish of last November’s Killarney Historic Rally so they were still learning the nuances of their new car in far from ideal conditions. A right rear puncture mid-way through Sunday and clutch problems after Saturday’s loop were just some of the issues they had to contend with.

 

67 Neil Phelan/ Keith McCarthy (Ford Escort Mk2)

Did not start

Despite completing the recce the Cork/Kerry crew did not start as the car was not ready.

 

77 Luke McCarthy/Brian Duggan (Ford Escort Mk2)

Fifth in the historic section

Brian Duggan, who was co-driver to former National Champion Luke McCarthy, finished fifth in the historic section in their Escort. Luke said he would be better off with a pair of swimming togs as tyre choice was that difficult.

 

 

78 Duncan Williams/ Declan Casey (Ford Escort Mk2)

Second in the historic section

Rathmore schoolteacher Declan Casey finished second in the overall Historic standings alongside UK visitor Duncan Williams in a Ford Escort RS1800.They were in an event long battle with bothers Maurice and Stephen Meskell but a broken axle frame dropped the Limerick men to third their Escort Mk1. It was Williams first attempt at the Galway Rally and they netted top Irish Tarmac Championship category points for their efforts.

 

99 Cyril Casey/ Elaine Ni She (Ford Fiesta)

Did not finish

West Cork’s Cyril Casey and West Kerry’s Elaine NÍ Shé ended their rally in a stage seven ditch.

 

 

114 Alan Watkins/Eoghan Eoghan McCarthy (Ford Escort Mk2)

11th in the historic section

Killarney and District Motor Club member Alan Watkins was 11th in his Ford Escort. The UK visitor had a very important message at the end of day one.

“The real heroes are the marshals who stood out in that rain all day. It is ok for us in a nice warm car and I want to say thanks,” he said.

 

 

122 Eddie Kennelly/Pual McGlinchey (Ford Escort)

Did not finish

Eddie Kennelly and Paul McGlinchey, from Lisselton, retired their Escort on Saturday morning with fuel pump issues.

 

129 Philip McKibben/Tommy Commane (Ford Escort Mk1)

Tenth in the historic category

Lixnaw-based co-driver Tommy Commane, alongside County Louth’s Philip McKibbin in an Escort Mk1 put the whole rally in perspective.

“The organisers started the last Saturday stage on two-minute intervals as there were so many cars off the road,” he said.

“Safari-spec survival Sunday,” he added on day two. They finished tenth in the category.

 

 

135 Robert Leech/ Denny Greany (Proton Satria)

Did not finish

Wexford’s Robert Leech s employed Denny Greaney from Cordal as his co-driver for the weekend in their unusual Proton Satria. They were in and out of a few Galway ditches on Saturday. A broken differential ended their Sunday run.

 

 

140 Sam Leach/ Barry Attridge (Opel Corsa)

46th in National Rally

Fossa-based Sam Leach retired his Opel Corsa due to a driveshaft failure on Saturday. He re-joined on Sunday morning under SuperRally rules only for the same thing to happen.

A third attempt, on Sunday afternoon, somehow netted a class win.

 

J4 Jason Farrell/Rob Duggan (Honda Civic)

Second in the junior category

Rob Duggan, an event winner as a driver, marked his second event ever as a co-driver. He guided Jason Farrell to second in the Junior Rally run over five Sunday stages.

“Never again,” said Duggan. “Jason can be looking for a new co-driver for the West Cork Rally.”

 

 

J7 John Michael Kennelly/ Eoin Corcoran (Honda Civic)

Third in the junior category

Kerry Motor Club member John Michael Kennelly finished third in the junior rally despite a puncture thwarting progress on the fourth stage.

 

 

J12 Jamie O’Rourke/Patrick Brislane (Honda Civic)

Did not finish

An off-road excursion on the final loop ended their event.

 

 

J14 Ronan Lacey/Anthony O’Driscoll (Honda Civic)

Did not finish

Another local crew to suffer from the Galway traps – they found a nice soft bog to land in with no damage but no hope of re-joining the road either.

 

The Kerry /Limerick juniors deserve credit for the efforts they went to to get their cars to Galway.

 

http://kerrymotorsportnews.com/2022/02/08/rallysport-style-report-on-kerry-crews-in-action-on-last-weekends-corrib-oil-galway-international-rally/

 

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The Way I See It

 

By Domhnall de Barra

 

This is my second time trying to write this column. I spent a couple of hours writing and somehow, I don’t know how, I did something that deleted every bit of text on the page. Normally I would have hit the “undo” symbol but I have a new version of Publisher and I couldn’t find it. I tried everything I knew but it failed me, mainly because I lost the cool a bit and succeeded in permanently deleting everything. Anyway, I was just commenting on politics and how it effects ordinary mortals like myself. We live in a democracy which is; government of the people by the people, where we get to choose our representatives every few years. When we don’t like what they are doing we throw them out and replace them with different ones who end up the same as the ones we discarded. There isn’t much real difference between the political parties here, unlike across the Irish sea where the Tories and the Labour party are poles apart. Labour has been the party of the working classes while the Conservatives represent the privileged upper classes. For a long time now, one or the other of these parties has been in power. It looks like they gather a good following while in opposition and  make promises that appeal to the voting public but when they go into office they are faced with reality and find out it is not feasible to do all they promised.

 

The change of leadership in the Tory party saw Liz Truss win the backing of the Conservative Party by promising big tax cuts and borrowing loads of money to fund the emergency funds to fight the rising costs of energy and inflation.  She wanted to be like Margaret Thatcher but her policies were the wrong recipe for an economy almost on its knees. Did she  seek advice or did she ignore it – doesn’t matter now because she did more damage to the economy in a couple of days than most political parties do in a lifetime. We might take a perverse pleasure in the UK’s problems at the moment but their downturn affects hundreds of thousands of Irish people living in the country and many, like myself, who have a small English pension from the time we spent working there years ago. When the pound falls against the Euro it is less money in our pockets so it is in our interest that the UK has a vibrant economy. We also export a lot of our produce to our nearest neighbour so we need a strong pound.  The war in Ukraine has set off a chain of price rises that will be with us for some time to come. Everything seems to be more expensive, especially the essentials for daily survival. People will always clamour for the government to take action but we can’t really expect them to pay our bills for us. We are just going to have to be clever with how we use electricity, gas, petrol, diesel and all the necessities for normal living. Shopping is an area we could improve on. Many people shop with their eyes. They go into a supermarket and go up or down each aisle, looking at the shelves and putting what they think they need into their trolleys. This is exactly what the super market chains want you to do. They have perfected the science of making goods appeal to the shopper by displaying them the right way or making them appear like a bargain by offering two for one etc. Before going to the store, it is worth while having a look into the fridge and the pantry to see what you really need, not what you might fancy. Make a list of the necessary items and stick to that list, no matter what jumps out at you off the shelves and you will find that you don’t spend so much money. We can all save money in the home by turning lights that are not needed off and using appliances as sparingly as possible. Don’t use the washing machine until you have a full load and only use central heating when it is necessary. Instead of cooking for one meal try batch cooking and have food for a couple of days. It makes sense when bills are going through the roof and it looks like they are going to get worse before they get better. At least there are plenty of jobs to be had at the moment unlike in times gone by when emigration was the only answer. As the saying goes “this too shall pass” but in the meantime we have to look out for each other and make sure nobody goes without.

 

We are currently celebrating events that occurred 100 years ago when our nation became free after years of occupation. Well, I can’t go back 100 years but  50 years ago, this month, I returned from England to take up the position of “Reachtairna Mumhan” for Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann. My job involved promoting traditional music throughout the province bu forming branches, advising and helping existing ones and also county boards and the provincial council. It brought me into every town and village in the six counties and I made a lot of friends, some of whom are still with us. I though I had better give a good example so I started in my own village and in November 1972, Athea branch of Comhaltas was formed. The meeting was held in the Riverside Ballroom and the place was half full. Since then the branch has gone from strength, hosting more Fleadhs than any other in the county and even hosting a Munster Fleadh in 1977.  Alas, the first officers of the branch, Vincent Barrett, Nora Hurley and Margaret Cotter, have gone to their eternal reward but there are still quite a few  in the parish who were there on the night. To commemorate the birth of the branch there will be a night of music, song, dance and craic, with a bit of food thrown in,  towards the end of next month (date to be finalised). Everyone is invited to join us on the night especially past members who gave great service over the years and helped to keep the Athea flag flying in the traditional world. I will have more on this in due course.

 

https://www.athea.ie/category/news/

 

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Handball History Listowel Connection continued

With the war over there was mass emigration which included many of the Listowel handball fraternity but the coming fifties saw another upsurge in the fortunes of the Listowel handball club.

Along with the experienced John Joe Kenny, Dick O’Connor, Kevin Sheehy, Jackie Fitzgibbons, Tim Shanahan and Mick Glynn, new enthusiasts such as Dermot Buckley, Tom Enright, Kieron O’Shea, Gene and J.J. O’Connell, Junior and Bert Griffin, Thomas Hassett, Johnny O’Halloran, John Maher, Aidan Keane, Richard (Dick) Galvin, Joe Moriarty, Danny Enright, Darby Broderick, Tony O’Connor, Frankie White, and John Keane began taking the game seriously

 

Tournaments were again commenced and an approach was made to Mr. Frank Sheehy who was chairman of the Gaelic Weekly newspaper at the time with the view to sponsoring the singles tournament.

Mr Sheehy kindly condescended and a shield was presented which was named the “Gaelic Weekly Shield”

The first final in 1959 was an all family affair with Junior Griffin overcoming his brother Bert in a close final.

One of the main features in those years of the late fifties and early sixties was the immense interest in handball by the students of St. Michaels College such as Brendan O’Shea, Michael Enright, the four Murphy brothers, Eamon Brendan, Kieron and Kevin, Batty Hannon, Eamon O’Brien, Tony Dillon, John Fitzgerald, Cyril Kelly, Seamus Browne, Bernie Murphy, Chas Chute, Brendan and Denis Quille, Buddy Scanlan, Jimmy and Michael O’Sullivan, and Kieron Hayes and many of these brought a wonderful freshness to the club.

The current Boys National School was opened

in 1959 and its hall was opened in 1961, built on the site of the old school.

The Handball Club were one of the first

customers to use the hall and ran a series of Whist (a card game) Drives on

Sunday nights and also secured a Sunday night to run a “monster” Whist Drive in

Walshes Super Ballroom during the season of lent. Indeed the committee of those

years were very active in fund raising with the burning aim being to have

sufficient funds to build a four wall handball court in the town.

 

The only Handball Club minute book that is

currently available began with the Annual General Meeting of 1961 and closes

with the Annual General Meeting of 1965. This minute book records the minutes

of 27 meetings which includes 5 A.G.M.’s and one Extraordinary General Meeting.

 

The 1961 A.G.M. was held in St. Patrick’s

Hall on Saturday May 4th and was presided over by the outgoing

chairman, Mr. Kevin Sheehy.

The officers and committee elected on that night were President; Mr. Joe James; Chairman; Mr. Jack Fitzgibbon; Vice Chairman; Mr. Kevin Sheehy.; Hon. Secretary; Mr. John (Junior) Griffin; Hon. Treasurers; M/s Dermot Buckley and Mr. Tom Enright; Committee; M/s. John Joe Kenny, Batty Hannon, Brendan Murphy, Brendan O’Shea, Eamon O’Brien, Tony Dillon, Seamus Browne, John Keane and Bernie Murphy.

To read the minutes of those 27 meetings there was one recurring topic that arose in most of these minutes  and that  was the hope and the wish to build a four wall proper Championship handball alley in the town of Listowel. These minutes give many details of fund raising; of deputations tothe government Deputy for North Kerry of that time; of a meeting with the Listowel Urban Town Council; of letters to both the National Handball Organisation and to the Gaelic Athletic Association and whilst promises were made and encouragement given, the heart felt dream of a new alley for the members of that time was never realised.

It is worth noting the sale of membership cards around that period of the early and mid sixties. In 1961 the members sold 124 to both playing and social members at 2/6 each. 77 in 1962; 103 in 1963 and down to 63 in 1964. At a committee meeting held on Jan. 12th 1962 a letter from a local man was considered in relation to the purchasing the goodwill of portion of the alley ground.

On the proposition of Mr. Andy Molyneaux it was decided to hold this over to the forthcoming A.G.M.

The A.G.M on Jan 31 presided over by Mr. Jack Fitzgibbon, amongst other matters, considered

a petition signed by M/s Bryan McMahon, Michael Keane, M.E. O’Hanlon and C.J. Keane against selling any portion of the ball alley ground. After a lengthy discussion it was decided to appoint a

special sub- committee to consider this matter. 

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The Way I See It

 

By Domhnall de Barra

 

I can’t believe that we are only a week into August and already we have had the All-Ireland finals in hurling, football, camogie and ladies football. The All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil is also over after a fantastic week in Mullingar, the place where Comhaltas began back in 1951.  I was used to a sort of structure to the year and looked forward to  times when certain things occurred.  Late spring and early summer was the time for the provincial championships, August was for the semi-finals with the All-Ireland Fleadh at the end of the month and September was the time we looked forward to most of all with the hurling final on the first weekend and the football final on the third. The Listowel Races were on the week after the football final and that put an end to the summer season and we settled in to the longer nights and the colder weather with Halloween breaking the time between there and Christmas. The Summer was nicely spaced out with something to look forward to all the time but now, at this early stage we have only the races left and even they have been brought forward from their dates and somehow don’t have the same appeal as they used to. There seems to be a big void with nothing to fill it; yes we have the club championships but it is not the same as the big occasions that kept us going for another month or more. Maybe I am just set in my ways but I liked the old system and I have little to look forward to at the moment. I did enjoy the games this year, especially the ladies football and camogie. They were fantastic games with the greatest level of skill and sportsmanship on display. The ladies sport has come on in leaps and bounds and now attracts a very big following. They deserve no less support than their male counterparts and I strongly feel they should all be part of the same organisation with equal claims to finance and facilities.

 

As I already alluded to, the Fleadh is over too and this year, the first in a few years to be attended by the general public, there was nightly coverage by TG4 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. While it is great to see the programmes, I must admit to being less than impressed by them. Mullingar was teeming with the very best of traditional entertainers but the producers of the programmes insisted on including individuals and bands who, though famous in their own right, have nothing to do with traditional music and give the wrong impression to viewers who might think this is what Comhaltas is all about. It wasn’t all bad and I was delighted to see people like Louise Mulcahy from Abbeyfeale and Dan Brouder, of Monagea extraction (brother of Jerry, Gale View) who showed just how good the musicians from this neck of the woods are.  We could have done with more of their type of music instead of the gimmicky groups that depend on strange rhythms and foreign influences to get their music across. The success of the Fleadh, over the years, has shown that traditional Irish music needs no frills and can stand on its own two feet with the beautiful tunes handed down from generation to generation. The sooner those who pull the strings in TG4 realise that, the better.

 

There is a lovely word in the Irish language, “Pleidhchíocht” (pronounced ply keeecht) which was used around here when I was younger and is included in Timmy Woulfe’s excellent book “As Tough as Táthfhéithleann” and means blackguarding or as my mother used to say “caffling”.  It was basically young people letting off steam and making fun at the expense of others, especially those who might not be too bright. Swapping gates on fields by the roadside was a common occurrence and was usually done late at night. On one occasion, a group of young lads were coming home from a dance in the early hours of the morning. It was at this time of the year, in the middle of a heat wave, and the moon was shining. As the weather was good it was common for people to leave the washing out on the line overnight as did two neighbours, Nell Noonan and Maig Saunders in Cratloe. The boys took Nell’s clothes and put them on Maig’s line and did the reverse with the other line. Imagine the surprise the two women got when they went out to take in their washing the following day!  Another bit of tomfoolery was to untackle an ass from his cart and re-tackle him turned the wrong way.  I was told of a prank that took place long ago when radios were new and very scarce. People would ramble to a house that had a radio just to hear the news. They couldn’t be bothered with any other programmes. In one such house there were two brothers who were great pranksters but were also involved in amplification. They decide to play a trick on a couple of elderly neighbours who regularly visited at night. They set up a mike in the bedroom behind the kitchen and attached it to the radio set. At news time, one of them pretended to turn on the radio and the other lad proceeded to read out the news from the bedroom. He gave a few general news stories and then said as follows: “A whale was washed ashore near Ballybunion last night and ate a whole pit of spuds belonging to John Sullivan”. One of the old men said to the other “great God, that poor man. What will he feed his family for the winter?”  I suppose there was no real harm in the “pleidhchíocht” and it kept them all amused for a while.  They wouldn’t get away with it today.

https://www.athea.ie/category/news/

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ATHEA DRAMA https://www.athea.ie/category/news/

 

The Mundy sisters at their Ballybeg cottage When I cast my mind back to the summer of 1936Michael (Shane McEnery)

 

It is a memory play told from the perspective of an adult Michael who introduces his nostalgic memories of the summer of 1936 when he was seven years old and the five Mundy sisters who raised him in rural Ireland, acquired their first wireless radio.

 

Their older brother Michael’s Uncle Jack  had just returned from twenty-five years spent as a missionary in a leper colony in Uganda. Michael was born out of wedlock to Chris, the youngest of the Mundy sisters  and Gerry Evans who deserted her and the child and only returns every couple of years to see her.

 

The radio which breaks down more than it works unleashes unarticulated emotions in the five women who spontaneously break into song and dance  with or without its aid.

 

Brian Friel’s play employs the central motif of dancing and music to explore themes of Irish cultural identity, nostalgia, historical change and pagan ritual.

 

This is one of those plays that will stay with you.. Come along to Con Colbert Hall, Athea & be entranced by the spell that is Dancing at Lughnasa.

 

The cast is as follows:

 

The Mundy sisters are Maggie (Theresa O Halloran) Kate (Nora Hunt) Chrissie (Julie Moloney) Agnes (Anne Marie Horgan) & Rose (Mary Ellen Tierney)

 

Michael the son (Shane McEnery)  Fr. Jack (Tom O’Keeffe) Gerry Evans (Tom Collins)

 

Play is Directed by Tom Denihan

 

The play dates  are  Sunday Feb 13th at 3pm Matinee  & then Thurs 17th,  Sat 19th,  Sun 20th,  Wed 23rd, Thurs 24th &  Sat 26th at 7:30pm. Doors Open at 7pm.

 

Tickets can be booked by texting or Whats App on 087 6926746 €10 per ticket.

 

We would also like to thank Marie Keating photography for capturing the scene & taking such fantastic pictures for us.

 

 

 

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Taken from Athea News 15 Dec 2021

 

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The Way I See It

 

 

 

By Domhnall de Barra

 

 

 

As I get older some things annoy me a bit more easily than they used to.  I hate the modern Dublin 4, TV, accent that cuts out all the broad vowels and goes up at the end of each sentence. It’s like a cross between an English royal accent, a mid-Atlantic one and a sort of Northern  Ireland twang. Younger people from all over the country are aping this way of speaking as they see it as a way of being accepted in certain social standings. It is almost an apologetic way of speaking and, to be honest, when I hear it I find it very difficult to take the speaker seriously.  What is it about us in the south of Ireland that makes us want to change our delivery?. I have yet to hear a Scots person or one from the North who wasn’t quite happy to converse in their own accent. It was very evident in the last century in people who went to England or America. Some of them adopted the accents of their new homes as fast as they could. I suppose they wanted to be accepted in their new communities but others, despite the fact that there was a certain hostility to the Irish in some areas, clung to their roots and continued to speak as they always did. Yes, they modified it a bit to make themselves understood but then, that is what language is all about; communication. It doesn’t matter what accent we use as long as we can get the message across. Another annoying trend, especially by presenters on TV, is the use of what I call “hand language”. Somebody, trying to get their message across, will try to emphasis their point by flapping their hands in all directions. One would think they were trying to park airplanes at an airport!.  It might not be so bad if the hand and arm movements had any meaning but they just make the speaker look a bit silly. There are, of course, certain hand gestures that do have meaning and we all know what they are e.g. when somebody puts up their hands with the palms facing forward or, if they want to be really rude, raise two fingers, but flapping away to every syllable is just distracting. When talking about hand gestures I am reminded of a true story from the 1960s.  A man from Abbeyfeale was selling a greyhound and he got a message that a certain individual in Castleisland was interested and he was told to ring Castleisland 42 to discuss the sale. At the time there was only one phone in the town and  Dan, as we will call him, had never made a phone call in his life so he asked one of the neighbours to go to the phone box with him. The neighbour turned the handle, asked the operator for the number and put in the two pence before handing the phone to Dan. They talked about the greyhound for a while and then the man from Castleisland asked Dan how tall the dog was. Dan, after a moments hesitation, put his open palm down by his knee and said “about that high”.  The neighbour made sure everyone in the town knew the story before morning!.

 

 

 

Other abnormalities have crept into our way of speaking such as starting every sentence with “so”.  The word “like” pops up every three or four words and everything is “really, really” good or “really, really” bad. That awful American expression “awesome” is getting more use by the day and “you guys” refers to men and women alike. Maybe I am getting more like Victor Meldrew but I miss the time when we all had our own accents and there was great diversity around the country. Anyway, it isn’t worth my time changing now so I will continue to talk with my Athea brogue and make no apology to anyone.

 

 

 

Rural Ireland depends on volunteers who raise money for local clubs and charities. One great way of doing that was the yearly Church gate collection. It was easy enough to get a licence from the Chief Superintendent in Limerick and, on the appointed day, people would man the gates of the local church at Mass times collecting donations from Mass goers.  Athea was a very good parish and always donated generously but alas that day is gone. The Covid pandemic closed the churches for a long time and they are still only catering for a fraction of the crowds they used to. In the past few years there has been a very noticeable decline in the amount of people attending Mass, even before the pandemic, and I can’t see any reversal of that trend in the future. Now, clubs and organisations have to come up with alternative ways to raise funds and it is not easy. Some hold collections outside busy shops but that entails people being on duty all day compared to a couple of hours at Mass times. Abbeyfeale GAA have a stand in The Square every Friday and Saturday, selling their lotto tickets. I have noticed that it is the same few people who are on duty all day long. This, to me is above and beyond the call of duty and we have to come up with alternative ideas. There is the possibility of selling tickets on line but many of our parishioners, especially the older age groups, are not tech savvy and don’t have smart phones. If anybody out there has an idea, let us know.

 

 

 

I had a narrow escape the other morning while walking on the Glin Road. There is a part of the road, between the water treatment plant and Synan’s Gate, that has a blind spot where oncoming traffic cannot see somebody walking towards Athea until the very last minute. If there is traffic approaching from the Glin side there is no place to go for either the motorist or pedestrian. The car that barely avoided me had very good brakes and luckily was able to stop avoiding hitting me or the oncoming lorry. I have written about this before suggesting that a footpath could be laid along that short stretch on the other side of the road without encroaching on farmland. I am not just thinking of myself as this road is a part of Slí na Sláinte and is walked by a great number of people every day.  It is a safety issue and it is better we act in time before somebody gets seriously hurt. We did it before when we recognised the dangers of the narrow bridge and what I am suggesting wouldn’t cost a fraction of the new footbridge. Surely Limerick County Council have a part to play in this.

 

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Video link

 

https://youtu.be/DW3Z6NzjgMA

 

Filename

 

St Michaels Churchyard at back of Sports Field Listowel

 

 

 

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Adare Walk around Village

 

Video link

 

https://youtu.be/MtRVvL2nCzY

 

From Athea News Nov 2021

 

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The Way I See It

 

 

 

By Domhnall de Barra

 

 

 

The clocks went back on Saturday night meaning we will have brighter mornings but darker evenings. I was surprised to see that the time had not changed on the Sky box which was still giving times of programmes one hour ahead of schedule. It was quite confusing and reminded me of a time, long ago, when the daylight saving time, as it was called was introduced in Ireland. Germany was the first European country to adopt the system, which was to accommodate agricultural workers during the summer, in 1920 approx.  Ireland came a bit late to the table around the middle of the last century but it did not have a smooth beginning. Some people adopted the new system straight away while others resisted the change and continued with the status quo. So, for a while we had the “new time” and the “old time” as they became known, running side by side and it created no end of confusion.  It was difficult for those in the farming world because cattle and other animals have their own body clock and it can’t be put forward or backwards. Cows know when it is near milking time and will make their way to the gate ready to be taken in to the milking parlour. Poultry and pigs also know exactly when feeding time is and they get confused when it is either an hour earlier or later. Their “clocks” can’t be put forwards or backwards without upsetting them.  Many farmers  were slow to adopt the new time  for that reason. At that time also there were very few watches  owned by ordinary people. They weren’t like the watches of today but rather like small flat clocks that would fit into the palm of the hand. They were usually kept in a pouch in an inside pocket and there was a small chain that one could attach to the clothing to ensure they would not fall to the ground or get lost. Most of the people in rural Ireland were able to tell the time by looking at the sun not that they had figures as on a clock, no, they had dinner time, supper time, cow time and bed time.  When working in the bog, people finished their labours at the sound of the Angelus bell from the town or village nearby. The problem was that some parishes went by “old time” while others went by “new time” so the workers could be finished an hour early or be doing an hour’s overtime!. It wasn’t uncommon at the time to hear an Angelus bell from one church  and then hear the bell an hour later from a neighbouring parish. I remember well, when I was growing up, seeing posters advertising events with the time always qualified by adding new time or old time. One old woman inquired as to when a local concert was starting. When she was told  it started at 8  o’clock she asked: “is that 7 or 9?”  Eventually everyone adopted the new system and  we have it to this day. There are attempts to get rid of it maybe next year. They tried it for one year in England back in the ‘sixties. I remember it well as I was working in Coventry at the time and it got mixed receptions. In the end it was decided not to continue with it because it was dark in the morning when children were going to school. I think there is no reason why we should not stay at “old time” all the year round. Most agricultural work is now done by machines and what they might lose at the end of the day can be made up by starting earlier in the morning. We have to wait and see.

 

 

 

It was a really bad night, weatherwise, for young people, dressed up in their Halloween costumes, going from door to door trick-or-treating. It has now become a big event with houses done up for the occasion and pumpkins everywhere. I wasn’t in favour of it once because it was an American custom and also a big marketing opportunity for the stores who make a fortune out of the costumes, sweets etc. but I have changed my mind. It is lovely to see the excitement on the faces of the kids and don’t we all deserve a bit of fun after being locked down for so long.  Even the little ones in Noreen’s playgroup dressed up for the party and had a whale of a time.  I am still not in favour of the practice of lighting big bonfires and letting off fireworks. There are obvious dangers attached to theses practices and they should be banned. It is already illegal to buy fireworks in the republic but they are freely available in the North. No problem then for somebody to drive over the border and fill the back of the car with fireworks knowing that there is a ready market for them in the South. Safety first should be the policy.

 

 

 

There is now a sense of panic about global warming with targets being set to reduce pollution within a narrow period of time. In Ireland’s case the biggest problem will be the reduction in methane gas emissions which are mainly caused by the dairy herds in the country. There is also a big rush on to get us all to invest in electric cars, close up our fireplaces and throw out our gas and oil boilers.  As far as I can see they have the cart before the horse. If you want people to change you have to create the conditions for them to do so. You have to look at the big picture. There should be as many charging points as petrol and diesel pumps available if we are all to drive electric vehicles. Then there is the question of the supply of electricity. The government thought they were doing a great thing when they shut down two fossil fuel burning stations in the midlands but now they are warning us that there is a possibility of power cuts this winter. In that case how will I charge my car or heat my home with heat pumps that rely on a power supply? They also rushed to close Bord na Móna’s briquette making plants and now they are being imported from Europe. We are always going to need back-up because we cannot depend on a constant flow of wind that is necessary to operate the wind farms that we have come to rely on for alternative energy. The government needs to go back to the drawing board and put down a foundation on which to build. The questions are simple enough. How can we supply enough electricity to power all the vehicles and homes at a reasonable rate?  How can we make it profitable for farmers to change from dairy to some other form of agriculture?  How can we encourage people to act together to stop the damage being caused to our planet? And the big question: how do we persuade America, Russia, China and India, the worst offenders, to come onboard with the rest of the world. We need to do it to avoid future generations being decimated by natural disasters.

 

Knockdown News-02/11/2021

 

by DomhnallDB under Knockdown News

 

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Michael O’Connor Remembered

 

 

 

Plans are afoot to bring some of the works of this extraordinary but under appreciated Listowel born artist back to his family home at 24 The Square, now Kerry Writers’ Museum.

 

 

 

On today, September 17, the anniversary of Michael’s death, his son, Fr. Brendan O’Connor shares memories of his father with us.

 

 

 

Michael Anthony O’Connor (1913-1969)

 

Although it is over 50 years since the passing of my late father, on 17th September 1969, I still have fond memories of seeing him stooped over his drawing board in the evenings, with paints, brushes, pens and quills arranged on the table beside him. He would work patiently for hours on end, usually after we had all gone to bed when he would have less distractions.

 

 

 

His concentrated and painstaking artistic work reflected his good-humored and patient manner. He never had to raise his voice.

 

 

 

“What did your mother tell you?” was enough to convey that it was time to obey.

 

 

 

We looked forward to his return from the office every day – his professional work was as an assistant architect in the Department of Transport and Power – but especially on Fridays when he would bring some chocolates for us and a treat for my mother.

 

 

 

We were so accustomed to his artistic creations that we didn’t fully appreciate the originality, skill and dedication he brought to his art. He had the humility to continue working at a very high level of achievement without seeking to be known or appreciated. The completed work was its own reward.

 

 

 

This is shown in particular in the “Breastplate of St Patrick” – a family heirloom which he produced for his own enjoyment in 1961 to celebrate 1,500th anniversary of the national saint.

 

 

 

 

 

He responded generously to requests for illuminated commemorative scrolls and the like. He also completed a number of commissions for official government purposes, but of all of these we have little data.

 

 

 

 

 

Although original illuminated artwork and calligraphy in the Celtic style was not much appreciated at the time, a small circle of friends and acquaintances were aware of the quality of his achievements. Prof. Etienne Rynne and Maurice Fridberg have left written testimonies of their appreciation.

 

Mr Fridberg, an Art Collector, wrote in a letter to the President of Ireland in 1972 –

 

 

 

“Michael O’Connor was in my opinion the greatest artist of modern Celtic Illumination in this century. “

 

 

 

Although obviously influenced by the Book of Kells, his own individuality comes through every letter.” Prof. Rynne, wrote an article on the revival of Irish Art in an American journal, also in 1972, in which he said “O’Connor, however, produced much excellent work, notably in the form of beautifully illuminated letters. Although a master-craftsman and an original worker he depended somewhat more on the ancient models and on neat symmetry than did O’Murnaghan. … With the death in 1969 of O’Connor, the ranks of first-class artists working in the ‘Celtic’ style were seriously bereft.”

 

 

 

Michael O’Connor was born in No. 24, The Square, Listowel in 1913. He married Margaret Walsh in 1950 and they had four children, Michael, Brendan, Gerardine and Aidan. We used to enjoy memorable visits to the family home on the Square when we were children and were especially proud of the Castle in the garden!

 

It would indeed be a very fitting if belated tribute to his contribution to the ancient Irish artistic heritage and culture to have his available works displayed in his ancestral home in Listowel.

 

Brendan O’Connor (Rev.)

 

September 2021 From

 

http://listowelconnection.com/

 

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The Way I See It

 

 

 

By Domhnall de Barra

 

 

 

I felt sorry for the American gymnast who had to pull out of the competition at the Olympics, after making a mistake, because she feared for her mental wellbeing. She had been the best in the world and had been phenomenal at the previous games but there was a great weight of expectation on her shoulders this time around and the pressure got too much for her. Social media wasn’t too kind to her afterwards with heartless idiots saying she had no bottle, had let her country and teammates down etc.  She is just a human being, albeit a very talented one, with  the feelings, emotions and frailties that we all have.  Do we expect too much of our athletes  and performers –  I think the answer is yes. Leading up to Sunday last week our own commentators in RTE were talking about “super Sunday” when some of our Olympians were expected to win medals. As it happened, Sunday turned out to be a day of near misses for some competitors but there were no more medals. Those who had reached finals should have been very happy, after all, these are the very best in the world and to be counted inside the top ten is, in itself, a mighty achievement. We are a very small nation and it is only on rare occasions that we can produce people capable of becoming Olympic champions but we continue to put pressure on our best to outperform instead of letting them enjoy the experience of competing with the cream of the crop. When they lose, as most of them will eventually, they sometimes feel they have left their families and country down and this is not right. I have seen something similar in music competitions where young competitors feel they have to win because of pressure from parents, teachers and Comhaltas branches. Over my years adjudicating I have observed how unhappy some of them seem to be as they try their best to please everyone. They are not enjoying what they are doing and I wonder what the long term effect on them will be. We see it all the time at football and hurling matches with parents, coaches and others roaring from the sidelines to win at all costs. At the end of the day it is only sport and sport is an activity that should be enjoyed. It should never leave anyone with mental problems.

 

 

 

100 years is a long time but in relation to the age of the world it is just a blink of an eye. About that long ago, villages like Athea were hives of activity and industry. Every second door was a shop of some kind. There were tailors, dressmakers, shoemakers, harness makers, coopers, blacksmiths, coach builders (a fancy term for carpenters who made carts for horses and donkeys), hardware shops, grocery shops, drapers and pubs, to name but a few. I often wonder how they all made a living but they did and it was through the support of the local community. Up to then the world had not changed dramatically for centuries with most of the work done by hand with the help of animals. Then things began to change and, little by little, shops closed, trades disappeared and we eventually reached where we are today with just a handful of businesses operating. It is now affecting my own profession as well. When I started printing first it was very different to what it is today. The “cut and paste” functions we see on our computers today was done with an actual scissors and glue. When a page was set out with text and graphics it was treated with chemicals and put into a machine that  took an image and put in on a steel plate. This was done with a lot of heat and afterwards more chemicals were used to clear away impurities and expose the image. The plate was then attached to a drum on the printing machine that picked up ink as it rotated and transferred the ink onto paper. It was a long job and the ink had to be evenly spread over the rollers to get a good finish. It could take half an hour to get the first copy off the press. Now, all the text and graphics are done on the computer, sent directly to a digital machine and the first copy is produced in seconds, no ink, no mess, no cleaning. It has certainly become easier but the modern printing machines do not come cheap and a good volume of work is necessary to justify buying one. Alas, times for the small printing office have changed and the work we used to do is disappearing, just like the old trades. Not so long age we were busy printing invoice books, business cards, posters and fliers. Now big firms will e-mail an invoice to a customer who has to print it off themselves, no books needed. Social media has taken away the need for business cards, posters and fliers. If there was some function on, a few years ago, posters would be erected in all the local outlets and hundreds of fliers would be stuck under the wipers of cars parked in the church grounds and in the street. That practice was outlawed a good while ago but now there is no need because the use of facebook, instagram etc spreads the word better than fliers could ever do. What that means for people like me is that our core business is now gone so  it will not be viable for most small printers to remain in business. I am lucky that I am well past retiring age anyway and I am happy doing a fraction of the work I was doing before but whenever I do pack it in, which I hope will not be for a good while yet, there will be no business to pass on to anyone else. In the meantime I will work away because I enjoy it and it gets me out of bed in the morning.

 

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https://www.facebook.com/mahareesandcastlegregoryhistory/

 

 

 

https://youtu.be/LtcSWCU20xs

 

Castlegregory Maharees Co Kerry.wmv

 

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Storied Kerry

 

Jennifer De Burca

 

Jan 29, 2021

 

featured

 

58 YEARS OF STORIES ON KILLARNEY NATIONAL PARK

 

9 to 11am Saturday Supplement Radio Kerry 30 January 2021

 

 

 

On the Saturday Supplement on Radio Kerry from 9 to 11am next Saturday (30 January 2021) Frank Lewis hears 58 years of stories from Killarney National Park from Dan Kelliher, 38 years from 1963 Killarney National Park Superintendent, Padruig O’Sullivan conservation ranger since 1981 and Seamus Hassett in charge since 2018. Stories of

 

the ‘all ins’ and high walls commercial fruit and veg growing stopped – without telling head office Park and gardens were over run by fourteen hundred sheep a day’s deer-stalking cost five pounds .. but you could walk the deer forests from dawn to dusk and not see a deer .. the uproar at plans to turn Muckross House into a training centre and a hotel More uproar when rhododendron was first being cleared you could then cut black alder blocking the views .. but not now the special experience of the Park at night A very sick Parliamentary Secretary Henry Kenny’s comment on Killarney, a few weeks before he died, .. “if Heaven is half as nice I’m quite happy to go” ..

 

 

 

Join Frank Lewis on the Saturday Supplement on Radio Kerry from 9 to 11am next Saturday (January 30) with 58 years of stories from Killarney National Park .. all within five kilometers of home.

 

 

 

    Visit(opens in a new tab)

 

 

 

Jennifer De Burca

 

Jan 7, 2021

 

featured

 

An Dreoilín agus An Commedia dell’Arte Leis An tAthar Tomás Ó hIceadha

 

By Fr. Tom Hickey DISTRICT DIRECTOR: Micheal O Coileain / EDITOR: MICHEAL O COILEAIN

 

 

 

Ón Leabhar Órchiste Nollag, Máirín Uí Shé a thiomsaigh agus a chuir in eagar.

 

 

 

Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne a d’fhoilsigh é i 2020

 

 

 

In this short piece the author, Fr. Tom Hickey, himself a renowned director of theatre, makes the comparisons between the characters of Commedia dell’Arte in Italy and those found in the Wran Boys of the Irish Tradition. Once widespread throughout the country, the Wran is now continued in few locations, but survives strongly in West Kerry. Commedia Dell’Arte was an early form of theatre originating in Italy in the 16th century. It is characterised by masked ‘types’ and can be either scripted or improvised. Generally, these troupes of players travelled between towns entertaining people. The origins of the Wran tradition is certainly more ancient and may well go back to pre-Christian times as part of a mid-winter festival.

 

 

 

    Visit(opens in a new tab)

 

https://wordpress.com/read/feeds/104860127

 

 

 

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17 4 2021

 

DEATH has taken place of the Very Reverend Tom Hickey, retired P.P. Baile an Fheirtéaraigh and formerly of Dingle on the 12th of April 2021. Survived by his sister Maura O' Connor (Limerick), his brother Ben (USA), sister in law Margaret, nieces, nephews, grandnephews, Bishop Ray Browne and the Priests of the Diocese of Kerry, parishioners and the communities in which he ministered.

 

Minister Foley says Father Hickey was a gifted man, who shared his time and talent so generously with the communities he served and those with whom he worked. She says he spent a lifetime organising and teaching drama throughout the county, winning numerous awards in a variety of drama competitions and Kerry was blessed to experience his giftedness and his genius.

 

Fr. Tom was born in 1924 and was ordained in 1950.  He started his priesthood in Motherwell Diocese in Scotland, returned to the diocese of Kerry to serve in Tuosist, Brosna, Duagh, Moyvane, Tralee, Killeentierna, Irremore, Kenmare, Ballinskelligs and finally Ballyferriter.  He retired as parish priest in Ballyferrriter in 2005 and became Assistant priest from then till the present day.

 

More at https://moyvane.com/the-old-marian-hall-and-wonderful-variety-shows/

 

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Moyvane Village Easter 2021

 

Moyvane Nature Trail Celebrating 25 years

 

This Easter Weekend Moyvane Development Association (MDA) will celebrate 25 years since work commenced (1996) on developing a Nature Trail Walk through the local overgrown woods. Kind permission was granted by landowners and work began on Good Friday by an enthusiastic group of about 20 volunteers who completed 450 hours of work over the following weeks.

 

A pathway was hacked through the undergrowth and rubbish was removed from both ends and a clear path was achieved over the weekend. Work continued by volunteers over the next number of weeks, clearing dykes, fencing and installing bridges, opening to the public for the first time on the June BH weekend. This phase of the development was generously funded by North Kerry Walks.

 

In 1998 1000 native hardwood saplings were planted, a number of these were planted by pupils from Murhur NS and by Fr Michael O’Leary during National Tree Week.

 

In 1999 500 Ash saplings were planted at the end of the Church Car Park field. In November ’99 the walk was awarded The North Kerry Walks Open Gate Trophy for being the best walk in Nth. Kerry for the 1st time, receiving it a further 3 times since.

 

The Walk was extended in 2001 around the GAA Pitch with the kind permission of the Community Sports Hall Committee, Mike Brosnan and the GAA. The walk had a big influence on Moyvane achieving the Best New Entry Award in the Tidy Towns Competition that year and a plaque celebrating this achievement is on display at the entrance to Murhur NS.

 

In 2005 the walk was extended to the Lime Kiln where a foot bridge was erected and the Lime Kiln was restored with the kind permission of Pat & Bridie Hayes.

 

In 2017 2.5 Ha of land donated by KCC, at the rear of Woodgrove, was planted with 1200 native hardwood saplings, with a path laid throughout, joining both woods. A further 1000 native saplings were added here in 2018. Saplings donated by KCC.

 

MDA received generous sponsorship from Eirgrid in 2018 and completed laying a tarmacing surface on both sections of nature trail walk. Tarmac was laid to the Kiln in 2019 with the assistance of a grant from KCC Community Support Fund and sponsorship from Gas Networks Irl.

 

In 2021 with a further grant from Eirgrid and some MDA funds the remaining sections of the walk was completed with a tarmac surface.

 

Over the years seats have been provided throughout the walk with kind sponsorship from KCC and MDA funds. A beautiful viewing area with seating is located with views of Knockanore, Kerry Head and Mt, Brandon.  Information Boards and directional signs are provided throughout the walk sponsored by NEKD and Leader funding. Further information boards and Lecterns on biodiversity are to be erected in the walk over the coming months, also generously sponsored by Eirgrid as part of their recent Community Sponsorship Fund. 

 

In National Tree Week this year, as we celebrate 25 years, 200 saplings were planted in the new plantation. These were kindly sponsored by KCC (100) and Analog Devices Limerick (100) encouraging their “Trees on the Land” Green initiative.

 

Thanks to all our generous Sponsors over the years and all those who helped with any of the maintenance work, Volunteers, SSE Community Scheme, Community Employment Schemes participants and members of MDA.

 

The Nature Trail and Village Walk has been a great asset to the local community, especially during this current Covid pandemic. It is a great local amenity and a huge benefit to the people of the parish and North Kerry.

 

We hope to be able to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the development of the walk once Covid restrictions allow. In the meantime, we encourage people to use the walk to celebrate this amenity especially over this Easter weekend.

 

 

 

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Woulfe Family

 

http://brendanwolfe.com/family-bios

 

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DEATH of Robert Nolan, Carrueragh, Kilmorna, and late of Speedy's Bar, Moyvane, on March 18th, 2021. Predeceased by his wife Anne and sister Margaret. Survived by his son Liam (Speedy), daughter Linda, grandchildren Oliver, Paige and Ellie Mai, brothers Jim, Frank and Willie, sisters Mary and Carmel, daughter-in-law Eileen, son-in-law Jamie, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nephews, and nieces. Requiem Mass being celebrated in the Church of the Assumption, Moyvane, on Monday at 12 noon, which will be live-streamed on https://bit.ly/2NwKEGh , with burial afterwards in Ahavoher Cemetery, Knockanure, Moyvane.

 

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Sincere sympathy to Liam, Linda, Eileen, Jamie and the Nolan family on Robert's sad and sudden passing.  He was a good friend and a great colleague.

 

Despite his mild and happy demeanour he was a man of steel, substance and the utmost integrity during his time as Chairman of Newtownsandes Co-op

 

Michael & Marie Liston    Moyvane

 

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To Liam Linda Robert's brothers and sisters and extended families .we were very saddened to hear of Roberts death and so sudden .Robert was a lovely person and had time for everyone .He was so kind in taking people home from the bar to make sure they got home safe .He will never be forgotten and hope he is at peace with his Anne.

 

Breeda and Pat Scanlon Leitrim west Moyvane

 

 

 

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My sincere sympathy to the Nolan Family on Robert's untimely passing.

 

A really genuine and caring man. May he  Rest In Peace.

 

Des Broderick and family.

 

Des Broderick

 

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The Kerry Champion  August 11-1934 edition

 

 

 

Dance Band -Castleisland Never Lost its Tradition for Music!

 

 

 

One remembers wistfully the triumphs of Miss O’Connell’s ‘Kerry Diamonds’ and with pride the recent superb achievement of Miss Joan Hanifin.

 

Now, a long felt want in Castleisland – the organisation of a Dance Orchestra – is met by the enterprise of Mr. Patrick Breen, whose band will, I believe, give their opening programme at Killorglin and ‘The Mall’ in the near future.

 

The members comprise:- J.  Barry (drums); H. Fitzgerald (piano); P. Breen and M. McGillicuddy (accordians).

 

This accomplished little group should achieve a great success. L.B.

 

 

 

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A  WEEKLY  PAPER  OF  IRISH  AND  CATHOUC  NEWS,  AND  DEVOTED  TO  THE  BUSINESS,  SOCIAL,  ATHLETIC  AND  POLITICAL  DOINGS  OF  THE  IRISH-AMERICAN  POPULATION  OF  GREATER  NEW  YORK  VOL.  XIV.    NO.  1160  NEW  YORK,  SATURDAY,  NOVEMBER  4,  1933

 

New York NY Irish American Advocate 1932-1934 - 0865.pdf

 

 

 

Tobin and O'Connor—At St. Nicholas Church, Adare, Co. Limerick, by Rev. Canon Murphy, PP., Abbeyfeale, Jack Tobin, Abbeyfeale, and late of New York City, to Margaret, daughter of the late William D. and Mrs. Margaret O'Connor, Abbeyfeale, Co. Limerick

 

 

 

O'Regan and O'Connor —At St. Nicholas Church, Adare, Co. Limerick, by Rev. Canon Murphy, P.P., Abbeyfeale, John J. O'Regan, Los Angeles, Calif., to Bee, daughter of the late Wm. D. and Mrs. Margaret O'Connor, Abbeyfeale, Co. Limerick.

 

 

 

 

 

Mayor O'Brien and Running Mates on the Ticket Get Hearty Endorsement Saturday night last close to 2,000 Irish citizens rallied in the grand ballroom of the Pennsylvania Hotel to the call of the Irish-American campaign committee for the election of Mayor O'Brien and the other members of the party running with him. The meeting was opened by Col. T. J. Moynahan, who introduced as permanent chairman President General James McGurrin of the American Irish Historical Society as permanent chairman of the meeting .Mrs. Kenneally, wife of Major William Kenneally of the Rainbow Division, sang "The Star Spangled Banner," followed by the "Soldiers' Seng" Among the speakers were Frank J. Prial, candidate for Comptroller; Judge James C. Madigah of the City Court, Owen W. Bohan, candidate for Judge of the Court of General Sessions; Denis O'Leary Cohalan, Miss Martha Byrne, Mrs. E. ODonovan Rossa McGowan and Mayor O'Brien himself, who spoke convincingly and tellingly of his great program of public works that will give employment to hundreds of thousands of workers for many months to come. These include the Tri-borough Bridge, the 38th street tunnel, high schools in Bronx and Queens.

 

--------------------------

 

General O'Duffy was given a great welcome to his native Monaghan when he arrived at Clones Friday night for the Monaghan County Convention of the Untied Ireland Movement. Delegates, many of them wearing I blue shirts, were present from all, (see Paper for much more)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

=====================

 

New York NY Irish American Advocate 1935-1936 - 0442.pdf

 

 

 

======================================================

 

 

 

Gerard Fitzmaurice

 

April 22, 2019 - 10:20 pm

 

 

 

It seems to me that the premise of your research is somewhat tainted by the gossip of the 1700s. Falling in love, marrying an older women and a divorcee, is not abhorrent. Having much of your fortune confiscated in the French revolution is a tragedy that I would not call frivolous. Francis only received minimal compensation for his losses. Spending your money on worldly goods, especially when you have no children to leave it to, is normal. Almost all tenant farmers in Ireland were poor not just Francis’ Kerry tenants. Paupers were not buried in Westminster Abbey. I suspect Francis paid a grand sum to be buried with royalty. The story of Francis is far more than the negative quotes about him. Also, the earldom is not extinct but the title is held by Simon Henry George Petty-Fitzmaurice, born 1970, and heir apparent to his father, the Marquis of Lansdowne. In my opinion history has not been fair to Francis. I hope you can put his life in the context of the times. Thanks.

 

 

 

-----------------------------------------

 

 

 

Andrew McDonald

 

April 23, 2019 - 2:53 am

 

 

 

Good to hear that you are putting pen to paper re the FitzMaurices. I look forward to publication.

 

 

 

You may be interested in one much earlier tale about that family that has been passed down in Stack Family law. From around 1325 one key event burned its way into the Stack collective memory, emerging in the record made by Colonel Robert Stack in 1766 – a remarkable 441 years later. The event was a turning point for the FitzMaurice family in their dealings with the Earl of Desmond and was significant for the Errimore Stacks many of whom were able to trace descent to William Fitz Nicholas FitzMaurice, the “Blind Baron”.

 

 

 

The Annals of Inisfallen record that in 1325 Diarmait Mac Carthaig was slain, in the monastery of Tralee, by the son of Nicholas FitzMaurice and other septs including the son of Nicholas O Samragyn the Bishop of Ardfert. As became apparent William was exercising a warrant for Diarmait’s arrest. However the Earl of Desmond had welcomed Diarmait as his guest, and taking exception to these events took revenge on those taking part. “The Legal Proceedings Against the First Earl of Desmond” by G.O. Sayles (Analecta Hibernica, No.23 (1966) describes the consequences. It translates from the Latin as follows:

 

 

 

“It is also said that the Earl, in breach of the Kings peace, picked out the eyes of William son of Nicholas, who in furtherance of the Kings peace had killed the felon MacCarthy; and William’s people who had taken part in the felon’s death were captured and beheaded; some were hanged; some were drawn between horses; without judgement proving that it was beyond the justice of the King which will not punish or put to death without judgement or just cause.” (I suspect there were Stacks among “William’s people.)

 

 

 

The handwritten manuscript accompanying Colonel Robert Stack’s application for arms in 1766 details the impact for William Fitz Nicholas FitzMaurice of the loss of his eyes. Under Brehon law it also meant banishment from his homeland and loss of his right to be the Baron of Lixnaw. For the Stacks of Errimore the conflict with the Earl of Desmond would be long remembered, and would serve to strengthen their links with the FitzMaurice family.

 

-------------------------------------------

 

QUARTZ: In Kerry, those quartz crystals are called “Kerry diamonds” or “Kerry stones”. Professor Patrick N. Wyse Jackson, from Trinity College Dublin discusses the origin and history of those stones in “Kerry Diamonds: Facts and Folklore” article that was published in the Kerry Magazine (2001 – Issue 12). Although not precious, but the Earls of Kerry seemed to be fascinated by them too. It is said that the Thomas, 1st Earl of Kerry used to wear them as buttons, and a set of earrings and neckless were presented to Queen Caroline by the Countess of Kerry. Samuel Lewis in “Topographical Dictionary of Ireland” describes the process of acquisition of amethysts from the Kerry Head, “persons suspended by ropes from the cliffs, and detach them with hammers from the crevices of the rocks”.

 

 

 

Quartz from the vicinity of Ballyheigue is said to be of the best in terms of quality. A few years ago, I was given a small quartz crystal (size of 2 Euro coin) that perfectly clear. I sent it to be cut into diamond shape and polished. Now, it looks very like a real diamond!

 

 

 

https://www.kerrygeo.com/the-story-of-a-pebble

 

============================

MEMORY of our dead;

 

https://northkerry.wordpress.com/

 

 

 

https://northkerry.wordpress.com/?s=memorial+cards

 

==================

June 2020

Athea Notes June 2020 by Domhnall de Barra.

 

Have we become too thin skinned?

 

 

 

In the aftermath of the “Black Lives Matter” demonstrations, there has been a rush by certain organisations to rewrite history. The removal of one of the classics of the film world “Gone With The Wind”, and  tv shows like “Fawlty Towers” and “Little Britain”, because they depict what is regarded as racism, are going completely overboard. Gone With The Wind does portray black slaves who speak very bad English and cow-tow to their owners. This is the way things were in those times before the South was beaten in the American Civil War. Of course the slaves had bad English, they were snatched from their homes in Africa, having had little or no formal education, and sold into bondage to work for a roof over their heads and simple food which was not always of the best quality.  They had to pretend to like their owners or they would probably have been whipped. It was a cruel and barbaric practice but it was not thought to be so by many people at the time and, lest we get on the moral high ground here, slavery was practiced in Ireland as well. Chieftains, especially along the east coast of Ireland, regularly raided the lands along the English and Welsh coasts and captured slaves to work in their houses and estates. Some say this is how St. Patrick got to Ireland. My point is, it would be wrong to pretend that things were different at any particular time. We have become too sensitive.  It is not PC to say somebody is black, even though the colour of their skin is actually black. Would I take offence if somebody describe me as white?; of course not. There were bands, like “The Black and White Minstrels” who blackened their faces to look like the jazz musicians of the American South. Today they would be shunned as racists. Racism is nasty but it exists and has done for centuries. Certain white people have always thought of themselves as superior to others with a different skin pigment. This sense of superiority is not confined to race or colour. People who live in capital cities think they are a step above other citizens, townies look down on country folk, people with land look down on those who don’t – I could go on; the list is endless. They are, however in the minority and most of us are tolerant, understanding and respectful of other races and creeds, in fact we have a lot to learn from them. Time was when comedians could make jokes at the expense of people from different cultures or those with physical disabilities. That would not be tolerated today but we must remember that they were only jokes and should not be taken too seriously. We had the Kerryman jokes here a few years ago and these were the same as the Irish jokes in England or the Polish jokes in the US. Even today you might hear somebody say that something that was ridiculous or stupid was “a bit Irish”. When I was in North Africa I was looked down on by the Muslim population because I was an “infidel”. It didn’t really bother me and I eventually won the respect of quite a few of them. That is the thing – respect has to be earned. It is not enough to say “I am different; respect me” if your actions are anti-social. Discrimination is not confined to race or creed. The greatest discrimination in the world is against women. It is only about a century ago that women finally were given the right to vote in elections. Up to the middle of the 1900s, female civil servants in Ireland had to resign if they got married. An organisation that has done great good in the world, the Catholic Church, has a poor record in this regard. Even the marriage vows, up to recently, included the words “love, honour and obey”.  A wife had to be subservient to her husband and at all times willing to submit to his demands and “rights”. Thank God that has all gone but women are still being discriminated against because they are not allowed to be ordained into the priesthood. Is it any wonder that numbers attending Church services continue to wain when the, mostly old, men who control things still have their heads firmly stuck in the sand. It is time that women were finally treated as equals in every walk of life. It would not be hard for them to improve on the performances of some men.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Athea Community Council Company Limited BY Guarantee was founded on 14 Apr 2000 and has its registered office in Co Limerick. The organisation's status is listed as "active". It currently has 6 directors. The company's first directors were Domhnall De Barra, Jeremiah O Connor, Joan Griffin, Lillian O'Carroll, Patrick Joseph Brosnan and 2 more.

 

 

 

 

 

Strange Times

 

 

 

by Domhnall de Barra

 

 

 

Due to the current state of affairs with the Covid-19 pandemic we have had to stop publishing  Athea and District News. With all the clubs and organisations grounded there simply isn’t anything to fill the pages. It is the first time in almost 30 years that we have been unable to get copies onto the shelves but theses are not ordinary times. Athea is quiet but not as quiet as other villages. Collins’ shop continues to provide an essential service along with the butcher, chemist, garage and a few tradesmen. The CE scheme is continuing on a limited basis but the workers are managing to keep the streets tidy and are cutting the grass that has sprung up all over the place. It is strange to see the Church closed, especially on Sundays. Fr. Duggan, who is on retreat at the moment, tells me he is thinking of his parishioners and saying Mass for them every day. Children must find it hard to pass the time, but then we all do. I have noticed a big surge n the use of social media with people swapping news and funny videos that lighten the mood. Most people are observing the social distancing advice but there are always a few idiots about who have no regard for their friends or neighbours. By working together we can minimise the effects of this outbreak and return to what passes for normality in this area. One good thing has come out of it already; a realisation of what is really important in this world and it is not material possessions or “success”. Family, friends, caring for each other and human decency have come to the fore and we must never forget the sacrifices of those who put their own welfare on the line to provide us with essential treatment and necessities. They are the real heroes and we salute them.  We will continue with a piece online, if there is anything to report so feel free to contact me if you have something to say. Stay safe, stay healthy.

 

Famine Poverty and a Kind Landlord

 

from the Schools' Folklore Collection

 

The Quarter field is situated on the side of a hill. It contains nine acres in the beginning of the nineteenth century many families lived in this field The field was owned by a Land Lord and he allowed these poor people build houses in it. Each family got a quarter of ground. There was no division between the quarters only paling. They used to set potatoes in the quarter every year and used to get the manure from the neighbouring farmers. These people had no other way of living only whenever they would work for another farmer for small hire. When the potatoes failed in the years 1845 to 1847 all these people died of starvation. When they were gone my grandfather bought this field with more land surrounding it and my father is in possession of it now My grandfather threw the remains of the houses away and it is all one level field at present. If you walk through parts of it on a summers evening you could see the form of the houses and the little gardens alongside it.

 

 

 

COLLECTOR-  Liam Ó Duilleáin, Address- Gortacloghane, Co. Kerry

 

INFORMANT- Parent, Address- Gortacloghane, Co. Kerry

 

The Christmas Coat  

 

Seán McCarthy  1986

 

 

 

Oh fleeting time, oh, fleeting time

 

You raced my youth away;

 

You took from me the boyhood dreams

 

That started each new day.

 

 

 

My father, Ned McCarthy found the blanket in the Market Place in Listowel two months before Christmas. The blanket was spanking new of a rich kelly green hue with fancy white stitching round the edges. Ned, as honest a man as hard times would allow, did the right thing. He bundled this exotic looking comforter inside his overcoat and brought it home to our manse on the edge of Sandes bog.

 

 

 

The excitement was fierce to behold that night when all the McCarthy clan sat round the table. Pandy, flour dip and yolla meal pointers, washed down with buttermilk disappeared down hungry throats. All eyes were on the green blanket airing in front of the turf fire. Where would the blanket rest?

 

 

 

The winter was creeping in fast and the cold winds were starting to whisper round Healy’s Wood; a time for the robin to shelter in the barn. I was excited about the blanket too but the cold nights never bothered me. By the time I had stepped over my four brothers to get to my own place against the wall, no puff of wind, no matter however fierce could find me.

 

 

 

After much arguing and a few fist fights (for we were a very democratic family) it was my sister, Anna who came up with the right and proper solution. That lovely blanket, she said was too fancy,  too new and too beautiful to be wasted on any bed. Wasn’t she going to England, in a year's time and the blanket would make her a lovely coat!. Brains to burn that girl has. Didn’t she prove it years later when she married an engineer and him a pillar of the church and a teetotaler? Well maybe a slight correction here. He used to be a pillar of the pub and a total abstainer from church but she changed all that. Brains to burn!

 

 

 

The tailor Roche lived in a little house on the Greenville Road with his brother Paddy and a dog with no tail and only one eye. Rumours abounded around the locality about the tailor’s magic stitching fingers and his work for the English royal family.  Every man, woman and child in our locality went in awe of the Tailor Roche. Hadn’t he made a coat for the Queen of England when he was domiciled in London, a smoking jacket for the Prince of Wales and several pairs of pyjamas for Princess Flavia

 

The only sour note I ever heard against the tailor’s achievements came from The Whisper Hogan, an itinerant ploughman who came from the west of Kerry.

 

“ if he’s such a famous  tailor,” said Whisper, “why is it that his arse is always peeping out through a hole in his trousers?.

 

 

 

Hogan was an awful begrudger. We didn’t pay him any heed. Tailor Roche was the man chosen to make the coat from the green blanket. Even though it was a “God spare you the health” job, a lot of thought went into the final choice of a tailor.

 

 

 

The first fitting took place of a Sunday afternoon on the mud floor of the McCarthy manse. The blanket was spread out evenly and Anna was ordered to lie very still on top of it. Even I, who had never seen a tailor at work thought this a little strange. But my father soon put me to rights when he said, “Stop fidgeting, Seáinín , you are watching a genius at work.” Chalk, scissors, green thread and plenty of sweet tea with a little bit of bacon and cabbage when we had it. A tailor can’t work on an empty stomach.

 

 

 

The conversion went apace through Christmas and into the New Year. Snip snip, stitch, stich, sweet tea and fat bacon, floury spuds. I couldn’t see much shape in the coat but there was one thing for sure – it no longer looked like a blanket. Spring raced into summer and summer rained its way into autumn. Hitler invaded Poland and the British army fled Dunkirk, the men of Sandes Bog and Greenville gathered together shoulder to shoulder to defend the Ballybunion coastline and to bring home the turf.

 

 

 

Then six weeks before Christmas disaster struck the McCarthy clan and to hell with Hitler, the British Army, and Herman Goering. We got the news at convent mass on Sunday morning the Tailor Roche had broken his stitching hand when he fell over his dog, the one with the one eye and no tail. Fourteen months of stitching, cutting, tea drinking and bacon eating down the drain. Even a genius cannot work with one hand.

 

 

 

Anna looked very nice in her thirty shilling coat from Carroll Heneghan’s in Listowel as we walked to the train. Coming home alone in the January twilight I tried hard to hold back the tears. She would be missed.  The Tailor was sitting by the fire, a mug of sweet tea in his left hand and a large white sling holding his right-hand. I didn’t feel like talking so I made my way across the bed to my place by the wall. It was beginning to turn cold so I drew the shapeless green bindle up around my shoulders. It was awkward enough to get it settled with the two sleeves sticking out sideways and a long split up the middle. Still, it helped keep out the frost. Every bed needs a good green blanket and every boyhood needs a time to rest.

 

The ghosts of night will vanish soon

 

When winter fades away

 

The lark will taste the buds of June

 

Mid the scent of new mown hay.

 

 

 

Cobwebs Glory Listowel Players

 

http://listowelconnection.blogspot.com/

 

DEATH took place at end of October 2019,in Australia of Moira Donohoe, nee Kennelly of Listowel, she was aged 93 and daughter of Tailor Kennelly of Listowel.

 

 

 

DONOHOE

 

Moira (nee Kennelly)Born July 15, 1926. Listowel, County Kerry, Ireland.

 

Died peacefully at Anglesea Aged 93 on October 31, 2019.

 

Much loved wife of Ted (dec) and mother of Anne, Mark, Brendan and Neil, and grandmother of Annabel, Boyd, Cheyne, Kyden, Rose, Ned, Clementine, Grace and Erin. Beloved mother-in-law to Ross, Nic, Caro and Karen. Survived by her younger brother Matt.

 

A wonderful mother, grandmother, adventurer, selfless and tireless worker and much loved member of the Anglesea community.

 

Will also be sadly missed by the extended Kennelly family across America and Ireland.

 

The Funeral Service for Moira Donohoe will be held at St Christopher’s Catholic Church, Anglesea,

 

on TUESDAY November 12,2019  at 10.30 am. Anglesea, VIC, Australia. 72 Bingley Parade, Anglesea VIC 3230, Australia

 

J52Q+33 Anglesea, Victoria, Australia

 

cam.org.au +61 3 9926 5677

 

 

 

http://www.cam.org.au/grovedale

 

Welcome to our parish website!

 

 We are tremendously blessed to call this most beautiful end of the Archdiocese of Melbourne our home. Stretched just over 30km in length to embrace Grovedale, Torquay, Anglesea and the new area of Armstrong Creek, we are simultaneously a suburban and a coastal parish. Our parish is home to some of the most stunning beaches and surfing locations. We also have some amazing bushlands and beautiful walking tracks. God’s great gift of beauty in nature is almost at every turn.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Joseph and Jer,

 

 

 

As Jer would know, this is the sister of Matt Kennelly at Cloth Hall.

 

She was my third cousin, as is Matt Kennelly of Cloth Hall. She was married to Ted Donohoe.

 

Her son Brendan Donohoe is a famous television  7News reporter in Melbourne. She lived in Anglesea, a beautiful town on the south west coast of Victoria. Her husband Ted passed away earlier this year or late last year. Thirty years ago I was told by Patrick, your wonderful father Jer, that there was a third cousin in Anglesea, but I list the paper with the name and address.

 

I could not remember the name nor whether she was a close relation. I only found the details again 2 years ago. Because of my health I could never travel to meet her, but I wrote to her at Christmas in 2017, (or 2016) and spoke to her in 2018 (or 2017) on the telephone. She was recovering from a stroke.  She spoke beautifully, with all the kindness, graciousness and courtesy that I have found in all my relations from Kerry.

 

Karen subsequently spoke to her, also on the telephone. I attach the notices from our paper, the Age. Much love to you both,

 

Mary.

 

 From moyvane.com

 

 

 

January 14, 2019 at 6:30 am

 

Tom Lyons

 

 

 

Greetings and Happy New Year! My name is Tom Lyons and I live in New York City. My grandfather, Michael J Lyons was born Feb 6, 1880 in Killomero, Ballylongford to James Lyons & Margaret Sullivan. He was the oldest of, to my knowledge, 5 siblings. The remaining were Bridget b.1881, Jeremiah b.1884, James b.1886 & Thomas b. 1888. Michael came to New York around 1900 where hi aunt, Ellen Sullivan, introduced him to Ellen Butler from Knockanure. They married in 1902 and went on to have 11 children. I see here in the Moyvane Newsletter the mention of a Dano Lyons and Linda Lyons. I’m curious to know if either of them, or anyone reading this, has any connection to or knows of descendants of the Lyons or Butler family? I appreciate your time and thank you in advance for any information you may provide!

 

Reply ?

 

 

 

    January 14, 2019 at 9:41 am

 

    Martin Moore

 

 

 

    Tom,

 

 

 

    James Lyons of Larha married Margaret Sullivan of Killomoroe in Ballybunion Feb 1879.

 

 

 

    They had at least 5 children:- Michael, 1880; Bridget, 1881, Jeremiah, 1884, James [1886] and Thomas [1888].

 

 

 

    You can get these at http://www.irishgenealogy.ie

 

    Reply ?

 

        January 18, 2019 at 3:54 pm

 

        Tom Lyons

 

 

 

        Thank you Martin for taking the time to reply! Actually, the information I had came from the site you mentioned! It has helped me tremendously with my research. My interest was peaked when I saw the mention of a Dano Lyons & Linda Lyons in the newsletter. I know nothing of Michael’s siblings and was hoping to see that there were possibly descendants who still lived in the area. To my knowledge only Michael came to the States but not 100% sure. Again, thank you for your reply! Hopefully, after relocating from New York to Florida, I will have the opportunity to visit the area and walk the earth from where my roots are planted!

 

        Tom

 

        Reply ?

 

 

 

January 12, 2019 at 9:30 pm

 

Con Shanahan

 

 

 

Hi

 

My great grandmother, Bridget Hoare (Hore) moved from North Kerry (possibly Moyvane) to Ballysteen, West Limerick along with her siblings during or shortly after the famine where she married my great grandfather Cornelius Shanahan in April 1858. Many years later, in 1905, her brother Simon Hoare was killed when he ‘fell from a common cart’ near Ballylongford on the Tarbert Road probably whilst visiting his relatives. The coroner’s report has not survived but a brief report of the accident was carried in a local newspaper. (All of the Simon’s children emigrated to the U.S. in the 1920’s). I have received information that there may be a connection between the Hoares and the Kearneys of Moyvane and would appreciate any information that might throw some light on this one way or the other.

 

Reply ?

 

January 3, 2019 at 10:11 pm

 

Geraldine

 

 

 

Hello my name is Aimee Leigh Aherne I am 15,my dad was Micheal Anthony Aherne of Moyer Cross I do not have any contact with any of my dads family,Their choice would like to see old pics or hear from anyone who knew him,he died when I was seven please help me if you can thank you.

 

Reply ?

 

December 23, 2018 at 2:29 pm

 

PJ Mackessy

 

 

 

Hello There PJ Mackessy hear living in Tipperary, Just want to wish you all in Moyvane A Very Merry and Peaceful Christmas………. My Mom Came from There and you could hear the pride in her Voice when ever Mom Spock of her Home in MoyVane….R.I.P. Mom ( Ne, Mary Scanlon) Mary Mackessy Thank you for letting me write hear………

 

Reply ?

 

November 13, 2018 at 11:51 pm

 

Robert Burns

 

 

 

I just found out through DNA and my own research that my Great Grandfather Daniel Burns was born in Moyvane in 1842. From what I found out, his Father was Michael Burns and his Mother was Mary Mcelligott ,

 

My Great Grandfather was married to Catherine Mannion. They left Ireland in the 1860s and settled in Baltimore Maryland USA and had 4 children,

 

There has to be some Burns’s left n Moyvane.

 

If these names mean anything to anyone, please contact me at graybfox@hotmail.com.

 

 

 

 

 

George Fitzmaurice (1877-1963) Playwright

 

 

 

George Fitzmaurice of Kilcara, Duagh was born at Bedford House near Listowel on January 28th 1877. He was the son of a clergyman, and the tenth of twelve children. George’s father was the local Church of Ireland parson in Listowel. His mother was Winfred O Connor of Duagh, a Catholic. As happened in many mixed marriages of the time, the boys in the Fitzmaurice family were brought up in the religion of the father, and the girls in that of their mother.

 

 

 

George Fitzmaurice belonged to the gentry. He came from a family, which in Burke’s “Landed Irish Gentry” can be traced to the fourteenth century. The combination of being Protestant, belonging to the gentry and living in a Great House( as Fitzgerald himself put it in his play “ the Moonlighter”) all served effectively to separate young George from a social life in the community.

 

 

 

After George’s birth the Fitzmaurice family moved to Springmount House at Duagh. Later, the family moved again to their lands at Kilcara, Duagh. Where they remained until the last member of the family died. Following the death of George’s father, the Fitzgerald family gradually became poorer. This is believed to account for his shy manner.

 

 

 

George attended the local Primary school in Duagh and went to St.Michael’s College in Listowel. This contact with the local people was of invaluable assistance to him in his delineation of the characters who would populate his plays.

 

 

 

About 1901 George went to Dublin and took a job with the Land Commission. His first play, The Country Dressmaker based on a local dressmaker from Duagh was a success and attracted comparisons with Synge and Lady Gregory when it appeared at the Abbey in 1907. His originality was confirmed with The Pie-Dish (1908) and The Magic Glasses (1913), plays combining peasant realism, satire, symbolism, and fantasy.

 

 

 

Between 1908 and 1913 George was on sick leave and spent most of his time with his family in Duagh. As a person, George Fitzmaurice was an introverted and almost pathologically shy man. As he got older, he became more withdrawn and eccentric.

 

http://www.gokerry.ie/index.php?action=locations&location_id=54&page_id=479

 

 

 

 

 

01/12/2011

 

 

 

Since I first contacted you months back, I have amassed much genealogy data, thanks to your site and other sources. Just a little query and maybe somebody out there can assist please. My husband is a descendant of the Dillane/ Dillon family from Glountane. A first cousin of John now living in Florida speaks of a Kitty Dillon and her niece Mary Theresa coming to her family -  Betty Cronin nee O’Connell in N.Y. This Betty, was  niece of Kathleen Davenport and Margaret Doyle and Sr. Mary Ann. Kitty stayed for a while but then returned to Ireland. Mary Theresa, remained and married an Owen --. Would anybody know to who she is referring? I have traced all this Dillon family except one – a Helen or Nellie. She appears in a photo taken in N.Y but that’s as far as I get. The Matt depicted in the mural is of this family also. Any leads? Will be most grateful. Regards, Noreen O’Connell  noreenmneville@eircom.net

 

 

 

Archive held by RTE

Personalities/Groups                     Fitzmaurice, Gabriel (1952 -)

 

Description                         Poet, author and teacher Gabriel Fitzmaurice from Moyvane, County Kerry, during the recording of the sixth series of RTÉ Television's traditional Irish music series 'The Pure Drop' in January 1992.

 

 

 

This series of 'The Pure Drop' came from the Pearse Museum in St Enda's Park, Rathfarnham, County Dublin. Gabriel Fitzmaurice appeared on the first episode broadcast 2 March 1992. 

 

Collection                            RTÉ Stills Department 

 

Photographer                    Rowe, John  

 

https://stillslibrary.rte.ie/indexplus/result.html

 

Telling it as I see it

 

 

 

By  Domhnall de Barra

 

 

 

A couple of items in the news this week reminded me of the fact that we are a nation of begrudgers at heart. Every time somebody climbs the ladder of success there are those at the foot of that ladder trying to topple it. First we have the investigation into the spending at Áras an Úachtarán. Call me cynical but I see opportunist politics written all over this. Why is this happening now, during a presidential election when nobody asked a question over the past seven years?  It is a blatant attempt to cast a shadow over Michael D. Higgins and his attempt to get re-elected to a post he has filled admirably. That politicians can suddenly get worried about  sums that are insignificant in the grand scheme of things when there is so much waste going on in other departments is baffling. Then you have the commentators who question the amount of money spent on hotels for the President while he is abroad on official duties. Do they want to book him into air bnb’s ?  Should he queue up for a seat  on a Ryanair flight?  Let’s go the whole hog and have him use his travel pass at home and use  the bus and the Luas to get around. What nonsense.  Our President is our representative around the world, the holder of our highest office, and should be given  the  treatment that office deserves. Maybe we don’t need a president at all and people are entitled to that opinion but, while the office is in existence, let us treat it with respect and dignity. Look at the way the image of our country has been portrayed by Michael D., Mary McAleese and Mary Robinson.  They have been the face of all that is good about an Ireland that has finally thrown off the shackles of church and oppressor and cannot just stand shoulder to shoulder with other nations but, as has been proven by recent referendums, lead the way. Let us hope that Michael D. or whoever else is elected president, will not be curtailed by a lack of funds to continue the good work.

 

 

 

Secondly, the J.P. MacManus affair. J.P., a long time supporter of the G.A.A., gave a very generous grant of €3.2 million to the organisation around the country. One would think that we would all be delighted at this gesture and be grateful but, oh no, not all. I was flabbergasted listening to the Joe Duffy show the other day when the begrudgers again came out of the woodwork to throw cold water over the affair. They brought into question J.P.’s financial affairs and the fact that he does not pay income tax in this country.  The sentiment seemed to be; we all have to pay for our services so why shouldn’t he?  For a start let us look at the facts. J.P.’s business is worldwide and therefore his headquarters are not based in Ireland. There is nothing illegal about that but to say he does not contribute to the finances  of this country is wrong. He provides employment for hundreds of people around the country through his projects and his racehorses. If he decided to transfer all his horses to English stables in the morning, as he is entitled to do, the country would be much worse off. He also does an amount for charity behind the scenes. Very few people, outside of the beneficiaries, know this. He does not need or have to do this. It is his money to do what he likes with but some people seem to think he has a moral duty to pay income tax in this state. Let me pose a question: how many people would pay income tax if it was voluntary?  Would there be a rush at the end of the financial year to pay every penny we owe? Of course not but we resent having to pay our share if somebody else, using legitimate means, can reduce their liability or avoid it all together. Why do we always want to screw “people at the top” and try to drag them down to our level? It is simple begrudgery and it is alive and well.  What J.P. has done is great for the development of sport, particularly for our young people and he should be applauded for that. The fact that Limerick are now All-Ireland hurling champions is due in no small part to his sponsorship down through the years. He did not just jump on the bandwagon when things were going well, he was there during the barren years to create the environment where hurling could improve and reach the pinnacle it has today. Look what that success has done for County Limerick. We are all standing a bit taller because of it so thanks and gook luck to J.P. and to hell, with the begrudgers.

 

 

 

On a different theme entirely, we have come to that time of year again when voluntary organisations take stock and hold their AGMs. Athea Community Council Ltd. is one of those and I’m afraid it is in danger of being wound up due to lack of members on the board. Over the years the council has done an amount of work in Athea through the Community Employment schemes it has sponsored. This work includes the footpaths, stone walls, townland signs, the footbridge, the acquisition of the Library and Community Council offices. The village is also kept tidy on a daily basis as the council works closely with the Tidy Towns. We once had a very large and vibrant committee but over the years, due to people getting older and taking well deserved retirement, the numbers have dwindled to the point that there are now just a few trying to keep it going. At the AGM in a few weeks time we will be hoping that some new faces will join us to help carry on our efforts to promote Athea and make it a better place for our children and grandchildren, otherwise we cannot continue and as the old saying goes: “you’ll never miss the water ‘till the well runs dry”

 

 

 

 

 

By Tom Aherne

 

 

 

The Ardagh Chalice 150 festival concluded on Sunday night last after three brilliant weekends of diverse entertainment. It was a festival to celebrate the finding of the Ardagh Chalice on September 17 1868, 150 years ago. It was hosted by St Kieran’s Heritage Association, with support from clubs, organisations, and numerous individuals, who did Trojan work to present such a full program of events. The festival catered for all age groups, which generated an upsurge of community spirit amongst all participants, whose talents shone through in providing entertainment for all who attended the various events. Finally thanks to all who provided sponsorship, looked after social media, guest speakers, and volunteers who gave of their time freely (John and Owen for the Sam Maguire Cup) in supporting the festival. The Heritage Association was founded only two years ago, and by hosting the Fenian Anniversary last year, and the Ardagh Chalice this year they have made a big impact to date.

 

August 2018

LYONS near Listowel.

 

(A)          Photographic Exhibition

 

On Friday August 17th 2018 at 8.30pm the Lyons Photographic Exhibition will be launched at St. John’s Theatre, The Square, Listowel. This is an open invite to all relatives and friends. Anyone who is involved with preparations for this Exhibition knows that it will be a real treat and one not to be missed. We have a fabulous collection of over 130 black and white Lyons photographs displayed in the beautiful setting of St. John’s. This is a FREE public Exhibition, and due to expected interest, will remain open until end of August. All these photographs will also be included in the book to be launched on the 25th August. Free Event.

 

(B)          Banquet at Listowel Arms

 

On Friday August 24th the Banquet will be held at The Listowel Arms Hotel. Cocktail Reception at 7.30. Banquet starts at 8.30. Tickets are available at reception or by email. We are all Lyons descendants and we all need each other to make this a monumental occasion. Tickets cost 55 euro, and for this you will receive a five-course meal which will be followed by entertainment and a night of dance. Please consider buying a ticket and supporting the Lyons Gathering on the night. We really look forward to having a good representation from every branch of the family. Thank You in advance for supporting!

 

(C) The Great House of Lyons: Launch

 

On Saturday August 25th the publication, “The great House of Lyons” will be launched at 12 o’clock at St. John’s Theatre, Listowel. Almost 400 pages, 132 of which are photographs. If you want to hear about all your ancestors and the life and work of the Lyons Family, then this is the event to attend. We are expecting a large attendance at what promises to be a most informative and enjoyable session. Free Event.

 

(D) Irish Music Night

 

 On Saturday Night August 25th starting at 9pm there will be a Lyons Irish night of Fun and Irish Music in Christy’s Bar, The Square, Listowel. This will be a Gathering point for all Lyons Descendants and locals to meet, talk and celebrate as well as perform and share their musical talents with each other. Free Event. 

 

     (E) The Scattering

 

 For those who are still in the Gathering Spirit we are visiting Barretts “Rale McCoy”, Glin on Sunday 26th at 3pm. for a farewell afternoon of music and sheer joy. This is another Lyons family establishment and we expect a reception of boundless comradery and friendship; a fitting finale to a great weekend. The Lyon’s Gathering is your Gathering! Free Event.

 

 

 

Schedule for Lyons Gathering

 

(A)          Photographic Exhibition

 

On Friday August 17th 2018 at 8.30pm the Lyons Photographic Exhibition will be launched at St. John’s Theatre, The Square, Listowel. This is an open invite to all relatives and friends. Anyone who is involved with preparations for this Exhibition knows that it will be a real treat and one not to be missed. We have a fabulous collection of over 130 black and white Lyons photographs displayed in the beautiful setting of St. John’s. This is a FREE public Exhibition, and due to expected interest, will remain open until end of August. All these photographs will also be included in the book to be launched on the 25th August. Free Event.

 

(B)          Banquet at Listowel Arms

 

On Friday August 24th the Banquet will be held at The Listowel Arms Hotel. Cocktail Reception at 7.30. Banquet starts at 8.30. Tickets are available at reception or by email. We are all Lyons descendants and we all need each other to make this a monumental occasion. Tickets cost 55 euro, and for this you will receive a five-course meal which will be followed by entertainment and a night of dance. Please consider buying a ticket and supporting the Lyons Gathering on the night. We really look forward to having a good representation from every branch of the family. Thank You in advance for supporting!

 

(C) The Great House of Lyons: Launch

 

On Saturday August 25th the publication, “The great House of Lyons” will be launched at 12 o’clock at St. John’s Theatre, Listowel. Almost 400 pages, 132 of which are photographs. If you want to hear about all your ancestors and the life and work of the Lyons Family, then this is the event to attend. We are expecting a large attendance at what promises to be a most informative and enjoyable session. Free Event.

 

(D) Irish Music Night

 

 On Saturday Night August 25th starting at 9pm there will be a Lyons Irish night of Fun and Irish Music in Christy’s Bar, The Square, Listowel. This will be a Gathering point for all Lyons Descendants and locals to meet, talk and celebrate as well as perform and share their musical talents with each other. Free Event. 

 

     (E) The Scattering

 

 For those who are still in the Gathering Spirit we are visiting Barretts “Rale McCoy”, Glin on Sunday 26th at 3pm. for a farewell afternoon of music and sheer joy. This is another Lyons family establishment and we expect a reception of boundless comradery and friendship; a fitting finale to a great weekend. The Lyon’s Gathering is your Gathering! Free Event.

 

School Folklore

 

 

 

Ruins of an Old Chapel

 

 

 

There are the ruins of a Chapel on the East side of the hill down by the sea. The walls are as strong as ever, but the roof is gone. It is exactly the same as the chapel on Chapel Island, which is said to have been built by St. Cailín. It is supposed to have been roofed with flat stones.

 

On the floor inside the door is a long, flat tomb-stone on which is written:

 

"PRAY for the soul of Charles Geoghegan who dyed the 8th of Der. 1724. Aged 80. ye. As also his wife, Mary Geoghegan alias Blake who dyed the 6th of Der 1765. Aged 96.

 

Reques e Cant in PAce.

 

Amen."

 

On this page

 

Ruins of an Old Chapel

 

 

 

There are the ruins of a Chapel on the East side of the hill down by the sea. The walls are as strong as ever, but the roof is gone. It is exactly the same as the chapel on Chapel Island, which is said to have been built by St. Cailín. It is supposed to have been roofed with flat stones.

 

On the floor inside the door is a long, flat tomb-stone on which is written:

 

"PRAY for the soul of Charles Geoghegan who dyed the 8th of Der. 1724. Aged 80. ye. As also his wife, Mary Geoghegan alias Blake who dyed the 6th of Der 1765. Aged 96.

 

Reques e Cant in PAce.

 

Amen."

 

Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

 

History | Edit »

 

Ruins of an Old Chapel

 

 

 

In the graveyard around the Chapel are two large tomb-stones also. The inscriptions on them are almost obliterated. It is said that when Aillebrack school was being built, limestone slabs were brought from Inishmore, Aran Islands, for the window-sills, corner stones, +c.

 

Canon Lynskey, who was Manager then, detected the inscription on one of the window-sills, so he had it taken down and removed to the old grave-yard one night.

 

Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

 

 

 

Collector

 

    A. M. Kennelly

 

Occupation  Teacher Location:  Aillebrack, Co. Galway.

 

 

 

On this page

 

Interference with Graveyards

 

There was a certain man who once drew stones from Kildimo Grave Yard. When the stones were drawn, the door of his house was forced open while the man was in bed. He thought that it was caused by the wind. The following night the same occurrence happened.

 

Then he understood about the stones. He had the stones replaced and from that out nothing unusual happened.

 

Anthony Kennelly, Dunsallagh West.

 

Relator of Story. John Kennelly, Snr. Dunsallagh.

 

Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

 

 

 

Collector

 

https://www.duchas.ie/en/ppl/cbes?pretxt=&txt=kennelly

 

 

 

    Anthony Kennelly Gender male. Address  Doonsallagh West, Co. Clare

 

Informant, John Kennelly Gender  Male Address Doonsallagh West, Co. Clare

 

 

 

School: Cill Beathach

 

 

 

Location

 

    Kilbaha Middle, Co. Kerry

 

Teacher

 

    Tomás Ó Ceallacháin

 

(no title)

 

 

 

“There is a fort in Direen and one day Jack Shine and some others went digging it.”

 

 

 

Collector

 

    Bridget Kennelly

 

Informant

 

    Timothy Kennelly

 

“There is a cnocán in Ned Ahearn's field in Direen.”

 

 

 

Collector

 

    Bridget Kennelly

 

Informant

 

    Mrs Kennelly

 

“People usually get married during Lent.”

 

 

 

Collector

 

    Bridget Kennelly

 

Informant

 

    Timothy Kennelly

 

“If a person having the chin cough drank the leavings of a ferret's milk, he would be cured.”

 

 

 

Collector

 

    Bridget Kennelly

 

Informant

 

    Patrick Mc Mahon

 

“Falling soot is a sign of rain.”

 

 

 

Collector

 

    Bridget Kennelly

 

Informant

 

    John Harrington

 

“A great snow storm occurred about forty five years ago on the eleventh of February.”

 

 

 

Collector

 

    Bridget Kennelly

 

Informant

 

    Thomas O' Connor

 

“The longer you live the more you see.”

 

 

 

Collector

 

    Bridget Kennelly

 

Informant

 

    Mrs Kennelly

 

“Michael Shine in Direen used make nails, he is dead about thirty years.”

 

 

 

Language

 

   

 

    Bridget Kennelly

 

Informant

 

    Timothy Kennelly

 

“Mr Hudson was the landlord over Upper Kilbaha and George Kitchenor was the landlord over lower Kilbaha.”

 

 

 

Collector

 

    Bridget Kennelly

 

Informant

 

    John Harrington

 

“There was a house in Timmy Buckley's meadow and Mr Garvey was the name of the man that was living in it.”

 

 

 

Collector

 

    Bridget Kennelly

 

Informant

 

    Timothy Kennelly

 

“People say that it is unlucky to pick flowers or throw out the ashes on May day.”

 

 

 

 

 

Collector

 

    Bridget Kennelly

 

Informant

 

    Mrs Kennelly

 

“The following are the names of our cows.”

 

 

 

Collector

 

    Bridget Kennelly

 

“The following are names for money.”

 

 

 

 

 

Collector

 

    Bridget Kennelly

 

“The name of our home district is Kilbaha.”

 

 

 

 

 

Collector

 

    Bridget Kennelly

 

Informant

 

    Timothy Kennelly

 

“When people take messages from a shopkeeper without paying for them when they are buying them, that is called ticking.”

 

 

 

Collector

 

    Bridget Kennelly

 

“Each year in the winter time some of the potato crop is selected and stored for the coming year to plant.”

 

 

 

Collector

 

    Bridget Kennelly

 

Informant

 

    Timothy Kennelly

 

“The children in this district play different games.”

 

 

 

Collector

 

    Bridget Kennelly

 

“The following are the names of wild birds: The wren, the cuckoo...”

 

 

 

Collector

 

    Bridget Kennelly

 

“The cuckoo comes to this country about the end of July.”

 

 

 

Collector

 

    Bridget Kennelly

 

Proverbs

 

 

 

Collector

 

    Bridget Kennelly

 

 

 

Listowel School Boys, Toys and Playthings

 

 

 

Collector,  James Kennelly Informant,   C. Kennelly.

 

 

 

School: Cluain Meacan

 

 

 

Location

 

    Cloonmackon, Co. Kerry

 

Teacher

 

    Liam Ó Catháin

 

A Funny Story

 

 

 

Collector

 

    Cahal Kennelly

 

Informant

 

    Jack Twomey

 

A Ghost Story

 

 

 

Collector

 

    Cahal Kennelly

 

Informant

 

    John Shanahan

 

 

 

A Funny Story

 

 

 

 

 

Collector

 

    Cahal Kennelly

 

Informant

 

    Pat Shanahan

 

An Accident

 

 

 

 

 

Collector

 

    Cahal Kennelly

 

Informant

 

    John Shanahan

 

 

 

Local Heroes

 

 

 

 

 

Collector

 

    Cahal Kennelly

 

Informant

 

    Jenny Histon, Age 50.

 

 

 

 

 

Collector

 

    Cahal Kennelly

 

Informant  William Keane Age 48

 

 

 

Hidden Treasure

 

 

 

Collector

 

    Cathal Kennelly

 

Informant

 

    John Shanahan

 

 

 

Local Heroes

 

 

 

Collector

 

    Cathal Kennelly

 

Informant

 

    Thomas O Sullivan Age  45

 

 

 

School: Askanagap

 

 

 

Location

 

    Askanagap, Co. Wicklow

 

Teacher

 

    Sorcha Ní Oichir 7 Síle Ní Chatháin

 

 

 

Beliefs

 

Informant

 

    Guard Kennelly

 

 

 

School: Listowel (B.)

 

 

 

Location

 

    Listowel, Co. Kerry

 

Teacher

 

    Brian Mac Mathúna

 

Funny Stories

 

 

 

Collector

 

    P. Kennelly

 

Informant

 

    J. Kennelly

 

Ghost Stories

 

 

 

Collector

 

    J. Kennelly

 

Informant

 

    J. Kennelly

 

“A very remarkable thing about the grouse is that when the eggs are hatched and opened...”

 

 

 

Collector

 

    James Kennelly

 

Informant

 

    J. Kennelly

 

Lore of Certain Days

 

 

 

Collector

 

    James Kennelly

 

Informant

 

    J. Kennelly

 

Local Cures

 

 

 

Collector

 

    Jim Kennelly

 

Informant

 

    J.J. Kennelly Age 45

 

“Over 30 years ago this town used to have a visit from a man named Madigan.”

 

 

 

Collector

 

    James Kennelly

 

Informant

 

    John Kennelly Age   59

 

Forts

 

 

 

Collector

 

    James Kennelly

 

Informant

 

    John Kennelly Age  50

 

Mulvihill and Nolan, Listowel Parish

 

https://www.irelandxo.com/ireland/kerry/listowel-kerry/message-board/mulvihill-and-nolan-listowel-parish

 

 

 

I have been researching my family and am looking for any further genealogical information, including any living relatives that currently reside in Ireland.

 

 

 

Following is all the information that I have. Daniel Mulvihill and Honora Walsh would be my ggg-grandparents, Mary Mulvihill and Michael Nolan my gg-grandparents and William J. Nolan was my great-grandfather.

 

 

 

*Daniel Mulvihill m Honora Walsh, Ireland

 

 

 

= Mary Mulvihill b 29 May 1824, Gortdromasilliha, baptized @ Listowel Parish m Michael Nolan (Noulin)

 

 

 

   of Lakabee 1 Mar 1840 @ Ballybunion Parish; emigrated to USA 1850-1852

 

 

 

===John Nolan (Noalan) b 1841, Kielbuie, baptized 21 Apr 1841 Listowel Parish, d 1891 in New York, USA

 

 

 

===Margaret Nolan b 1843 in Ireland, d 1924 in New York, USA

 

 

 

===Cassy Nolan b 1845 in Ireland, d 1860 in New York, USA

 

 

 

===Michael Nolan b 1847 in Ireland

 

 

 

===Peter Nolan b 1848 in Ireland, d 1905 in New York, USA

 

 

 

===Thomas Nolan b 1849 in Ireland, d 1920 in Texas, USA

 

 

 

===Catherine Nolan b 1850, Kiolbee, baptized 18 Nov 1850 @ Listowel Parish

 

 

 

===William J Nolan b 1855 in New York, USA, d 1918 in California, USA

 

 

 

===Daniel D Nolan b 1859 in New York, USA, d 1932

 

 

 

===Charles J Nolan b 1861 in New York, USA, d 1901

 

 

 

= Ellen Mulvihill b 21 Oct 1826, Gortdromasillahy, baptized Listowel Parish, m John James 1848,

 

 

 

   emigrated to USA 1850-1852

 

 

 

= John Mulvihill b 15 May 1829

 

 

 

= Honora Mulvihill b 20 Mar 1831

 

 

 

= James Mulvihill b 28 Aug 1834

 

 

 

= Patrick Mulvihill b 18 Apr 1837

 

 

 

Any information or suggestions would be appreciated. My father was an only child and the only grandchild on the Nolan side and I have no knowledge of living relatives from whom I could acquire further information.

 

 

 

Thank you,

 

 

 

Sheri Nolan Wells

 

An Irish Missionary

 

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIII, Issue 26, 29 June 1905, Page 3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The missionaries in Shanghai are mostly of French nationality, a few countrymen of the saintly martyr of Molokai, and one worthy son of St. Patrick. The Rev. F. M. Kennelly, S.J., was born about forty years ago at Listowel, North Kerry, and belongs to a highly respected family still represented there. One of his brothers is parish priest at Clunes, Victoria. (Father Kennelly of Clunes is a personal friend of the editor of the N.Z. Tablet). Two members of the family are Sisters of Mercy in Sacramento, Cal., and two brothers reside in New York. Father Kennelly, like the saintly Brendan of Clonfert, was early imbued with the missionary spirit. He came to China in 1885, and has not seen the land of his birth since. He was ordained a priest in 1890 and had been engaged for six years teaching in Shanghai. The field of his missionary activity is immense and also extends to visiting men-o-war, hospitals, prisons, police stations, and the many other arduous duties of a priest, which are known only to himself and Almighty God. From his busy life, however, he snatches moments to contribute articles to the local press and the New York Messenger. His name is on every tongue from Hong Kong to Chefoo, and many a poor, hard-up sailor he has befriended. Being an eminent lingiuist, speaking French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and several Chinese dialects he still is proud of the Gaelic tongue of his beloved Eire, which he regards as an invaluable auxiliary in the acquisition of languages. Father Kennelly is rather difficult to catch, but if you happen to be occasionally lucky you are introduced to a plain room with a bare floor, a crucifix on the wall, a picture of our Lady, a portrait of the Pope, a few books on a shelf, a secretaire, and the only other chair in the room is offered you with a hearty cead mile failte. Though a little beyond the prime of life and a few silvery hairs discernible, the intellect and vigor of the Gael is at once apparent in the ample forehead, the firm lips and chin, the hearty hand shake, the natural smile, the twinkling, kindly eye, the sympathetic expressions of the priestly heart, and the magnetic versatility polished by culture and the touches of that rich accent alone peculiar to those born under the shadows of the hills that inspired vigor and eloquence in The Liberator. Father Kennelly intends shortly to publish, probably in the New York Messenger, an interesting history of the Catholic missions in China, which promises to be a literary as well as a historical treat.

 

 

 

 NOTES on Local people

 

Martin Mulvihill (born in Ballygoughlin, County Limerick, Ireland in 1919; died 21 July 1987) was an Irish traditional musician, composer, teacher, and author. He composed roughly 25 tunes in the Irish traditional style. Although his mother played the fiddle, Martin, the youngest of her ten children, was the only one to become a musician. He began his study of music at the age of nine. From a violin player in the neighboring town of Glin, he learned the rudiments of the fiddle and how to read and write music; from his mother he learned the Irish traditional style. His early repertoire was learned both from written sources such as Roche, Ker, and O’Neill's 1001, and from local musicians. In 1951 he emigrated to Northampton, England; there he married Olive McEvoy from County Offaly, with whom he had his four children, Brendan, Brian, Gail, and Dawn. Mulvihill continued playing music during this time, expanding his skills to include button accordion and piano accordion. The latter became his main instrument for several years. In 1965 the Mulvihill family relocated to New York City. He began teaching music lessons part-time, but as his reputation grew this quickly became his full-time ( Wikipedia article )

 

 

Irish Dance Master and long time Kings Park resident Jerry Mulvihill, has passed away. was 92 when he died 9th August 2013.

 

Jerry was born in 1921 in Moyvane, County Kerry. He took his first steps in Irish dancing at the age of four from dance master, Joe Enright. He later took lessons from the famous Kerry dancer, Jerry Molyneaux. In 1948, At age 17 he won the Irish national championship in stepdancing. Jerry emigrated to the United States where he settled in New York City and then in 1969 to Kings Park, LI. . his brother persuaded him to stay in New York.

Jerry is survived by his sister Liza age 98 who now resides at St Ita’s and was predeceased by siblings Mick, William, Paddy, Martin, Mary, Lena and Hannie, they were First Cousin to the great musician Martin Mulvihill of Glin. Funeral mass was held at St. Joseph RC Church on Church Street in Kings Park.

 

Jerry has taught youngsters of all ages including Donny Golden, who taught Jean Butler of Riverdance fame. Like other master stepdancers Jerry prefers "the old style

 

Pat’s Corner-17/10/12

by Domhnall De Barra under News

Songs Our Father’s Loved

The recent death of that great singer of the ‘60’s, and later, Larry Cunningham brought back memories of some of the songs he used to sing. Who could ever forget “Lovely Leitrim” or “Among the Wicklow Hills” and the magic that enthralled us when after our return home after several years working and living abroad we came to an Ireland that had a renewed spirit of affluence and confidence after a taste of the new industrial revolution that had come about during the era of Sean Lemass as Taoiseach.

New factories were springing up all over the country and new jobs were being created and the country, or at least much of it, was experiencing a period of hope for the future. The 26 County State which had been renamed The Republic of Ireland back in 1949 was an Independent, Sovereign State and was also solvent which meant that it was not indebted to any other country or financial institutions. At the time that we came back in 1957 the country was booming, the coming war and troubles in the Six Counties had not yet started. The divisive issue of membership of the Common Market had not yet surfaced and generally the country was more prosperous than it had ever been. In other words it was a country worth coming home to after years in exile. Television had arrived and was being celebrated with some great songs by the singing stars at the time Larry Cunningham, Bridie Gallagher, Dickie Rock, Margo O’Donnell, Sean Dunphy and several others. In 1967 Sean Dunphy was awarded 2nd place in the European Song Contest with that super and unforgettable song based on the Hills of Clare “If I Could Choose”. Sandy Shaw won the contest on the same night with that lively number “Puppet on a String”. After that came Dana with her song that won the Eurovision, the first native Irish singer to do so.

The troubles in the North generated its own quota of new songs “The Town I Loved so Well” and tens of thousands of Northern Nationalists clapped their hands and tapped their feet to the rousing beat of “The Men Behind The Wire”. In the meantime several new singing groups had emerged The Dubliners, The Chieftains, The Woulfe Tones, The Feury’s, Foster and Allen, The Horseslips, The Saw Doctors and many others all bringing their own brand of entertainment to the scene. Then of course there was the era of the Showband scene and the Ballrooms of Romance in various parts of the country which brought the different generations together. There was as well during this period a great revival of traditional songs, music, recitations, storytelling, set-dancing, céilí dancing and step-dancing all fostered and promoted by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann a cultural organisation which was formed in the mid ‘50’s to promote interest in our native traditions and culture which at that time were in danger of dying out unless steps were taken to reverse this trend. How successful the Comhaltas and its organisers and members were in this direction can be judged by the huge numbers who attend a County, Provincial and All- Ireland Fleadh Cheoil each year. All these traditional and native Irish pastimes have been brought to the highest level as the evidence from the various competitions show. Some of the great old songs, stories and dances have all been revived just like one of the poems we learned in our schooldays called “The Songs Our Father’s Loved”. The first lines of this lovely poem were “oh, sing them on the sunny hills when days are long and bright” and then another line went like this “and sing them on the misty moor where ancient waters roared”. Comhaltas not alone provided the revival of the old songs it also encouraged the composition of new songs. It was in this competition that some of us were mostly involved during our time and we must hope that our sons, daughters and our grandchildren can at some future time look back and be able to say that these were some of the songs that our father’s loved. While on the subject of song composers George Langan rang me up a few days ago and during the course of our conversation he informed me that some of the songs on his CD’s have been requested in Australia and the songs recorded by George on these discs (his own and other composers songs) will be broadcast on Radio in that far off land. Congratulations and well done to George on this high profile achievement.

 

 

Tribute To Paddy Faley

 

By George Langan

 

My heart it did break when the sad news it leaked

That the ‘Great Bard,’ he had just fallen

His loss I deplore, for I’ll never see more

My guide, my true inspiration.

He was that tall mast, a link with the past

His works, they were so much sought after

Now on history’s page, they will sing the high praise

Of this genius, the poetic master.

 

Equally strong, be it prose, verse or song

With a brain that was ever so fruitful

And his poems and his rhymes, were ever sublime

And for that, I will always be grateful.

Incessantly there, always eager to share

The ways, of our loving ancestors

And each story he told, I’ve indexed in bold

For to help out, and aid the researcher.

 

On the bare mountainside, he grew up with pride

With his kin, that he loved oh! so dearly

I’ll name them at will; there was Mick, Dan and Bill,

Young Joe, and their sister Mary.

Soon a family man, with a young wife and clan,

Glenbawn to the east came a callin’,

Moved there to reside, reared their daughters, all five,

When the good Lord took Mum, away from them.

 

So sleep long and hard, dear friend, ‘Greatest Bard’

Beside those, who have long since departed

And ‘though your pathway of life, brought you much pain and strife

For that, you’ll be richly rewarded.

If it’s a prayer that you need, then I’ll do that deed

I’ll go on my knees, twice daily

For it gave me such pride, just to stand by the side

Of the poet, the great Paddy Faley.

 

  2011 Aug.

Congratulations to Gearóid and Kevin Brudair who are making a name for themselves in Horse and Pony racing. These two young men from Listowel are grandsons of Mary Brouder in Knocknaclugga, their father being Gerard Brouder RIP. Between them they rode five winners at the Ballabuidhe races in Dunmanway recently.

 

Rose: Orla Tobin from Abbeyfeale won the title in 2003. Orla, who represented Dublin, is the daughter of Mattie Tobin. Her grandfather Dan owned the local cinema and her grand uncle Tom was the legendary owner of Tobin’s Dance Hall in the town.

 

 

 Aug. 2011; Eddie Stack native of Duagh, Co Kerry, a 22year-old who graduated from UCC in September of last year with a degree in maths and economics, won the Irish Universities Championship in 2007 becomes the first Kerry man to play on the provincial team since Killarney's Dan Sugrue 10 years ago

Message: Hello - My Ggrandmother was Mary Mulvihill.  I think she was
born @ 1854 or so. Her parents were Patrick Mulvihill and Mary Connell
(I think). According to oral family history, there is a connection to
Knockanure. Perhaps Mary was born there? She had a brother named
Michael (who later married Mary Reagan) and a sister Bridget (who
married Edward Hanlon). Mary married Timothy Mangan in The Church of
the Immaculate Conception in Glin @ 1884 or so.

If you have any information on this family, I would love to hear back
from you.

Thanks so much.

Elizabeth

 

From: < PTOCONNOR@aol.com>
Subject: [O'Connor/Var] Asdee, Co. Kerry names
Date: Sun, 20 Feb 2000 03:16:25 EST


"From Craughdarrig to Asdee (From the Recollections of the late Matt Enright,
recorded in 1960)" THE SHANNONSIDE JOURNAL, 1994, by the Shannonside Journal
Committee, page 122:

Going over the road from Craughdarrig to Asdee, you first meet Kelly's old
house. There has always been a house there as at Collin's next door as long
as people remember. Across the road from Collins' there was once a house
owned by Ned Ristard. I never heard another surname for him. The cottages
over the road were built in my time going to school. There was once a house
beyond the cottage on the left hand side of the road owned by Ned a'
Bhothair. I never saw that house, but the place continued to be called Drain
a' Bhothair and was held to be haunted.

The next house on the same side over the road was Cantys. That same family
seem to have occupied the house until eventually they all went to America. It
was a thatched house and a great haunt of children mitching from school.

Keefe's house across the road was originally built by the Hickey landlords.
It was occupied by the Mick Connor family originally. That family came up
from the strand. Any other houses down the hill to the village were not there
in my time. At the western side of the Asdee bridge and on the left was a
house where the Collins family, later of the cottage, were born. Their father
was a weaver. Across the river on the same side lived Thadeen Gorman and his
wife, Maine Moran. There were steps leading down to the house. They were
caretakers of the village pump. Maine sold apples, but since she was fairly
blind she made sure the schoolchildren stayed outside the half door lest they
pinch the apples. Across the road from that was a shoemaker named John
English, where Mike Walsh later lived. Across the road at the passageway into
Kissanes today were two houses, one owned by John Dalton and the other by a
woman whose name I can't recall, but who bought kid goats for sixpence each,
skinned them and hung them up, I presume for sale.

Kissane's house, a public house, came next. Next to that came Pat Moore's, a
baker. Moore also ran the post office in his house. You had to call there for
your mail. The post office later moved to McMahon's next door. McMahon was a
cooper. His son Matt was the church clerk, in which position he was later
succeeded by Mickie Walsh, who also took the post office to his house across
the road. Next door to McMahon's was Connor's shop, later to become Mahony's
when Dick Mahony married in there. It is now a public house. Mickie Walsh's
across the road was the old village schoolhouse from 1835 until 1872 when the
present schoolhouse was built. It is now the post office. Next door to the
post office was a thatched shop owned by Johanna O'Connor. It was there all
the O'Connors, including teachers and priests, were reared. The O'Connor's
originally came from Dingle. The first of them, Patsy, was a teacher. His
sons, Patsy and Batty, were also teachers, who taught in Asdee and Tarbert
and Ballylongford. Batty especially was reckoned to have been a powerful
teacher who made scholars of the young people of Asdee. He boasted a BA
degree when such was a rarity in a country school. It was in that house that
the priest from Ballylongford always ate breakfast after Mass in Asdee chapel
and where he always heard confessions before Mass. There were no confessions
in Asdee church until about 1919, when quarterly confessions were introduced
at the church. Up to then confessions were usually heard at the spring and
autumn stations in the houses and communion was also not very frequent.

There was a story about the old chapel in Asdee. It appears that something
caused the congregation to panic during a midnight Mass in the chapel. They
felt they were being surrounded by some strange manifestation. Some believed
they were surrounded by their dead that night. There was a story told of a
needle being found in someone's clothing afterwards. The needle had last been
in the possession of someone drowned in Beal Strand.

Across the road from the chapel was Robin Cahill's, later Kissane's, later
Buckley's, a later Fitzgerald's. Over the road past the school and the
teachers houses was Hannie Shea's cottage. Hannie was an O'Connor home from
America. Her father died in his canoe while herring fishing on the Shannon.
Down the small road from Hannie's was Mulvihill's where there was always a
house as long as could be remembered. Nearby in Snugboro lived at one time
the James family. The local tradition linked them up with Jessie James. Then
there is the Blessed Well, around which there were a number of houses at one
time. From here to the shore there were said to have been twenty four
households evicted to make room for one farm. I saw houses at the White Gates
along the shore. The Kirby's, Flavins, Keanes, Gormans and Connors lived
there in a laneway along by the tide. Only the sign of their haggards are
there now. On the left hand side of the Bunow River, coming up from the
shore, you had Mulvhill's before you came to Hanlons. The corner going up to
Hanlons was called Ulick's Corner, so some Ulick or other must have once
lived there. Hanlon's, Donoghue's and Mulvihill's were once the property of a
landowner called Mayne, who went burst. The Collin's from Ballylongford moved
in and later Jim Connor from Knockanure. The Halons came from Ballyduff, the
Mulvihills came from Glin. Cox's house at the top of the road was there as
long a can be remembered.

Coming back the road to Asdee, Scanlon's was there a long time too and Mickie
Dwane's across the road. Carr's is another old house. Murphy's also. Lacey, a
tailor from Listowel, came in more recent times. The other houses from there
to the village are more recent also.

Coming back west of the village again, there is the small road leading down
to Connors, Moss Jimeen Mahony's and the other Mahony's below. When I was
going to school a young lad from that Connors house died while he was in
third class. He was an Irish speaker, having learned Irish from his
grandmother in that house from the cradle. She hardly spoke anything else but
Irish and was a very old woman when she died. Her own name was Wren and that
was always a Wren house until Jack Connor married in. They were no connection
of the Littor Wrens, until they intermarried. It was the last native speaking
household in Asdee. The Asdee Races took place around their house. I never
saw the Asdee Races, but I always heard the old crowd speak of the Asdee
Races.

Below Wren's was Moss Jimeen Mahony's and the other Mahony's below them
again. They were all related. From the lower house came Dick Mahony who
married Maynie Connor of the O'Connor shop in Asdee village, which changed
its name to Mahony with his coming.

P.S. It has since reverted to the same O'Connor family again, but this time
better known as Jesse James.

Based on recordings by Neal O'Keeffe.

 

 The death has occurred of Sr. Baptist Kennelly of North Presentation Convent, Gerald Griffin Street, Cork and Skibbereen on November 26, 2006, Requiem Mass at the Cathedral. for Sr. Baptist Kennelly on Tuesday Nov. 27th `06. Funeral afterwards to St Catherine's Cemetery, Kilcully.

 

 

documenting the period 1/12/1846 - 12/31/1851
INDEX


KENNELLY MAGT. age 21 Ireland USA LIVERPOOL JESSICA 004 08-14-1849 361 08/14/1849 KENNELLY MARTIN age 24 Ireland USA DUBLIN GENERAL SCOTT 059 11-14-1849 113 11/14/1849 KENNELLY CATHERINE age 28 Ireland USA DUBLIN GENERAL SCOTT 059 11-14-1849 113 11/14/1849 KENNELLY ROBERT age 28 Ireland USA LIMERICK HANNAH 134 06-07-1850 065 06/07/1850 KENNELLY MARY age 28 Ireland USA LIMERICK HANNAH 134 06-07-1850 065 06/07/1850 KENNELLY BRIDGET age 20 Ireland USA LIMERICK MARIA BRENNAN 134 06-08-1850 101 06/08/1850 KENNELLY WM. age 13 Great Britain USA LIMERICK BARCO 134 07-10-1850 120 07/10/1850 KENNELLY MICHAEL age 23 Great Britain USA LIMERICK ELLEN FORRESTAL 134 09-19-1850 094 09/19/1850



KENNELLY JOSEPH age 30 Great Britain USA LIVERPOOL ATLAS 004 10-02-1850 387 10/02/1850 KENNELLY MARY age 26 Great Britain USA LIVERPOOL ATLAS 004 10-02-1850 387 10/02/1850 KENNELLY FRANCIS age 09 Great Britain USA LIVERPOOL ATLAS 004 10-02-1850 387 10/02/1850 KENNELLY SARAH age 05 Great Britain USA LIVERPOOL ATLAS 004 10-02-1850 387 10/02/1850 KENNELLY CATHARINE age 20 Great Britain USA LIVERPOOL ATLAS 004 10-02-1850 387 10/02/1850 KENNELLY PEGGY age 52 Ireland USA LIVERPOOL HOME 004 01-02-1851 250 01/02/1851 KENNELLY JAMES age 22 Ireland USA LIVERPOOL HOME 004 01-02-1851 250 01/02/1851 KENNELLY PAT age 14 Ireland USA LIVERPOOL HOME 004 01-02-1851 250 01/02/1851 KENNELLY BRIDGET age 16 Ireland USA LIVERPOOL HOME 004 01-02-1851 250 01/02/1851 KENNELLY DANL. age 20 Ireland USA LIVERPOOL HOME 004 01-02-1851 250 01/02/1851



KENNELLY THOMAS age 12 Ireland USA LIVERPOOL HOME 004 01-02-1851 250 01/02/1851 KENNELLY ELLEN age 10 Ireland USA LIVERPOOL HOME 004 01-02-1851 250 01/02/1851 KENNELLY PATK. age 08 Ireland USA LIVERPOOL HOME 004 01-02-1851 250 01/02/1851 KENNELLY JOHN age 20 Ireland USA LIVERPOOL LOCHMABEN CASTLE 004 04-19-1851 347 04/19/1851 KENNELLY CATH. age 20 Great Britain USA TRALEE TORONTO 158 05-07-1851 154 05/07/1851 KENNELLY BRIDGET age 25 Ireland USA DUBLIN BRITISH QUEEN 059 06-18 1851 244 06/18/1851 KENNELLY JNO. age 20 Great Britain USA LIVERPOOL SCIOTA 004 09-05-1851 220 09/05/1851 KENNELLY MIKE age 10 Great Britain USA LIVERPOOL HARMONY 004 04-16-1847 199 04/16/1847 KENNELLY CATHE. age 02 Great Britain USA LIVERPOOL HARMONY 004 04-16-1847 199 04/16/1847 KENNELLY MARY age 08 Great Britain USA LIVERPOOL HARMONY 004 04-16-1847 199 04/16/1847




KENNELLY CATHE. age 38 Great Britain USA LIVERPOOL HARMONY 004 04-16-1847 199 04/16/1847 KENNELLY MARY age 28 Great Britain USA LIVERPOOL HENRY CLAY 004 04-26-1847 433 04/26/1847 KENNELLY WILLIAM age 27 Ireland USA LIVERPOOL FIDELIA 004 10-06-1847 185 10/06/1847 KENNELLY JOHANA age 20 Ireland USA LIVERPOOL HIGHLAND MARY 004 03-23-1848 153 03/23/1848 KENNELLY JANE age 24 Ireland NEW-YORK LIVERPOOL ST. PATRICK 004 05-05-1848 259 05/05/1848 KENNELLY JOHANA age 30 Ireland USA CORK BRIDGET 046 05-29-1848 097 05/29/1848 KENNELLY JOHANNA age 03 Ireland USA LIMERICK HARRIET NEWELL 134 11-30-1848 120 11/30/1848 KENNELLY JOHN age 50 Ireland USA LIVERPOOL COLUMBUS 004 02-26-1849 542 02/26/1849 KENNELLY JOHN age 56 Ireland USA LIMERICK MONTREAL OF NY 134 06-30-1849 196 06/30/1849 KENNELLY JOLEN age 25 Ireland CHARLESTON LIVERPOOL A.Z. 004 09-15-1849 174 09/15/1849



KENNELLY WILLIAM age 19 Ireland USA LIVERPOOL WATERLOO 004 04-08-1850 312 04/08/1850 KENNELLY JAMES age 30 Great Britain USA LIVERPOOL ATLAS 004 10-02-1850 387 10/02/1850 KENNELLY JOHN age 25 Ireland USA LIVERPOOL MARMIOM 004 02-22-1851 278 02/22/1851 KENNELLY MICHL. age 20 Ireland NEW-YORK LIVERPOOL WATERLOO 004 03-04-1851 302 03/04/1851 KENNELLY MARTIN age 25 Ireland USA LIVERPOOL AUSTRALIA 004 05-15-1851 368 05/15/1851 KENNELLY PATRICK age 23 Ireland USA LIVERPOOL AUSTRALIA 004 05-15-1851 368 05/15/1851 KENNELLY MAURICE age 21 Great Britain USA LIMERICK & LIVERPOOL BELVEDERE 296 05-24-1851 108 05/24/1851 KENNELLY JAMES age 50 Great Britain USA LIVERPOOL NEW BRUNSWICK 004 05-31-1851 369 05/31/1851 KENNELLY MARY age 19 Ireland USA GALWAY IRVINE 035 09-18-1851 229 09/18/1851 KENNELLY TIMOTHY age 29 Ireland BOSTON LIVERPOOL GUY MANNERING 004 09-25-1851 569 09/25/1851


View Record LAST NAME FIRST NAME AGE NATIVE COUNTRY CODE DESTINATION PASSENGER PORT OF EMBARKATION CODE MANIFEST IDENTIFICATION NUMBER PASSENGER ARRIVAL DATE KENNELLY MARGT. age 54 Ireland BROOKLYN LIVERPOOL WESTERN WORLD 004 10-13-1851 559 10/13/1851 KENNELLY JAS. age 20 Great Britain USA CORK LOCKWOOD 046 10-15-1851 278 10/15/1851 KENNELLY CATHERINE age 22 Ireland USA LIMERICK LADY PEEL 134 10-15-1851 058 10/15/1851 KENNELLY SAM age 20 Ireland USA LIMERICK LADY PEEL 134 10-15-1851 058 10/15/1851 KENNELLY JOHN age 35 Ireland NEW-YORK LIVERPOOL ST. PATRICK 004 05-05-1848 259 05/05/1848


Whites of Athea
Father was James White born 1913 Athea. Had brothers, Thomas and John (known as Jack) and sisters Bridget (known as Delia), Mary, Christina (died age 21)and Catherine - don't know what happened to her. They were the children of Thomas White and Mary Hunt(who came from Knockanure, Kerry, daughter of James Hunt). Thomas was the son of Thomas White and Bridget White - he was born around 1865.

 

Connell-Sullivan.
Cornelius Sullivan aged 40 and wife Johanna Connell aged 35 left Limerick in 1873 with 4 sons and 2 daughters for Australia. Possibly lived in or near Athea. Occupation given as Farmer. Would appreciate any information and contact with relatives.

 

 

 

 

Pierce Charles de Lacy O'Mahony
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Pierce[1] Charles de Lacy O'Mahony (June 9, 1850 - October 31, 1930), known up to 1901 as Pierce Mahony, and from 1912 also as The O'Mahony of Kerry,[2] was an Irish Protestant nationalist philanthropist, politician and MP, in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland as member of the Irish Parliamentary Party. He practised as a barrister from 1898 to 1900. He was remarkable in having had successively three names, two wives and three faiths. He was honoured by the Kings of two opposing countries in the Great War. He should not be confused with his grandfather Pierce Mahony (1792-1853), a close associate of Daniel O'Connell, who was elected as MP for Kinsale in 1837 but unseated on petition; or with his son Pierce Gun Mahony (1878-1914).


[edit] Early life
Born in Dublin to a Church of Ireland family, Mahony was the only surviving son of Peirce Kenifeck Mahony of Kilmorna, Duagh, Co. Kerry, and of Jane, daughter of Robert Gun Cuninghame, D.L., of Mount Kennedy, Co. Wicklow. His father died shortly after he was born. When he was six his mother married Col. William Henry Vicars, and the family moved to Leamington, Warwickshire. Mahony was educated at Rugby School and at Magdalen College, Oxford, where he did not take a degree, but established an Irish Home Rule club and formed a friendship with his later Parliamentary colleague J. G. Swift MacNeill. Mahony went on to the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester, where he won the Haygarth Gold Medal in 1875. In 1877 he married Helen Louise, only daughter of Maurice Collis, a member of the Royal Irish Academy. She died in 1899 and in 1901 he married a first cousin, Alice Johnstone, who died in her turn in 1906. In 1913, his son Dermot O'Mahony married Grace Hill.

Mahony was an Assistant Land Commissioner 1881-84, a magistrate in Co. Kerry and Co. Limerick, Poor Law Guardian at Listowel, a member of the Roads and Piers Commission under the Relief of Distress Act 1886, and a member of the Royal Commission on Market Rights and Tolls.


[edit] Irish nationalism
He was elected unopposed as Member of Parliament for North Meath in the July 1886 general election. When the Irish Parliamentary Party split over Parnell's leadership in 1890, Mahony was one of the four Protestant MPs who supported Parnell. He remained close to Parnell, entertaining him in Kerry shortly before he died.[3] At the general election of 1892, he was defeated in North Meath by the prominent land campaigner Michael Davitt, who had taken a particularly strong and clericalist line against Parnell from early in the crisis, by 54% to 46%. This general election was characterised by ferocious hostility to the Parnellites on the part of the Catholic Church. Mahony successfully petitioned the courts to set aside the result on the basis of clerical intimidation of the voters. In the re-run election in February 1893, Davitt did not stand, having been elected unopposed to a vacancy at Cork North East. However clerical Anti-Parnellite influence continued to be strong. The Times reported that ‘the priests...swarmed at all the polling stations, and kept the voters constantly in view'.[4] Mahony again lost, by the fractionally smaller margin of 53% to 47%.

Mahony remained active in the Nationalist movement, and made three further unsuccessful attempts to return to Parliament. He stood as Parnellite candidate for Dublin St Stephen's Green at a by-election in September 1895 but failed to unseat the Liberal Unionist member, William Kenny. He contested another by-election, for Dublin Harbour, in 1915 but came well short of election with 24% of the vote. In the general election of 1918 he fought West Wicklow for the Irish Parliamentary Party but lost to the Sinn Féin candidate Robert Barton by the particularly wide margin of more than four to one.


[edit] Later career
In 1898 Mahony was called to the Irish bar, and subsequently practised as a barrister. In 1900 he inherited an estate from an uncle and thereafter did not need paid work, instead devoting himself to philanthropy. In 1903 O'Mahony travelled to Bulgaria to undertake relief work among orphans who had fled from Turkish massacres, and in 1904 opened St Patrick's Orphanage in Sofia. On the outbreak of World War I in 1914, he unsuccessfully tried to prevent Bulgaria entering alliance with Germany, and after the war argued for Bulgaria to be exempted from war reparations. On Jan 20, 1915, he was awarded the Order of Civil Merit by Ferdinand I of Bulgaria.

In 1913, O'Mahony supported the workers led by James Larkin in the Dublin Lockout. During the First World War he served as a member of the Irish Recruiting Council for Irish regiments. For this work he was awarded a C.B.E. in 1920, but declined it. Later in the year and resigned as Deputy Lieutenant of County Wicklow and as a magistrate in protest against British policy in the Irish War of Independence then in progress.

While in Bulgaria, O'Mahony had joined the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, but he remained also a member of the Church of Ireland until 1927 when a new Rector forced him to choose between the religions. He then became a Catholic, in 1929, the year before his death.

His son Dermot O'Mahony (1881-1960) was a Cumann na nGaedhael member of the Dáil of the Irish Free State for County Wicklow in 1927-38.

 




Republican and a past pupil of St. Brendan's, Jerry Lyons, who was killed near Knockanure in 1921 having surrendered to British soldiers at Gort an Ghleanna.

I found this about Maurice Hennessy aged 26 died at Tralee barricks on 30th of August 1846 after a fight in the barricks, he just collapsed acording to his brother he was 8 months in the army and a married man and native of Listowel.
He died from heart arrest caused by passion. Michael was his brothers name.



DEATH has taken place of Sr. Johanna Leahy of the Daughters of Mary and Joseph she was born at Beenanasbig on the 23rd of November 1916 to Tim Leahy and Bell Danaher of Glenagore, her siblings include Tim, Paddy, Tom, Dan, Philip, Betty, Bea and Josie.. Sr. Johanna went to Athea National School, went by train from Kilmorna to Secondary school in Lixnaw from September 1932 to July 1934; attended the Convent of the Ladies of Mary, Scarborough, Yorkshire completed Leaving Cert in July 1936; came home July 1936 till she entered Noviciate of the Ladies of Mary, Forest Hill, London in February 1937 where she made First Profession in September 1938, Johanna continued her noviciate in Belgium at Noviciat des Dames de Marie, 140 Rue Edith Cavell, Bruxeiles'38-‘39; returning to Forest Hill, London August 1939 for Final Profession; sailed for America in 1940 to the convent at Rancho Palos Verde's, California. Sr. Johanna Leahy died at the convent of the Daughters of Mary and Joseph, 5300 Crest Road, Rancho Palos Verde's, Laos Angeles, California 90275 and was laid to rest on Monday18th of September 2006.

 

 

 

NORA KELLY

 

The untimely death of Nora Kelly nee Kennelly occurred in Nenagh General Hospital on April 26th 05. Her husband Liam, the Kelly and Kennelly family maintained a 24-hour vigil at her bedside. In the beginning hopes were high of her recovery but the end came suddenly. Nora was active and full of life prior to her admission to hospital. Nora was the youngest of a family of 11 children born to Patrick Kennelly and Mary Daly of Gortdromagowna Moyvane.

Nora was a former student of the Presentation Convent Listowel. Nora went on to further her education in Tralee Dublin and London. She was a fluent French speaker. A month before her death she was successful in an interview for Assistant Principle in the Civil Service. Her work colleagues held Nora in very high esteem. This was very evident by their presence both at the Church and the funeral home.

 

There were many facets to Nora's life- her love for Liam, her family, friends, GAA and life in general.

Nora and Liam got married in Knockanure Church only 14 years ago Nora was proud of her roots and during her wedding speech she said ‘Kelly was a shorter version of Kennelly'.

She was a loving caring wife, and a soul mate to Liam. Their quality time was spent travelling both in Ireland and abroad; some of the countries they visited were Croatia, Medugorje France, and Monacco. Nora and Liam visited their family in America and Canada also.

Nora and Liam gave a summer holiday to two Chernobyl children; she introduced them to the community in Nenagh and her family in Knockanure and gave them an opportunity to see the beauty of Ireland.

 

Nora was and will continue to be an inspiration to us all. Her legacy and memory will remain in the heart of Liam and her family whose lives she touched in an unforgettable way Nora loved reminiscing of times past with her family and always dwelled on the positive side of life, she lived for the day. It is this, which will keep her memory fresh long after her death. Nora took 6 weeks leave of absence to return home to care for her father who needed constant care before he passed away on February 17th last. Nora had a special bond with her father been the youngest and she treasured the opportunity of caring for him. Nora was versatile like her father, who was attending night classes and carving marvellous pieces of bog oak up to his 89th year.

 

Nora was a great communicator and a good listener. Her wonderful warmth was evident to all who met her. Nora was a beautiful lady with a smile so radiant in love to each of us.

She was one of the most down to earth fun loving and genuine people one could hope to meet. Nora had a great interest and respect for people. She was approachable, hospitable, and loyal and had a kindly word for all. She had a natural ability to get on with all age groups, she took delight in being with people, she loved the ‘bit of crack' and when she was in a group the crack was mighty' Her contribution to any gathering was significant. Her humour and warm personality won her many friends who will miss her greatly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nora's personality has revealed itself through her passion for sport. She spent many happy hours watching and attending Gaelic games. She was ardent supporter of her favourite team the Kingdom. Nora proudly wore the Jersey and the Cap; the Flag was proudly displayed in her car. Nora had a great love for musicals, drama, dancing, walks in the countryside and mountain climbing in her travels both in Ireland and abroad.

 

Her profound love and appreciation of life in all its forms was evident, by her love of flowers, trees, and shrubs. In May of last year she was up at 04.30 and joined a local group to hear the dawn chorus. Nora lived her life to the full.

 

She was deeply religious and was an active member of the parish in Puckane community.
Nora had the special gift of reflection and prayer, - each morning she prayed for every member of her family and Liam's family and for special members of the community who were sick.

 

Nora you will forever sit on our shoulder and guide us in our daily lives. You will remain in our hearts, we will always miss you, and we have so much to be proud and thankful for. May God hold you and love you until we all meet again. Fill the lonesome spots in our hearts with your love, as you did so many times while you were here on earth.

 

Nora is survived by her husband Liam, her sisters, Mary Rose, Rita, Eileen and Joan, brothers Jer, John, Mort, Pat, Tom and Stan, aunts Peg, Noreen Joan and Mary in England, sister in- laws and brother in -laws, her nephews, nieces, father and mother in law, Liam and Ann.

 

Requiem Mass for Nora Kelly was celebrated at Puckane Church, Nenagh on Friday April 29th by Fr Slattery PP Puckane among the con celebrants were Fr Lucid PP Moyvane, Fr Tommy O Hanlon cousin, Fr Walsh, Cannon Horgan, Fr Burke, Fr Whelan and Fr Cullen. Mourners came from all parts of Ireland and abroad to pay their last respects.

A guard of honour was provided by her work colleagues from the civil service and the GAA.

The local choir sang the hymns, the community provided refreshments for the large numbers who attended the removal. The funeral cortege took the coast Road and Nora was laid to rest in Knockanure, Old Churchyard. If only Nora could see the beautiful ever-changing views on that day.

 

May God have mercy on her gentle soul.

 

Local events: Parnell visited Kilmorna on Sunday January 18th 1891 he was born in 1846. Sr. Mary Berchmans Kennelly of Knockanure entered the convent on 20th January 1906 she died in Brentford in 1959; J. J. McNamara B. Agric. Science gave a talk to Knockanure Macra on 21st January 1956 on his visit to Denmark in 1954 at the time 60% of total agricultural production was consumed by the Danes, 27% of the population got their livelihood from agriculture, 90% of agricultural exports went to England.

 

 

 

Jan 5 -06 Notes

SCHOOLS: Because of the shortage of teaching posts several teachers set up their own Secondary Schools in the 1930's and ‘40's. Catholics Secondary Schools were set up in Abbeyfeale, Tarbert, Glin, Newcastlewest and Castleisland to name a few, the annual fee for a student was £9 to £12 per year. The Principal of Colaiste Mhuire which was established in 1937 in Abbeyfeale was Miss Catherine Woulfe, who studied under Dr. Douglas Hyde. This year it is 40 years since O Malley's free education bill.

 

 

CONGRATULATIONS to Mary Collins who celebrated her 100th birthday on January 18th 06 Mary was the second of six children born to John and Elizabeth Collins of Direen, Athea. Mary did her teacher training in Scotland where she taught for some years, returning home to teach in Kilbaha, Clash and Athea. Mary's centenary party was held at Dromore Nursing Home and was attended by Cannon Kelly of Athea and her nephews, nieces, friends and relations

 

Kerryman of 1940; Death took place of Mother Genevieve Sheahan aged 77 years and 56 years in religion she was a sister of the late Fr Peter Sheahan of Newtownsandes and Fr Denis Sheahan of Manchester Diocese, death also of Mrs William Cahill of Knocknisnaw;


Feb. 10th 1906 Kerryman
Mr M J Nolan Vice-Chairman of Kerry County Council fired on near his house in Newtownsandes;

Feb 1906
Funeral of Fr John Foran PP, Prior at Listowel, he was predeceased by his brother Fr William who died in Australia, survived by brothers and sisters, principal celebrant of Mass was Rev Coleman Sweeney nephew, Fr Foran was buried in the family grave at Murhur.
Marriage of Michael Buckley son of the late Mr T Buckley of Knockane and Mary Bridget Nolan daughter of Mr M.J. Nolan of Moyvane House, her uncle Mr M.J. Moore attended;

 

Kennelly

We found my grandfather's baptismal records at the church in Moyvane. He was born in the Ahalahana townland. His parents are Martin Kennelly and Hanora Callaghan. Their children (and their baptismal dates) are as follows:
Mary B., Oct. 2, 1894
Michael, January 26, 1896
Margaret, June 4, 1898
Joanna, May 18, 1901
Rosanna, July 14, 1903
George (our grandfather), Jan. 24, 1907

 

 




Hi to all on the list. I have just not long joined and I would like to post
a message in hopes that someone can help me. I have a letter which was
dated 11 April 1892 CLONLEHARD The context was that grandfather ( Patrick
KIELY) died the 21st. August 1891 and his funeral went to KNOCKANURE he had
a hearse to take him there and a fine oak coffin etc, etc, I don't know
where this Cemetery is in relation to Knockanure or what. I managed to get a
picture of the are a on the internet but I am still in the "dark" as to whre
it is. Also another area was mentioned in the letter GLENDRAUGH. Where is
this place. I have a name of the family that lived in this place JAMES
DALTON he married Margaret K KIELY who is/ was the daughter of the person
who is buried at KNOCKANURE.
If there is someone out there who may be able to help me I would be very
pleased. Thankyou for any help



> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Subject: [KER] Re: IRL-KERRY-D Digest V01 #86
> Date: Wed, 2 May 2001 08:44:52 EDT
> From: FabMimi123@aol.com
> To: IRL-KERRY-L@rootsweb.com
>
> I am a descendant of John Hanrahan and Catherine O'Connor who lived in
> Tarbert.
> Anyone researching that family? Mimi
>
> Tara-Leigh O'Connor---what a pretty Irish name!
>
> ______________________________
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Subject: Re: [KER] Re: IRL-KERRY-D Digest V01 #86
> Date: Wed, 2 May 2001 10:21:19 -0700
> From: "Cathy Patterson" < cpatt@earthlink.net>
> To: IRL-KERRY-L@rootsweb.com
>
> Mimi,
> My great grandmother was Ellen HANRAHAN. She was the daughter of Denis
> Hanrahan and Mary ENGLISH. I don't know her siblings names. They were from
> Ballybunion.
> Cathy
> -----Original Message-----
> From: FabMimi123@aol.com < FabMimi123@aol.com>
> To: IRL-KERRY-L@rootsweb.com < IRL-KERRY-L@rootsweb.com>
> Date: Wednesday, May 02, 2001 5:45 AM
> Subject: [KER] Re: IRL-KERRY-D Digest V01 #86
>
> I am a descendant of John Hanrahan and Catherine O'Connor who lived in
> Tarbert.
> Anyone researching that family? Mimi
>
> Tara-Leigh O'Connor---what a pretty Irish name!
>
> ==== IRL-KERRY Mailing List ====
> SHARE YOUR STUFF! Our Kerry homepage needs your help!
> Do you have data/info that might help other Kerry researchers?
> E-mail me! Waterlilys@aol.com
>
> ______________________________
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Subject: [KER] Searching for O'Connor family from Knockanure, County Kerry
> Date: Wed, 2 May 2001 12:28:13 -0700
> From: "Tara-Leigh O'Connor (Livesey)" < TOConnor@accountantsplus.com>
> To: IRL-KERRY-L@rootsweb.com
>
> Hello -
>
> I am new to genealogy - I am trying to research my husband's paternal family
> line - O'Connor. I believe that they resided in a town called Knockanure in
> County Kerry. All of my information is hearsay. Any additional information
> and dates would be most helpful.
>
> Cornelius O'Connor (b. 1800 d. 1878) who married Margaret Leary (b. 1811 d.
> 1876)
>
> One of their many children was James O'Connor (d. 1924) who married a
> neighbor, Mary Hunt.
>
> They had 13 children
>
> Dr. John O'Connor (b. 1863 d. 1948 in San Francisco) immigrated to San
> Francisco - One of the founders of St. Francis Hospital in San Francisco.
> Don't know who he married - but had 3 children Dr. John Jay O'Connor, Dr.
> Vincent O'Connor and Dr. Gerald O'Connor
> Michael O'Connor (b. 1864) immigrated to Alaska - became a mayor of a town
> in Alaska. Don't know who he married but had one adopted child - Pauline
> O'Connor.
> Cornelius O'Connor (b. 1866 d. in Tralee)
> Dr. James Hunt O'Connor (b. 1/3/1869 d. 2/2/1948 in San Francisco)
> immigrated to San Francisco - One of the founders of St. Francis Hospital
> in San Francisco. Married Nellie Fallon and had 3 children - James Francis
> O'Connor, Pauline O'Connor and Florence O'Connor
> Margaret (Maggie) O'Connor (d. 1932) - Sisters of Mercy, General Hospital
> Honora (Nora) O'Connor (b. 1871). Married a man with the last name of Carr.
> Marion O'Connor (b. 6/21/1876). Married John Godfrey. They had 5 children
> - John Godfrey, James Godfrey, Cornelius Godfrey, Edward Godfrey and Thomas
> Godfrey.
> Annie O'Connor (b. 1878 d. in Dublin, Ireland) Sisters of Mercy, St.
> Michaels Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
> Dr. Thomas O'Connor (b. 1881 d. in San Francisco) immigrated to San
> Francisco - One of the founders of St. Francis Hospital in San Francisco.
> Married a woman named Alice.. Had 2 children - Aileen O'Connor and Desmond
> O'Connor.
> Bridie O'Connor (b. 2/2/1884 d. in Dublin, Ireland) Sisters of Mercy, Matter
> Hospital
> Jeremiah O'Connor (b. 1886 d. 1921 in Knockanure, County Kerry). He married
> Ellen Keane. They had 5 children - Mary O'Connor, James O'Connor, John
> O'Connor (Listowel - owner of O'Connor Pharmacy), Michael O'Connor and
> Josephine O'Connor.
> Elizabeth O'Connor ( 7/2/1887). She married James Godfrey. They had 7
> children - Father Edward Godfrey, James Godfrey (Dublin), Thomas Godfrey,
> Larry Godfrey, Nancy Godfrey, Jerome Godfrey and Mary Godfrey.
> Nellie O'Connor (b. 1889)
>
> Tara-Leigh O'Connor



is www.donaldmiller.com Health site

 

 

Between 1847 and 1852 Over 1,200,000 of the Irish people emigrated to other lands. More than 1,ooo,ooo of these went to the United States of America, Between 1851 and 1905 4,028,589 emigrants left Ireland- 2,092,154 males and 1,936,435 females .1852 the highest total, 190,322 people, and 1905 the lowest, 30,676 .Since 1892. 1841 the rural population was, returned as 7,052,923 and the urban as 1,143,674, 1901 rural 3,073,846 and town 1,384,929
1901, the population had diminished as compared with 1891 by 245,975. Of the total population of 4,458,775, 2,200,040 were males and 2,258,735 were females. The inhabitants of the rural districts (3,073,846) decreased during the decade by over 380,000; that of the urban districts (1,384,929) increased by over 140,000. Between 1891 and 1901 Belfast increased from 273,079 to 349,180; Dublin from 268,587 to 289,108; and Londonderry from 33,200 to 39,873. Cork (75,978), Waterford (26,743) remained the same over 10 years.
Thanks so much for your reply to my inquiry regarding the O'Connell's from
Newtownsandes. I do not know of any relationship to the priest you mentioned,
but I do not know much about my O'Connell either. The sum and substance of
everything I know is as follows:
My great grandfather Maurice O'Connell was born @1866. He immigrated to the
US in @ 1886 and settled in New Jersey (across the river from New York). His
brother John, born @1868, followed @ 1889-1890 and settled in the same
area-- known as the Oranges ( suburbs of Newark NJ) Maurice married Anna
O'Brien in 1889. Anna was also an Irish immigrant and is believed to be from
the same area as Maurice. Anna's mother's maiden name was Ann Kirby. My great
grandfather's marriage and death certificates both list his parents as John
and Catherine O'Connell.
My mom never had any idea where her grandfather was from, although she did
recall her mom saying that he took in a lot of immigrants to give them a
start. I checked the census returns for New Jersey and found some of these
people he took in. They were all O'Connell's. Through the Ellis Island data
base I was able to locate the manifests for the ships on which they arrived.
Immigrants arriving after 1899 had to list where they were going, where they
were from and who they were to stay with. Each of the people with my great
grand list Newtownsandes as the place they last resided before coming to the
US and each of these people provide my great grands address as the place
they were going. here is a website (jewishgen.org) that allows a search by
the town people came from. Through that search engine I located no less than
eight people named O'Connell from Newtownsandes going to stay with my great
grand. The information I have on them is as follows:
1.James O'Connell immigrated 1903 from Newtownsand. James apparently left
and returned in 1907 with a John O'Connell both from Newtownsandes and both
Identifying my great grand as a cousin. (James stayed with my great
grandmother throughout his life. His obituary indicates his mother's name is
Catherine Doherty)
2.Two Lawrence O'Connell, both from Newtownsandes, immigrated a week apart in
1904. Both of them were age 25 and both said they were going to stay with
"their brother James" at my great grand's address ( so was my great grand
running an illegal immigration operation?)
3. 1906-A John O'Connell (age 27) from Newtownsandes arrives to stay with my
great grand. Refers to my great grand as his "brother" (not possible since
Maurice's brother John was already here)
4.1907-Another James O'Connell(age 25) arrives a week before the returning
James (actually I am not sure which is the original James and which is the
returning James) Again says going to his cousin (my great grand). Says he
last resided in Newtownsandes and was born in Ballymacelligot
5. 1911- Lawrence O'Connell (age 34)returns (yet again) again going to his
brother James at my great grand address. Says he last resided with his sister
Catherine in Newtownsandes
6.1913 (this is the strangest one of all) A Daniel (age 33) and Mary
O'Connell (age 36) arrive. He had never been in US before. She had been here
previously. They are listed as husband and wife. Daniel says he last resided
with his father John O'Connell in Ahalana, Newtownsandes. Mary says she last
resided with her brother James O'Connell in Ahalana. Both are going to my
great grand's brother John. Mary refers to John as "her brother John" ;
Daniel refers to John as "my cousin John" (were they also intermarrying?)
Finally in 1914 Daniel returns again having his nearest living relative as
his father John in Newtownsandes. He is returning to the US to his wife Mary
who is by that time living with my great grand Maurice.
Do any of these people show up in your research? Do you have any suggestions?
for me as to any local sources to tap into to solve these relationships?
I had inquired in my last e-mail as to the names of the town lands that would
be considered part of Newtownsandes. The reason for that inquiry was to allow
a more thorough search of the website mentioned above. There are no less than
4000 O'Connell's in the Ellis Island Data Base. I found the ones mentioned
above by searching the word Newtownsandes and variations thereon. I thought
if there were other names that folks might use to describe the area I could
search using those descriptions as well.
Any help is appreciated.
Francine Schott


GRIFFITS Murhur List

http://www.failteromhat.com/griffiths/kerry/murher.htm







TOM MOORE

 

Newtownsandes Famous People:
Thomas Moore his ancestors are said to have come from Newtownsandes.Tom Moore Poet born Dublin 28 of May 1779.He died 26th of Feb 1852 in his 73rd Year bured at Bromham near Devizes in Wiltshire England his Father was a Grocer till 1806 he later became a barrick master.It is thought his Mother had a great Influence on Him.After the Relief act of 1793 Catholics were allowed to enter TCD but were denied Degres.Mr Whyte Teacher of Tom Moore Entered him in TCD at the age of 15 as a Protestant.He left TCD in 1798 to Study Law in London.He Never Practiced Law writing was his Passion so in 1801 he Published his first Poems under the pen name of Thomas Little.Thomas Moore was Welcomed Everywhere he could Sing his own songs and Entertain in any Society.In 1803 he was Appointed as Registrar of the Admiralty Court at Bermuda.He stayed at his Post for a short while.Then put his Deputy in Charge while himself toured the U.S.A and Canada.More Poems were Published in 1806.Irish Melodies were Published in 1807.200 years Later his Irish Songs are still Popular all over the world.Actress Bessy Dyke Married Tom Moore in 1811.''Lalla Rookh'' was Published in 1817.Longmans Paid the Highest Price Ever for the Copy Right.About this time his Deputy in Bermuda Caused a huge loss and Moore was Liable to avoid Arrest he went to Paris and his Family Followed Him there.C 1822 he made a Bargain where the Claim Against him was Reduced to one sixth of the Original Claim which he paid he was now free to come home iifig .....
In 1823 he visited Ireland with Lord Lansdowne after which he wrote a history of Captain Rock and His Ancestors which was well Recived.He was a friend of Emmet and Remembers him in ''O Breathe Not his name''.Other Historical works of Tom Moore, Life of Sheridan Published in 1825 it took 7 years to write, Life of Byron Pub 1830. Life of Lord Edward Fitzgerald Pub 1831.Travels of an Irish Gentleman in Seach of a Religion.Published 1834 also the History of Ireland was Published Later.
In 1845 all his Children and Sisters were Dead he said that he did not have a single Relative left in the world.

Thomas Moore


Fr William Moloney lately arrived from Ireland took up a tempory position in Sierra Valley where lived about 1000 people many of them Ranchers in 1868 . He is noted as being the first Missionary to visit the north of Pumas County . Visiting Johnsville on Deer Creek , Quincy, Indian Valley, Susanville and Honey Lake Valley in Lassen County . He was the first Priest in Lassen County . The records show that Fr William Moloney was very active on the Missions in California and Nevada .He gave 40yrs service to the Church in this area . Journies of 50 miles were common . At times he would be 100 miles from the end of the trail at Downieville where mining took place in 1880 . He named his famous Horse Charley . In the mountain area of Northern California travel in winter was difficult with deep snow drifts . To travel you would need a pine board 4" wide and 8 to 12ft long fixed to the soles of shoes a long stick was needed for balance . A priest had to be strong and fit to cope with the hardships of Missionary life . It took 6 weeks to make the circuit from Truckee to Alturas and back home again . Fr William Moloney son of Tadhg and Kate Enright born Coilagurteen, Knockanure in 1841 Ordained 1864, died Sutter Creek 1903 . He was a brother of M T Moloney Solicitor General Ottawa .Inscriptions on Family Headstone Gale Cemetery , Timothy Moloney died Nov 1st 1885 aged 93yrs . Memorial Erected by their son Maurice Moloney Ottawa Ill. USA . Also remembered son John Moloney who died Jan 19th 1904 .his wife Ellen died 13th April 1908 .son Edward Moloney died Nov 5th 1872 aged 27yrs.

Tom Neville Stack
Information from Miss Mai Quillinan .
Tom Stack was married in Carrueragh Kilmorna , to Mary Neville of Carrigkerry . They had three sons the eldest born on christmas night 1849 was called Thomas Neville Stack . The second son Maurice Tom Stack married Mary Goulding their children were Tom Maurice and John Maurice Tom inherited the farm while John went to America . The third brother of Tom Neville Stack was called William he got a farm in Carrigkerry .
Mai Quillinans mother Ellie Stack was daughter of Maurice Tom Stack a brother of Tom Neville .
Mais father Michael Quillinan of Blossom Hill Rathkeale , Co Limerick . Tom Neville Stack Founded The Finance Union Journal in 1877 .It is reported that three generations before Tom Neville a member of the Stack family was a Butter Merchant in Cork who had a brother a Banker .
Another Stack Nicholas Moore Stack a man of culture and an actor taught at Maynooth and Carlow College .
Tom Neville himself was a Journalist a Financier and a Poet his second wife was a daughter of Mr Andrew Thunder of Dublin .
Mr Thunder went to Clongroves Wood College . He died aged 45yrs .
Mr and Mrs Stack were married for over 20yrs and had five children.
In 1895 Tom Neville Stack was one of the Founders of the British Homes Assurance Corporation Ltd. .
He was also an Officer in the 2nd London Rifles which was founded by Prince Albert .
Tom Neville Stacks views on Irish Banking are contained in the Blue Book which was issued by a committee of the House of Commons

Knockanure Branch of the Land League

A meeting of the Branch was held on Sunday 1885. Mr T. W. Leahy in the chair. Other officers were Mr Patrick Kennelly, Mr J. T. Nolan honouree secretary, Mr. James o Connor, Mr. Hugh Goulding, Mr. John Carroll. Mr. M. o Connor, Mr. Dan F. Leahy, Mr. W. T. Leahy, Mr. James o Sullivan, Mr. Dunne.Honouree secretary of Athea Branch also Present.Reports of previous meetings were also read. A large number handed in their subscriptions and received cards for membership. Subsequently a large contingent headed by the Athea fife and drum band marched into the village. A large crowd had assembled outside the League room and were addressed by Mr. D. T. Leahy Mr. J O Sullivan and Mr P Dunne who spoke forcibly on the necessity of the organising the friendly feeling between Farmers and labourers vote of thanks to the Athea Contingent brought the Proceedings to a close. The Release of Knockanure Land League Prisoners in 1885 who arrived in Listowel by train from Tralee was greeted with deafening cheers. Mr. James o Sullivhan of Kilmorna presented of behalf of the noble young ladies of the parish a bouquet of flowers to Daniel Leahy and his colleagues who were just realised from prison. A crowd headed by the Listowel Brass Band marched through to Mr. Stacks new house. A meeting chaired by John Fitzpatrick of St. Michaels Collage was held. Others attending were J. Condon, solicitor Newcastlewest. J. Moran, solicitor, Listowel.
J. Stack M.P for North Kerry addressed the Meeting. A vote of thanks having been passed the people dispersed. The released prisoners were entertained to dinner at the residence of Mr. John Stack

SEEKING PERSON'S INFORMATION Name: Johanna Cleary Relation to missing: Mother Gender: Female Residence: Date of advertisement:01-22-1859 Contact name: Holland,Mrs. Contact address: OH, Cincinnati,6thst

 

Festival Time

 

 

 

This coming weekend sees the second staging of Athea Parish Festival which is organised by the Con Colbert Community Hall Committee. From Thursday afternoon to Sunday night there will be something for people of all ages  to enjoy from the tea party to card games, darts, barman’s race, slow bike race, fancy dress, 5K road race, Ceili, Comhaltas Concert, Festival Queen, dances and barbeques. Hope I haven’t left anything out of this very full and exciting programme of events. All we need now is a bit of fine weather. I can’t help thinking back to the old carnivals in Athea in the middle of the last century. They were organised by the G.A.A. and the village would be packed for the duration. We had a dozen pubs in those days and each one would be full as people came, not only from our own parish but from neighbouring parishes as well, to join in the festivities. There was a lot more drinking in those days than there is now.  We hear a lot about binge drinking, especially by the younger generation, but they wouldn’t hold a candle to the drinkers of old. Young people generally confine their drinking to the weekends and then maybe on one night only but, back in the ‘seventies, the bars were doing a brisk trade day and night. Some people couldn’t even go to the creamery in the morning without having a pint or two. Thankfully there were very few motor vehicles on the road so accidents were scarce. Anyway a good time would be had by all at the carnival.

 

 

 

In those days regulations were not as strict as they are today. A marquee would be erected for dancing, which was the main source of income over the week. Bands would be booked from all over the country and the place would be heaving with bodies. The problem of toilets was solved by letting the men use the bushes out the back but the ladies presented a problem. On the first occasion of using a marquee the problem was solved by a local business man who cordoned off one area outside and placed an empty paint bucket in it for the ladies to use! Needless to say they weren’t amused. As time went on things improved and, though they wouldn’t have a hope of passing inspection today, proper toilets were supplied. At that time there were no direct telephone lines. If you wanted to make a call you had to turn a handle to get through to the local exchange who patched you through to Listowel if you were going outside the area. Making a call home from England was a similar task. During one carnival my aunt Nora, who lived in Coventry was trying to call my mother (we had one of the few phones in the parish  – very posh!) about 8pm in the evening. She went through the local exchange to the international one which got her as far as Dublin and then onto Listowel and finally to Athea.  The operator asked to be connected to Athea 17 which was our number at the time. The late Edsie O’Connor R.I.P. was manning the switchboard and answered; “there is no point in looking for them, they are at the carnival, I saw them a couple of minutes ago”.  That was service for you.

 

 

 

One of the highlights of the carnival was the donkey derby. There was great rivalry between local donkey owners and there was often a “ringer” slipped in. On one occasion a donkey qualified for the final but when he appeared at the starting line he was a lot bigger than  when he qualified half an hour before. Of course a row ensued but eventually peace was restored and the race was finally run when the big donkey was disqualified. Happy days. No problem with insurance in those days. If you wanted to run a donkey derby in the street now it would be nearly impossible to get insurance cover for it. Despite the absence of donkeys, enjoy the forthcoming festival.

 

 

 

 Domhnall de Barra

 




MISSING PERSON'S INFORMATION
Name: Thomas Walsh
Gender: Male
Age:
Earlier name used:
Alias:
Description:
Other:

POINT OF ORIGIN INFORMATION
Home County: Kerry
Parish: Knockanure
Townland: Coheredarigan,Kilmeany
Barony: Iraghticonnor
Poor-Law: Listowel

WORK HISTORY
Ireland occupation:
US occupation:
Company name:
Work location:
Labor union member:

LOCATION AFTER ARRIVAL
1st location: Ia,Dubuque
2nd location:
3rd location:
My Own Newcastlewest

By Garry McMahon

 

To a town in County Limerick where the river Arra flows,

My heart takes flight, each day and night, at work or in repose,

Cross sundering seas, fond memories of the place that I love best,

To roam again each hill and glen, round my own Newcastlewest.

 

From Barnagh Gap, spread like a map, I see Limerick, cork and Clare,

The Ashford Hills and Phelan's Mills, the verdant Golden Vale,

I hear the sound of the beagle hound, put fox and hare to test,

And in reverie I can clearly see my own Newcastle West.

 

And often in the evening when the summer sun went down,

With rod and reel I fished the Deel, a mile outside the town,

Through salty tears and lonely years, my heart ached in my breast,

As I laid my head on a foreign bed, far from Newcastle West.

 

Once more the clash of hurley ash re-echoes in my ears,

As I recall my comrades all, when I now roll back the years,

On the playing field we ne'er would yield and we always gave of our best,

To bring honour bright to the black and white of our own Newcastle West.

 

Through Nash's Land to the old Demesne, where my love she gave sigh,

In the grove of oak her voice it broke, as we kissed our last goodbye,

A stor mo chroi no more I'll see, you're going just like the rest,

And you never will return again to your own Newcastle West.

 

So I'll say slan to fair Knockane, Gortboy likewise I'll greet,

To Boherbee and sweet South Quay, Churchtown and Maiden Street,

But God is good and I' am sure he would grant an exile's last request,

And let me die ‘neath a limerick sky in my own Newcastle West.

 

 





World's top maths genius jobless and living with mother
By Nadejda Lobastova in St Petersburg and Michael Hirst


(Filed: 20/08/2006)

 

A maths genius who won fame last week for apparently spurning a million-dollar prize is living with his mother in a humble flat in St Petersburg, co-existing on her £30-a-month pension, because he has been unemployed since December.


Grigory 'Grisha' Perelman


The Sunday Telegraph tracked down the eccentric recluse who stunned the maths world when he solved a century-old puzzle known as the Poincaré Conjecture.

Grigory "Grisha" Perelman's predicament stems from an acrimonious split with a leading Russian mathematical institute, the Steklov, in 2003. When the Institute in St Petersburg failed to re-elect him as a member, Dr Perelman, 40, was left feeling an "absolutely ungifted and untalented person", said a friend. He had a crisis of confidence and cut himself off.

Other friends say he cannot afford to travel to this week's International Mathematical Union's congress in Madrid, where his peers want him to receive the maths equivalent of the Nobel Prize, and that he is too modest to ask anyone to underwrite his trip.

Interviewed in St Petersburg last week, Dr Perelman insisted that he was unworthy of all the attention, and was uninterested in his windfall. "I do not think anything that I say can be of the slightest public interest," he said. "I am not saying that because I value my privacy, or that I am doing anything I want to hide. There are no top-secret projects going on here. I just believe the public has no interest in me."

He continued: "I know that self-promotion happens a lot and if people want to do that, good luck to them, but I do not regard it as a positive thing. I realised this a long time ago and nobody is going to change my mind. "Newspapers should be more discerning over who they write about. They should have more taste. As far as I am concerned, I can't offer anything for their readers.

"I don't base that on any negative experiences with the press, although they have been making up nonsense about my father being a famous physicist. It's just plain and simply that I don't care what anybody writes about me at all."

Dr Perelman has some small savings from his time as a lecturer, but is apparently reluctant to supplement them with the $1 million (£531,000) offered by the Clay Mathematics Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts, for solving one of the world's seven "Millennium Problems".


Grigory as a student


The Poincaré Conjecture was first posed by the French mathematician, Jules Henri Poincaré, in 1904, and seeks to understand the shape of the universe by linking shapes, spaces and surfaces.

Friends say that evidence of Dr Perelman's innate modesty came when - having finally solved the problem after more than 10 years' work - he simply posted his conclusion on the internet, rather than publishing his explanation in a recognised journal. "If anybody is interested in my way of solving the problem, it's all there - let them go and read about it," said Dr Perelman. "I have published all my calculations. This is what I can offer the public."

Friends were not surprised to learn that he was living with his mother. The Jewish family - he has a younger sister, Elena, also a mathematician - was always close. One friend, Sergey Rukshin, head of St Petersburg Mathematical Centre for Gifted Students, gave Dr Perelman his first break as a teenager.

At 16, he won a gold medal at the 1982 International Mathematical Olympiad, with a perfect score of 42. He was also a talented violinist and played table tennis. It was after gaining his PhD from St Petersburg State University that Dr Perelman first worked at the Steklov Institute, part of the Russian Academy of Science. Later, he worked in America before returning to the Steklov in 1996. Its rejection of him, three years ago, devastated Dr Perelman, said Mr Rukshin.

Although the two old friends still discuss life, music and literature, they no longer talk about maths. "It has become a painful topic for the doctor," said Mr Rukshin

 

 

 

I was unable to make connections to the modern Moyvane. although I am sure there are some there. I am mostly interested in finding the gravesites of my relatives, particularly Michale & Johanna Goulding for a start. I know that there must be relatives who are not named Goulding. The names Kennelly, Stack, O'Connor, Woulfe for starter, pop up in the family tree.

Margaret Moran (Dalton) had 2 sisters, Hannah Moran (white) and and a sister who lived in New Haven Connecticut , not sure what her first name was, he married last name was Ahern, Mrs. John Ahern. Margaret Moran (Dalton) also had 2 brothers, James P. Moran of Chicago and Tim Moran of Kansas City. Margaret lived to be 79 years old and dies Oct. 27th 1957.

Margaret Moran (Dalton) married Patrick Joseph Dalton and had 3 sons, Patrick Joseph Dalton (Jr) my father of Kansas City MO, Con or Cornelius Dalton of North ridge California and James Dalton of Mission Kansas. She also had a Daughter who dies about the age of 21, her name I think was also Margaret.

I do not have any information on the Hanrahan side of the family other then what I provided but I would welcome anything you might know.

Diocese of KERRY , Parish of MOYVANE R.C.
Marriage of PATRICK MORAN of KEALOD and MARY HANRAHAN of KILBAHA on 2 February 1873


Husband Name PATRICK MORAN of KEALOD son of MICHAEL MORAN
MARY HANRAHAN Address KILBAHA Father PATRICK HANRAHAN Mother


Name MICHAEL MORAN Date of Birth 6 November 1873 Address KEALOD Father PATRICK MORAN Mother MARY HANRAHAN


Name CATHERINE MORAN Date of Birth 26 December 1881 Address NR Father PATRICK MORAN Mother MARY HANRAHAN


Name MARY MORAN Date of Birth 2 July 1889 Address KEALID Father PATRICK MORAN Mother MARY HANRAHAN

Name CORNELIUS MORAN Date of Birth 1 February 1884 Address KEALID Father PATRICK MORAN Mother MARY HANRAHAN







Cousin of Yours:Name WILLIAM FORHAN Date of Birth 10 February 1859 (Based on other date information) Address MURHUR Father PATRICK FORHAN Mother CATHERINE MORAN


Name JAMES MORAN Date of Birth 29 July 1855 (Based on other date information) Address KEALID Father MICHAEL MORAN Mother JOHANNA BROSNAHAN


HusbandWifeName MICHAEL MORAN SARAH CONNOR Address NR BEENNANASPIG Occupation NR NR Father NR MORAN NR NR Mother NR NR NR NR 1st Nov. 1851.



May be the first or second Moran Family in Kealod: Name CATHERINE MORAN Date of Birth 13 March 1834 (Based on other date information) Address KEALID Father MICHAEL MORAN Mother JOHANNA BROSNAHAN


Name MICHAEL MORAN Date of Birth 30 September 1852 (Based on other date information) Address KEALID Father MICHAEL MORAN Mother NR BROSNAHAN


Name STEPHEN MORAN Date of Birth 25 December 1859 (Based on other date information) Address KEALID Father MICHAEL MORAN Mother JOHANNA BROSNAHAN


Name JOHN MORAN Date of Birth 19 February 1865 (Based on other date information) Address KEOLID Father JOHN MORAN Mother MARGARET SHEEHY

Name JOHANNA MORAN Date of Birth 16 December 1874 Address KEOLID Father PATRICK MORAN Mother MARY HANRAHAN


Name PATRICK MORAN Date of Birth 16 February 1880 Address KEALID Father PATRICK MORAN Mother HONORA HANRAHAN Patrick married Bridget Kennelly about 30 yrs later.

Name JAMES MORAN Date of Birth 14 July 1888 Address KEALID Father PATRICK MORAN Mother MARY HANRAHAN


Name STEPHEN MORAN Date of Birth 18 August 1890 Address KEALID Father PATRICK MORAN Mother MARY HANRAHAN


Name EDMUND MORAN Date of Birth 20 May 1895 Address NR Father PATRICK MORAN Mother MARY HANRAHAN

Name MARGARET MORAN Date of Birth 11 October 1876 Address KEOLID Father PATRICK MORAN Mother MARY HANRAHAN

Name LAURENCE MORAN Date of Birth 18 November 1883 Address KEALID Father PATRICK MORAN Mother MARY HANRAHAN





Name PATRICK QUIN
Date of Birth 20 November 1835 (Based on other date information)
Address CHAPELCROSS
Father MATHEW QUIN
Mother MARGARET KANE

Further details in the record
Child Denomination RC
Father Occupation NR
Sponsor 1 DENIS MORAN
Sponsor 1 Address NR
Sponsor 2 HONORA BARRETT
Sponsor 2 Address NR



Older Generation: Name ELLEN MORAN Date of Birth 25 December 1831 (Based on other date information) Address KILBAHA Father JOHN MORAN Mother MARY HANRIHAN

 

 

 

 

Taken from the Independant

Saturday December 22 2007

This week's purchase of the 49pc of housebuilder Manor Park Homes which he didn't already own shows that, at 72 years of age, Joe Moran has lost none of his appetite for the deal. Almost 40 years after the former creamery manager first came to Dublin he remains one of the great "characters" of Irish business.

Ever since Jim Flavin put DCC's 49pc stake in Manor Park Homes up for sale in February the question everyone has been asking is, who would get the better of the deal, Flavin or Moran, who owned the other 51pc of the company?

This week we got our answer. Not alone did Flavin get his timing all wrong, choosing to exit Manor Park Homes just after the construction boom had peaked, he was also up against one of the wiliest negotiators in Irish business. Early predictions that DCC would get close to €350m for its stake proved to be completely wide of the mark.

Of course, DCC's hand was seriously weakened by the fact that, with a 51pc shareholding, Moran was always in a dominant position. His hand was further strengthened by the fact that the downturn in the housing market deterred most other bidders. Moran exploited this advantage ruthlessly, eventually paying €181m, just over half the price DCC had originally been hoping for.

The deal capped a miserable year for Flavin, who is fighting to hang on to his job following last July's decision by the Supreme Court that he had possessed insider information when he sold DCC's shareholding in fruit distributor Fyffes in February 2000.

Successfully outwitting Flavin, one of the sharpest operators in Irish business, demonstrates yet again that Moran is nobody's fool. Behind the well-practiced "sure I'm just a simple Kerryman" schtick lies a first-class business brain that has kept him at the forefront of Ireland's entrepreneurial elite for over a generation.

Moran was born in the east Kerry village of Brosna, the son of the local creamery manager and his national school teacher wife. He was educated at Rockwell College in Co Tipperary before going on to study dairy science at UCC. After graduating as a "cowpuncher" he followed in his father's steps and became a creamery manager.

In the Ireland of the late 1950s and early 1960s the creamery manager occupied an exalted position in rural society. Not quite up there with the local parish priest, but as one of the handful of people in the community with a university education, definitely on a par with the doctor and teacher.

Unfortunately, this lofty social position wasn't matched by a similarly elevated salary. In those days virtually every village had its own local co-op. While this meant that there were plenty of jobs as creamery managers for dairy science graduates, the rewards were meagre. Moran's father always operated a sideline business to boost his income.

Even worse, with the Irish dairy industry belatedly consolidating into larger production units through a series of mergers and acquisitions, from the early 1960s onwards, the writing was on the wall for the small local dairy co-ops. Sensing which way the wind was blowing, Moran decided to abandon the joys of creamery management and work for himself instead.

He moved to Dublin and joined his father, who had by now "retired", running a small fireplace manufacturing business, Moran's. According to Moran, when he first arrived in Dublin he knew only two places, Croke Park and his sister Mairead's flat. Even if this story is true, Moran didn't waste any time in getting to know his adopted city. So successful was Moran's that it was sold for £3.5m (€4.4m) in 1978, a huge sum in those days.

Following the success of Moran's, Joe Moran went into the building supplies business. His company, Buckley's, quickly carved out a profitable niche in the market before being bought by Heiton, now part of Grafton. In the late 1970s he also purchased up-market Dublin jeweller, West's.

However, it was two other businesses with which he first became involved with in the late 1970s that were to have a lasting impact on his future career and reputation.

He teamed up with Jim Flavin, who had founded DCC three years previously, to found Manor Park Homes. Over the next 28 years it would grow to become one of the largest housebuilders in the state. In 2003 Manor Park and Moran made the front pages when the company agreed to pay €45m to the late Taoiseach Charles Haughey for his Abbeville mansion and surrounding estate at Kinsealy.

Manor Park is now attempting to persuade the 600 members of Clontarf Golf Club to accept a €100m offer for the 77-acre acre course on Dublin's northside. As part of the deal Manor Park is offering to build the club a new course and clubhouse at Kinsealy. Complicating the deal is the fact that the club only owns 12 acres of the course at Clontarf outright, with the remainder being leased from Dublin City Council on a long-term sporting lease.

In March 2006 Moran appeared before the Mahon Tribunal to testify that he had paid disgraced lobbyist Frank Dunlop £25,000 (€31,750) in fees to lobby for the rezoning of land he owned at Lissenhall in north Co Dublin during 1992.

The other major business Moran became involved with during the late 1970s was Irish Wire. Founded in 1935 to produce nails and screws behind the De Valera-era tariff barriers, the company found the transition to free trade after Ireland joined the EU in 1973 extremely difficult.

Moran first invested in the company in 1978 and was the key figure, either as a director, chief executive or chairman, in its affairs for the following 28 years.

By 1987 it was clear that Irish Wire's Limerick-based nail manufacturing operation could no longer be salvaged. Instead the company was reincarnated as a shell company, using its stock exchange-traded shares as a currency with which to buy other companies. To help in the reconstruction of Irish Wire, now renamed IWP, Moran recruited Dennis Jones, then finance director of Hazlewood Foods.

With his taste for gold rings on every finger and bracelets on both wrists, Jones was one of the most flamboyant figures ever to sit on the board of an Irish quoted company. He was also a compulsive spender who ran up huge debts, mainly for unpaid jewellry. He was eventually forced to resign from the boards of Hazlewood and IWP when one of the UK tabloids published a series of pictures of him in the company of scantily-clad, nubile young ladies who were definitely not his nieces.

Despite, or perhaps because of these failings, Jones was a brilliant deal-maker. In the space of a few years he and Moran transformed IWP from a moribund former nail-maker into a diversified industrial holding company.

Moran enjoyed a good run at IWP. Earlier in the decade his 14pc stake in the company was worth over €16m. However, the wheels started coming off IWP in late 2002 when problems emerged at its Dutch operations. With its high debt levels the company was unable to turn the situation around and the share price went into a tailspin, from a high €1.70 in July 2002 the share price had collapsed to just 3.5 cent when the vulture funds who had bought most of IWP's debts took control of the company in 2006.

He has enjoyed better luck with IFG, the other shell company with which he became involved in the late 1980s. He has served as chairman of IFG since 1987. Now a financial services company, Moran's 5.2m shares are worth €7.7m.

However, Manor Park has long since represented the vast bulk of his wealth. On the basis of this week's deal, his 51pc stake is worth at least €188m. Given that Moran was in such a strong position the shareholding is almost certainly worth much more than that. Not bad going for the Kerry cowpuncher.

 

 

Poetry

 

Dreams

There is this place I go to

When I’m happy or sad

I can do anything I want to

It really isn’t that bad.

It can make me upset

Or I could bet

I can do anything

Or make me fret.

After all it is my world

I can be good, bad or bold

My life here can never be told

To the young and old.

By

Edwina Sheehan ,Ballyhahill.

 

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A Tribute to the late

 

Mike Enright

Athea

 

 

By Polly the Poet

 

 

 

On my favourite station

 

The one that tops the rest

 

I’m sure you know by now

 

It is in Limerick’s West

 

Every day I tune in

 

It’s where my heart belongs

 

Lots of chat and friendliness

 

And the best of lovely songs

 

 

 

I looked forward every day

 

And Sunday night I’d rush

 

To hear my friend Mike Enright

 

With his voice so warm and plush

 

“Now there” he would whisper

 

So charming, bright and jolly

 

“The next song I will play

 

Is for my friend, dear Polly”

 

 

 

He’d love to get a text from me

 

We’d have a laugh and joke

 

His loving wife dear Margaret

 

She was blessed with this kind bloke

 

He’d play whatever song I’d like

 

From Mike Denver to Joe Dolan

 

He’d always send good wishes to

 

My other friend Mike Nolan

 

 

 

One day while I sat at home

 

I am sad to say

 

I got a call to tell me

 

That poor Mike had passed away

 

My eyes filled up with tears

 

Then I sat down and cried

 

Now in my heart forever more

 

There’ll always be a void

 

 

 

On Sunday night we’d hear him

 

With his accent so unique

 

When he’d present his country show

 

‘twas nice to hear him speak

 

High above in Heaven

 

There’s a star that’s shining bright

 

Goodbye and God rest you my friend

 

Dearest Mike Enright.

 

 

GOULDING Death

 

 

 

GOULDING Mary (nee Behan) (Knockanure, Moyvane, Co. Kerry).

October 25, 1994, at her son Sean.s residence, beloved and cherished wife of the late Hugh Goulding and loving and adored mother of the late Tony and Sr. Teresa Brendan; deeply mourned by her sons Hugh. Sean and Denis, daughter Maureen (Sr. St. Hugh), sisters Mrs. Julia Enwright (London) and Sr. Sheila O.S.F., (USA), daughters-in-law Mrs. Margaret Liston, Brenda and Eileen Goulding, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, cousins, relatives and friends. RIP. Mass of the Resurrection was celebrated at Corpus Christi Church, Knockanure on Thursday , Mary Goulding was laid to rest at Ahavoher Cemetery.

 

GOULDING (Knockanure, Moyvane, Co. Kerry):

The family of the late Mrs. Mary Goulding (nee Behan) and Sister Teresa Brendan Goulding, wish to express our sincere thanks for the overwhelming support, sympathy and prayers we have received from our many relatives, neighbours, friends and colleagues during our recent sad and sudden loss of mother and sister. We thank particularly Monsignor Jeremiah F. Kenny, Rev. Michael O.Leary P.P., Fr. Neilus Enright, C.C. and Fr. Jim Leahy, Sr. Elena Goulding and Srs. Bernadette and Vernoica Sheehan, for their care and kindness. Thanks to the Presentation Sisters of Listowel Convent for the prayers they offered at the funeral home and for the consolation they gave our family. Thank you to the Gardai for their help and concern. Thank you to all those who travelled long distances, visited the funeral home, attended the evening services, Masses and funerals, sent Mass Cards, enrolments, floral tributes, letters of sympathy, telegrams and telephoned our home. Thank you to all those who visited our home, the neighbours and relatives who organised and helped in so many ways. A special word of gratitude to our relatives and fends in England, Wales, USA, Africa, Cork, Clara, Limerick, Dublin and the six occupied counties. Thanks to all those who took part in the liturgies. We will always remember and be consoled by the most dignified music and song presented by Rita Groarke Goulding and Corita Goulding. Thank you to Dr. Joseph Devine for the care shown our mother during her illness. Thank you to Nurses Margaret Curnane, Helen O.Malley and Helen McCarthy who showed such love and friendship during such stressful days. Thank you to the Sacristan and the team who prepared the graves with such thoughtfulness. Sister Teresa's grave lined with palm was so symbolic of her gentleness. Thank you to the Lyons family, undertakers and to all those who were unable to attend but prayed for us. Please accept this acknowledgement of deep appreciation for the support given to us at such a sad time. Your kindness has made our loss more bearable. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass will be offered for your intentions.

 

 

 

Teresa ("Tess") Goulding

Moyvane, Co. Kerry) . Aug. 28, 1994, Sr. Teresa Brendan, (suddenly) at her brother Sean's residence, darling daughter of the late Hugh Goulding and beloved sister of the late Tony Goulding; deeply mourned by her heartbroken mother Mary (nee Behan), her sorrowing brothers Hugh, Sean and Denis, her devoted sister Maureen (Sr. St. Hugh); deeply regretted by her sisters-in-law Mrs Margaret Liston. Eileen and Brenda, her aunt Sr. Sheila O.S.F. (USA) and Julia Enright (London), her nephews, nieces, cousins, relatives and friends. R.I.P. Following Requiem Mass in Knockanure Church Sr. Teresa Goulding was laid to rest at Ahavoher Graveyard, Knockanure

 

Michael Goulding

Death of Knockanure Volunteer

MR. MICHAEL GOULDING, Knockanure, who died at an advanced age, was a member of the 6th Batt. Kerry No. 1 Brigade Old I.R.A. He joined the Volunteers in 1916 and took an active part in all local activities, which included the take over of Listowel Lawn.

 

He took the Republican side during the Civil War and was arrested in 1922. He was interned in Tralee where he spent two weeks on hunger strike while awaiting transfer to Limerick Jail. While in Limerick Jail he was actively involved in the making of a tunnel through which a number of volunteers successfully made their escape.

 

He was then transported in a cargo ship from Limerick docks to Dublin and subsequently interned in the Curragh where he became closely associated with the late Sean Lemass. He was interned there for a year and a half and was unconditionally released after spending 30 days on hunger strike, with a number of other prisoners.

 

A huge crowd, which included a number of his comrades in the Fight for Freedom, attended the removal of the remains from the house to Knockanure Church, and burial in the family plot at Knockanure. The coffin was draped with the Tricolour.

Mr. Goulding is survived by his daughters: Mrs. Neil Clancy, New St., Abbeyfeale; Sister Elena. U.S.A., Patricia Danaher, Knocknaboula, Foymes. by his sons. Messrs. Joseph (U.S.A.) Michael, Newcastlewest and Christy who manages the home farm at Knockanure, his brothers, Hugh, in Knockanure and Denis, who resides In Chicago. U.S.A. and his sisters, Mrs. Nora Dore, Templeglantine, Mrs. Nell Ryan, Limerick, and Miss Hannah Goulding, Templeglantine.

 

 

 

Goulding

http://www.goulding.net/goulding.net/Listowel_and_Its_Vicinity.html

Denis Goulding was born February 4, 1893, in Knockanure, County Kerry,

Ireland, Went to America about two years after his release,

on October 26, 1926, with a girl who is now my wife of al-

most forty years. We sailed on the steamship Franconia, and

nine days later we landed in New York.

When we arrived my future wife went to see some

friends in St. Louis. She wrote back saying her friends

thought they could find a better job for me there. So I quit my

job in Kansas City and headed for St. Louis in 1927. But the

job didn't materialize, and I spent anxious weeks walking and

walking,

Finally, through acquaintances I found work in University

City, a nice clean little suburb of St. Louis in St. Louis

County. I belonged to a street repair gang. My wife, Kitty,

and I were married about this time - April, 1928.

 

On the national scene, Herbert Hoover beat Al Smith for

the presidency, and the Ford Motor Company electrified the

whole country by declaring that its basic wage would be $4

for an eight-hour day about $25 for a six-day week. A

four-room apartment, unheated, cost $25 a month. A job at

Ford spelled "gold mine."

 

My brother-in-law worked at Ford at that time, and he

believed he could get me a job.

 

 

I came to Chicago in the fall of 1937 and went to work for

the Chicago and Western Indiana Railroad as a night police-

man protecting traffic at railroad crossings and guarding

loaded freight cars from looters. Sometimes we had a little

excitement, but generally it was monotonous work all

night, ten hours a night, seven nights a week. During the

shorter days of winter and early spring I seldom saw day-

light. After four or five years of that, I went to work for the

Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago as a maintenance engineer.

That's where I worked until 1964, when I retired at the age of

seventy-one.

 

GAA: Except from Richard McElligott report;

As many Kerry GAA clubs had only recently formed, some had trouble adapting to the finer points of Gaelic football such as the concept of positional play. In their match with the Knockanure Volunteers, Lixnaw easily proved the superior team winning 1-11 to nil. This was due to Knockanure apparently being in blissful ignorance of the knack of distributing themselves on the field. As a consequence their players were always in a clutter and when the Lixnaw men gained possession of the ball, they had little difficulty in sending it home.

 

30 November 1889. Clubs affiliated were: Abbeydorney, Aghadoe, Ballyduff, Ballymcelligott, Caherciveen, Camp, Callinafercy, Castlegregory, Castleisland, Cordal, Currans, Dingle, Irremore, Keel, Kenmare, Killarney, Killorglin Laune Rangers, Kilmoyley, Knockanure, Knocknagoshel, Lispole, Listowel, Listry, Lixnaw, Milltown, Muckross, O'Brennan, Rathmore, Tralee Mitchels, Tralee Red Hughs, Tralee Amateur, Tuogh and Waterville.

 

Weeshie's Week

• Back to Weeshie's Week

Tribute to Dr. Michael Brosnan

January 18th, 2011

by Ger Walsh - Journalist and Radio Presenter

Kerry lost one of its great sporting sons with the death on Christmas eve, 2010 of Dr Michael Brosnan, late of Moyvane, Ballybunion and London.

Dr. Mick or "Bros" as he was affectionately known, had a life –long interest in all sport but he will be remembered best here in Kerry by the GAA and Golfing fraternities.

The son of legendary Kerry footballer Con Brosnan, Mick grew up in Moyvane amongst a strong footballing tradition and along with his brother Jim, his first forays on the Gaelic fields of Kerry were in the green and gold of Moyvane.

Secondary education took him to Rockwell College in Tipperary where he excelled at all sports including rugby and he went on to captain the Rockwell team to Munster Junior Cup victory in 1947. As Captain of the North Kerry team who won the County Minor Championship in 1949, Mick was then selected to Captain the Kerry Minor team of 1950, who went on to All-Ireland glory, beating Wexford in the final at Croke Park.

In fact, Mick is something of a unique sportsman of his generation, in that he captained both a Rugby team and a Gaelic football team to victories whilst avoiding the infamous "Ban" and it was something that he often spoke about and was very proud of indeed. Also on the Kerry Minor team that day was Sean Walsh from Ballybunion who was to become a life-long friend and the man who would persuade Mick to join Ballybunion Golf Club in 1956 for the princely sum of £5.

University was next on the agenda for Mick, having left Rockwell, and he headed for UCC to study medicine where he also found time to play rugby, Sigerson Cup football and the odd game of golf at nearby Muskerry. Around this time too, his sterling displays with both U.C.C and his native Moyvane, brought him to the attention of the Kerry senior selectors and he joined the Kerry panel winning an All-Ireland Senior title against Armagh in 1953 alongside his brother Jim and great friends that included Colm Kennelly(RIP), Tom Moriarty(RIP) and Bobby Buckley.

London beckoned upon qualification as a doctor and although attached to Millwall F.C. as club Doctor for a period, Mick began to concentrate his sporting efforts on the Royal & Ancient game of golf, joining Sundridge Park Golf Club in Kent where he would go on to attain a handicap of Scratch and represent the club at the highest level in the Perman Shield (the equivalent of our Barton Shield) as well as becoming club Captain in 1981.

>From the beginning of his time in London, he would holiday annually in Ballybunion and eventually build a home there, where he and his family would visit several times a year to play golf and meet up with their huge circle of local friends. In fact, the Brosnan home has always been a wonderful gathering place for people from all codes of sport and Mick and his wife Caroline were always most welcoming hosts who liked nothing better than to entertain and chat for endless hours about golf, horses, soccer, rugby and of course the GAA.

Having been a member since 1956, Ballybunion Golf club afforded him the opportunity of being Club President in 1996 and this was probably the highlight of his golfing career. Mick was very proud of his association with Ballybunion and was always first to promote the club abroad whenever he happened to meet with fellow golfers. He was immensely proud too of the achievements of his two sons Mike(RIP) and James who both attained low single digit handicaps and played amateur golf at the highest level in the UK whilst his only daughter Kate, upheld the family sporting tradition with her prowess in equestrian sports.

Upon retirement a number of years ago, Mick would spend more and more time in Ballybunion, but sadly, he did not enjoy the best of health to play his beloved course. A knee operation restricted his ability to play golf but he liked nothing better than to sit in his folding chair on the practice fairway and impart his golfing knowledge to his grandchildren and anyone else who was interested in improving their game.

He died following a short illness at his home in Blackheath, London in the early hours of Christmas Eve morning surrounded by his loving family.

Pre-deceased by his son Mike in 2006, Mick is survived by his wife Caroline, daughter Kate and son James as well as his son-in-law Kevin and his adoring grandchildren as well as his brothers Gerry (Moyvane) and Jim (Dingle) and nieces and nephews. A larger than life character who could belt out a song with the best of them, he always spoke his mind and he will be remembered fondly by his many friends from all walks of life both here and in the UK.

He will be buried in St John's Cemetery Ballybunion this coming weekend alongside his son Mike.

Rest in Peace Bros.

 

 

Calling all graduates of UCC

 

Dr Michael B. Murphy

President

University College Cork

 

is pleased to invite graduates and friends to

 

A Lecture Evening & Reception

To Celebrate UCC’s Connections with County Kerry

 

A Great Kerry Academic & Public Man: President Alfred O’Rahilly, UCC

by Professor John A Murphy, Emeritus Professor of History, UCC

&

Reflections of a UCC Graduate

by Dr Denis Brosnan, Founder Kerry Group Plc

with guest of honour,

 

Mr Jimmy Deenihan TD,

Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

 

from 7.30pm – 9.30pm

 

on Monday, 28 May 2012

 

 

in St John’s Theatre, The Square, Listowel, Co. Kerry

A Reception will follow the Lecture at 8.30pm

 

 

Please forward this email to any UCC graduates you know who may be interested in attending.

 

RSVP by 22 May 2012 (as numbers are limited.

Please include your home address)

 

 

by Domhnall de Barra

 

“Ireland’s Music Day”

 

Ireland’s Music Day is on June 21st, the longest day of the year, and is being organised throughout the country by the Music Network in association with Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann. Athea branch are doing their bit by having an open air session of music and platform dancing starting at 8pm. The platform is ready to be laid in some central venue and, weather permitting, there will also be a bar-b-que on the night It is an opportunity to celebrate our culture and have a bit of craic to take our minds off the state of the Euro, austerity and the doom and gloom that seems to be constantly on our radios and TVs.

A big thank you to West Limerick Set dancing Club who have given us the loan of their platform for the occasion. Platform dancing played a big part in rural entertainment up to the middle of the last century. A platform would be erected at a crossroads (there was one at Leahy’s Cross in Gortnagross) and musicians who provided the music got paid by the dancers. I assume it would be quite a small amount as there wasn’t much money in circulation at the time. I am reliably informed that a great time was had by all who attended and there was even the odd match made ! Let’s hope the evening is fine on the 21st and we can relive the days of yore.

 

Games we used to play

The platform dancing got me thinking of other customs and pastimes we had that have now gone by the wayside. “Pitch and Toss” was one of our favourites in our school days, if we had the pennies. The game was simple, a combination of skill and chance. For those of you who may not be familiar with this sport; a “jack” was placed on the ground (this could be a small stone or similar) and players took turns tossing pennies from an agreed distance with a view to being as close as possible to the jack. Whoever was closest got to toss all the pennies in the air. Those that came down with heads turned up were his for the keeping, the remainder went to the second nearest who tossed them and so on until every coin had turned up heads. There was many an argument about who was closest and “measures” had to be taken. The adults had much more serious games and some people became very skilful indeed, making a profit every time they played.

“Tops” were also much in evidence during playtime at school. There were two kinds of top; the “pegging” top and the “flogging” top. The top was about the size of an average pear with a metal spike coming from the narrow end. With the pegging variety, a string was wound tightly around the body of the top and the player would throw it away from him holding on to one end of the string which caused the top to spin before it hit the ground. If the throw was executed correctly the top hit the ground spinning and stayed spinning for quite a while. The winner was the player who had the longest spin. Flogging tops were released in much the same way but the string was part of a whip. As the top was spinning it could be lashed with the whip and a skilful player could keep it going, sometimes changing direction, for a long time. In general the boys had the pegging tops and the girls used the whip. Simple pleasures but not without an element of skill and dexterity.

Handball was very popular also at that time. Some people were lucky enough to live near an alley while others made do with a convenient gable wall. We were so fond of the game that we would go to school in Abbeyfeale an hour early in the morning to have a few games before the first class. We usually lined up along the back wall at the alley up the back road waiting for our turn to try and win a point and stay serving for a while. Whenever a point was lost the server had to take his place at the back of the line again. Sometimes we played “double alley”. This involved using the sidewall as the main wall and doubling off the other side wall. You had to be quick on your feet for this game but we were young and fit so there was no problem. Two of the great skills were serving and butting. A good server could place the ball so that it caressed the side wall and made it almost impossible to return. The “dead butt” was a point winner as the ball struck the bottom of the wall a fraction of an inch above the floor and rolled back not giving the opponent a chance of hitting it. The alley on the Glin road saw some memorable games. I heard people talking of an epic encounter between our own Timmy Woulfe and the great Moss Colbert of Abbeyfeale. Does anyone remember who won? It is a pity that more young people don’t get involved in the game at local level. It is a game of great skill and great exercise, at least it would get them off the play stations for a while.

Finally, another game of skill that has disappeared; rings. Again when I was growing up there was a ring board in almost every pub and they were to be seen behind the door in many private houses. The board had rows of hooks, each with a different value and the object was to throw the rubber rings at the board so that they would snag on a particular hook. The higher the value the better as each score was added to the previous throw until an agreed total had been reached. The game had to end on an exact throw, a bit like the double in darts, so accuracy was essential. The ring boards were eventually replaced by darts which became extremely popular and remain so to this day. It is a pity the two games could no co-exist.

 

 

 

by Pat Brosnan

 

Memories of a Castle

Recently some of our own girls visited Rathfarnham Castle in South Dublin which is now under the control of the Office of Public Works. Looking out from the main entrance to the grounds and the Castle there is a fine view of some of the Dublin mountains and particularly the ruins of the famous or maybe rather infamous Hellfire Club which is situated on the side of the mountain that overlooks Rathfarnham, Ballyboden and other outskirts of the City. The most reason that our family members were interested in visiting the Castle was because of hearing from me of my experience of having worked there back in the nineteen forties when the huge structure was owned and run by the Jesuit Order and where we were members of the staff at the time.

The building was divided into two main sections at the time, there was the Juniorite where the trainee priests were accommodated and where they studied, they also cycled on weekdays to attend University College. Of course there were many other subsections in the main building, the Brothers and Priests rooms, the large Refectory where all the community had their meals together, the staff quarters and the dining room which was known as the staff hall. Some of the farm workers as well as some of the indoor staff and members of the maintenance staff were also accommodated in separate outside buildings and there was a gate lodge where the dairyman and his family lived.

The 20th century had brought many changes to the Castle after it was purchased together with part of the estate in 1913 by the Society of Jesus who are better known as the Jesuits. While they maintained the structure and the main rooms of the Castle in good condition they added two large wings during the 1920 period to accommodate a hall of residence for the seminary and a Retreat House and Chapel. There was also a lovely Chapel in the older building. Fr. John Sullivan whom we heard a lot about when we worked there was a candidate for canonization and he was also Rector for a short period during the 1930’s.

It is my belief however that those of us who were working on the staff of the Castle had not much real interest in the previous history of the place as we were more pre-occupied with some of our own day to day problems, small wages and long working hours. The advertisement for indoor staff members which appeared in “The Kerryman” which got me the job mentioned good wages, turned out to be 15shillings a week with a deduction of one shilling and three pence for insurance contribution. Perhaps if we worked in the Retreat House over a weekend we might get four or five more shillings from tips left by those who came on retreat there. Those who came on retreat there were mostly Dublin working class people from various occupations bus drivers and conductors one week, the next week gasworks employees and so forth. The rules for those on retreat were very strict, no talking among themselves or with the staff, complete silence over the entire weekend until the breakfast on Monday mornings when they were allowed to converse freely. Those of us in the indoor staff got one half day off each week in the afternoon, no fixed working hours, no minimum wage and of course no trade union membership. Those on the outdoor and farm staff however were in a different category altogether, fixed working hours and much higher wages. We in the indoor staff were to required to attend early Mass seven days a week and we were also more or less compelled to be back in our rooms by 10.30pm at night which gave us little opportunity to attend dances in the city or even go to see a film. But however it was a job and we were glad to have it. Many of the community were nice people, but like in every other walk of life the religious community in Rathfarnham had its quota of snobs, who more or less considered working people to be a lesser breed, but on the other hand some members of the community there were wonderful people who treated us with dignity and respect. After leaving there some of the community wrote to me, particularly late Fr. Hugh Mulhall and Brother Paddy Brady, both now deceased. When brother Brady was stationed at the Jesuit House in O’Connell Stree, Limerick which was since sold it was great to meet up with him again on one occasion after all the years. During our time working at the Castle the staff used to play a lot of handball, there were two fine ball alleys there so we became useful at the game a least it was not in this context anyway all work and no play. We used to run handball competitions for the staff as well.

The original castle at Rathfarnham dates back to the Elizabethan period and was built for Archbishop Adam Loftus, a Yorkshire clergyman who came to Ireland as a chaplain to the Lord deputy and who quickly rose to become Archbishop of Dublin and Lord Chancellor of Ireland and who was closely involved with the establishment of Trinity College. In our own time working at the Castle, one of the brothers in the community was by coincidence named John Loftus who was a native of Mayo. It would be extremely doubtful if he was a relation of the original Bishop Loftus for whom the castle was built. There were many stories about the castle that we never heard about while working there. For instance we were not aware that the place was supposed to be haunted until reading an article in Ireland’s Own many years later with the title “Ghosts of Rathfarnham”. Some of the Kerry lads who worked with me at the castle have now gone to their reward, but some years ago Joe Cronin from Beaufort found out by chance where we lived and visited us a couple of times and we also met him on another occasion at Scartaglin Féile Cheoil. Joe was one of my best friends when we were in Rathfarnham but sadly he has died in recent years. Who would have thought back in the late forties that the Jesuits would sell the property and leave before the end of the 20th century, as the order seemed to be so well established there. But then again they have also left Mungret College and sold the Church and house in O’Connell Street, Limerick. The Office of Public Works is now in full charge of what has been termed “A fortified house” and this historic building is now a visitor’s centre where there are guided tours and talks on the history of the place. It seems strange indeed that members of my own family are now visitors to a place where we were once staff members working from early morning until late at night very often for the weekly wage of 15 shillings less 1 and 3 pence insurance contributions and of course our meals and accommodation in this ancient castle. It was nevertheless an experience that played a role in the shaping of our lives.

 

 

WALK: Just came across these few lines recently “You’ve had a long hard day at home or at work – you’re stressed, tired and not interested in doing much or maybe you’re out of work at the moment, bored, worried, frustrated and running out of options when it comes to paying the bills. Either way there’s something at your disposal which costs nothing, is a natural anti-depressant, lowers cholesterol and high blood pressure and releases feel-good hormones in your brain. This is no “wonder drug” with unpleasant side effects, it’s the simple act of ‘Walking’. Because it’s so simple we underestimate just how effective it can be in maintaining and restoring good health. We are designed to move about! The benefits have surpassed those derived from taking anti-depressants, without any of the side effects. In other words turn off the TV or computer for an hour or two and get outdoors instead – as they say in hail, rain or snow! And what about it if you do get wet – it won’t harm us. It’s great to see many parents with their kids these day doing the ring on their bikes and cyclists have really multiplied in numbers. There’s a great sociability in walking or cycling but also it can be a great time for contemplation”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Way We Were

I was just thinking the other day about how much things have changed in our world in a very short time. I am now 70 years old but in the relatively short time since I started going to school, I have experienced the greatest changes since the world began. In the late 1940s/early 50s there was no electricity, no running water, no telephone, no toilets,  no TV, very few radios and a couple of cars in the parish. The roads were mainly stone and pencil with just the main routes tarred. If somebody who was born in recent times was somehow transported back to those days, they would not have a hope of surviving but we had no problem and took all the changes in our stride as they occurred. There were jobs to be done in those days that have been mostly forgotten about now. Even the terms used to describe them will be foreign to the younger generations. “Spreading top dress” was one of those. Cows were kept in the shed over the winter months and they were provided with a fresh bed of rushes every day. Of course the old stuff had to be piked out onto the dung heap outside the door. This heap grew over the months so when spring came and the weather improved it was filled into a horse drawn cart with a four prong pike and dumped in heaps in the meadows. When the time was right the farmer, or his servant boy, spread the manure, again with a four prong pike. This was known as spreading top dress and it was a very natural way of ensuring a good growth of grass. The four prong pike was one of three that were in use in those days. It was used mainly for rushes, cut briars and the like. The three prong was used for piking turf in the bog and the two prong was reserved for hay in the meadow. Different types of spades were also in use. An old worn one was used to dig the spuds while a good sharp one was used   for “turning taobh fhóds”. This was getting the garden ready to sow spuds. A line of string was stretched along the ground and a line cut with a hay knife along it.  Another line was cut paralleled to this one about four feet apart. Then a spade was used to turn sods from each side to meet in the middle. This was hard work and required precision with the depth and length of cut. This was left until the “seeds” were ready to be sown. Seed potatoes had little “eyes” from which sprouts appeared. Sometimes the potato could be cut in two, as long as there were enough eyes. The sods that had been turned were now folded back and farm yard manure was spread along the ridge. The seeds were then placed on top of the manure and the sods turned back again. To complete the operation the space between the ridges was dug up and the earth placed on top of the ridge, enough to prevent the frost from getting at the seeds but not too much to keep the sun’s heat from them.

 

“Scouring the dyke” was another spring activity.  The dyke (which was really a ditch) carried water from the land drains and had to be cleaned out every year to ensure the “run of the water” as it was called. This was done with a spade, shovel and four prong pike. At the same time a briar hook or “slasher” was used to cut bushes and briars that grew on the ditch (which was really a dyke!). Most people in those days had a garden. The farmers had plenty of ground to till and cottages were built on an acre so that a garden was possible. Spuds were the main crop as well as cabbage, turnips, carrots, parsnips, mangolds, lettuce, peas, beans, beetroot etc.  Farmers also sat oats for the horses who pulled all the carts and machinery. The oats required a lot of work, cutting, binding, putting into sheafs and eventually being threshed to separate the ears from the straw. Before machines arrived on the scene the threshing was done with a flail. The flail consisted of two sticks connected by a short chain. One stick was wielded by hand and the other stick would come down on the oats which was placed on a concrete floor and sever the head from the body. Hard work indeed but very rewarding and necessary for survival before the arrival of Tescos, Aldi and the likes. I might return to this later but it is no harm for people to be grateful for the sacrifices our forefathers made so that we would have an easier life.

 

Domhnall de Barra

A Move to the Left

 

 

 

So, the unthinkable has happened and the world is reeling from the news that, despite all predictions, Donald Trump is the next president of the USA. If somebody wrote a book or a film about a man who had no political background or experience, is totally un-pc, insults women and ethnic minorities, threatens war on illegal immigrants, says global warming is a fabrication of the Chinese, wants to build a wall to keep the Mexicans out and wants to tear up all trade agreements and has no defined policies could take on his own party first, then the might of the Clinton regime and get elected president, that author would be laughed out of every producer’s and publisher’s office.

 

 

 

Yet, once again, truth is stranger than fiction. How did everyone get it so wrong and what now for the market researchers and pollsters who claim to have made a science out of predictions. It is a wake-up call for all politicians. For too long those who govern have been far removed from the ordinary people they have vowed to help and instead have cosied up to bankers and business people who fund their electoral campaigns and look forward to the “quid pro quo” after they have gained power. Western governments, in particular, have succeeded in making billionaires out of millionaires while the lot of the common man has deteriorated. There is so much wealth in the world that nobody should have less than a decent living wage but our rulers, who believe in the capitalist system, haven’t the courage to take the steps necessary to reverse the huge gulf that is growing between those at the top and those at the bottom. They even protected the gambling investors when the financial crash came and then made ordinary workers pay the bill. No wonder there is a revolt among the working classes and a huge swing to the left. Donald Trump is a very clever man. He told the American electorate exactly what they wanted to hear. They were fed up of the same old mantra, time after time, and looked for an alternative to the status quo. Keep telling a people they are great, that they belong to the greatest nation on earth, that non-Americans are inferior beings who are taking their jobs, raping their women and posing a threat to national security, and eventually they will believe it. If you don’t think so just read a bit of history from the last century. Adolf Hitler did that to the German people and look at his legacy. I  am not suggesting for a moment that Donald Trump is in any way like Adolf Hitler but it would be foolish in the extreme to ignore the signs in many countries at the moment. The French left are gaining ground day by day, Brexit has proved that the British establishment is totally out of touch with the working class people and here at home we have a government that is a bit like the house that Jack built, made up of the two main civil war parties and a group of independents. The people spoke and told the two mighty parties what they thought of them. They also elected the independents who promised to look after their local issues and people from the left wing parties who champion the rights of the ordinary man and woman.

 

 

 

I must admit to having great admiration for some of the opposition members in the Dáil. The contributions of Claire Daly and Mick Wallace have been immense. Mary Lou McDonald, Pierce Doherty, Ruth Coppinger, Paul Murphy, Richard Boyd Barrett and others are extremely good at getting their points across and the government would be very foolish to try and fob them off as cranks. One may not agree with their politics but it is a fact that their supporters are growing in numbers and will soon be a major force for change in this country.

 

 

 

We are witnessing a remarkable period in our history and I sincerely hope that the politicians will take a lesson from the brexit result in Britain and the election of Donald Trump in America. They must put the citizens of the country before their friends in high places and ensure that the Ireland Con Colbert and his comrades died for is not a myth. I am not sure the heroes of 1916 would be too happy if they came back and saw what we have achieved with the freedom they made the ultimate sacrifice for.

 

 

 

In the meantime we hold our breath in trepidation, waiting to see how the most powerful man in the world is going to rule. There are checks and balances through the house of representatives and the senate but he will have the nuclear codes and has the ability to plunge us all into the abyss. Let us pray that the man we saw during the election is not the real Trump and that he will be ready to take  proper advice from those who are more experienced than he is.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Domhnall de Barra

 

 

 

 

 

DANNY JOHNSON   FROM  DROMORE AREA OF CO. DOWN

 

 

 

STORY BEHIND MAKING MYSELF A BODHRAN IN 1972 

 

By 1971, when I was 19years old, I had just completed a 4year apprentice in bricklaying in my home area. At the local college I met another student who was from Belfast (Stephen Connor )and

 

we had completed the qualifications in bricklaying plus a higher  construction certificate.

 

We decided to go to the Republic of Ireland  together as a new venture!

 

I had “hitched”a lift to Cork and back to look for work as well as a bit of adventure! A job was found whilst there.

 

In August '71 we met in my home town and set off with our tools over our shoulders and very little extra clothing to “hitch” it again to Cork, to the job. We didn't have the luxury of cars as neither of us had a drivers licence.

 

The very first car that we “hitched” stopped! The man said “Where are you going?We said “Cork”

 

He said “I'm going to Limerick” Without hesitation we said we would go there too!

 

Seven hours later, at around 3:30 to 4pm we were in Limerick with nowhere to stay and no job.

 

This is hard to believe but at 5:30pm we not only had a bedsit at 14 Lower Mallow St. but a job for the next morning with the local  building firm “ Lanagan Brothers.”  We loved the adventure!

 

We stayed in Limerick until Christmas and then went back home as Stephen's brother (I think) wanted him to work with him in Belfast, despite all the  trouble there.

 

 

 

I worked self-employed on building  projects around my home area for a few months and got my driving test and purchased a dream car for £70 from my sister.  A navy blue Morris Miner 1000. It was as good as a Rolls Royce to me and I could go anywhere! It was 1972 and I was 20yrs old and thought I was very mature and a man of the world.

 

Soon I hit the road again on my own. Straight to Limerick again and got a short term job with Lanagan Bros again. Then I wanted to explore somewhere different  and ended up in Dungarvan Co. Waterford.

 

I met a man at a music session there and he was playing this thing that I'd never  seen before, which I learned was a bodhran I was totally fascinated by this thing as I played the accordion with limited ability but loved traditional music.

 

He told me he was a blacksmith but I don't remember his name? He was lovely to me and give me a short lesson how to play it. I really wanted one quickly. He told me about a man in Listowel in Co. Kerry who would probably sell me one, as he made them. His name was Sonny Canavan. The next day (a Sat) I was off to find him. With the help of the locals in Listowel I landed at his house.

 

 

 

I was totally fascinated with everything about him. My memories are of his little white cottage with a half door and a herd of goats all grazing around in the grass/bogland  surrounding the house. He looked smallish and carrying  no excess weight, he had one damaged eye and wore a cap. He was a lovely little man and very friendly and helpful.

 

He didn't have any spare bodhrans to sell me, unfortunately, but we had a long chat and he told me he had 70 goats at this time and he sent a lot of his bodhrans  to America and elsewhere.

 

He explained how they were made including that the best goat would be a 3yr old female as one of less age might be I bit “tinny” meaning sounding like beating a tin box whereas a goat too

 

 old would sound too” dull/dead”.

 

He told me he put “salt peter on the flesh side of the skin to cure it and lime on the hair side, then  the hair would come out easily after the specified period of time. He told me to bury the skin in the ground for 2 weeks but I didn't remember why he said that. I assume it was for total protection and it would cure best that way but I'm not totally sure. 

 

Next was to stretch the skin on a board after lifting it from the ground as well as plucking  the hair out and that was the total sum of  the information he give me.

 

To me this was plenty to spur me to have a go myself when back home and try making one. I thought, well he is human like myself and if he can do it why wouldn't I be able to,   

 

as I was a practical person. At 20yrs old there's a tendency to think you could do anything and a lot of the time you would be wrong!

 

I was in Thurles Co Tipperary not long after and having learned that salt peter could be purchased in a chemist, that's where I went. I think I got 2 to 3lbs in weight (just more than 1kg) What I hadn't realised, as I discovered some time later was that it was used for making bombs. Probably could have got plenty  in Belfast around that time if I'd known who to contact!!  Being a good boy, that would definitely have been an No No. Wasn't I lucky I didn't get stopped by the security forces on the way across the border. I  didn't even know about the bomb thing at that stage.

 

The only thing I needed now was A GOAT!!

 

I was very fit at this time as I did fell running competitively, (racing over mountains) road running and cycling,also played a bit of Gaelic. I might have been the fittest one on theGaelic field but I was no star at it. This all give me the groundwork to hunt for a goat.

 

There were some goats in the local Mourne Mountains, so when most young men were hunting for females around the Mourne Mt. area I was hunting for goats as well as the  females! No luck in the mountains,only disappointment.

 

Around this time I had  built my first of many private bungalows,  usually for farmers. (the ones with the money, then.

 

It was for a farmer& digger contractor. His Christian name was Coulter. He told he had seen a lot of wild goats in his fields lately. No medals for guessing what's coming next. The hunt was on!!!

 

Sure enough there must have been 20 goats. Some with horns and some without.

 

The”training gear” was put  on and away I went. I was sort of spoiled for choice so I made the decision to focus on a female one. She was a fine looking young female as goats go. Not quite like the ones I'd chased in the local dance halls at weekends!!

 

I chased her for almost 3 hrs, over fields and through the hedges where there were broken gaps. The farmer/ diggerman had stopped the digger work that he was doing on the farm and had sat there in the digger for the whole time watching. He said he hadn't been so entertained in his life and glad he wasn't the one doing the running. The  poor thing was exhausted when I finally caught her.

 

I had to carry her home for almost 3 miles. Of course I had to take plenty or rests on the way home.

 

I finally got home and hid the goat in an old outhouse so that my parents wouldn't  suspect anything. They were away at my uncles house so it couldn't have been better for me. They would have no reason to go to the outhouse as it was sitting empty for a long time.  I had talked with  the local butcher in town and he agreed he would  do the job professionally at a different local farmer's house if I was lucky to catch one, so the plan to take the goat away next morning was in place, (as my parents went shopping am), to  take it to the farmyard nearby. I was lucky I had the sense to work to a good plan and my parents wouldn't be upset. You see my mother, especially, was a very religious woman and there wasn't a cruel bone in her body. She loved animals.

 

As planned I went to the outhouse to take the goat away, as they were gone, all was running like clockwork!!

 

What happened next was not quite as I'd planned. The goat was gone??  I couldn't believe what I wasn't seeing,  only an empty outhouse??

 

To this day I never knew what happened to that goat. Nothing was ever hinted by my late parents and no one in our family of 7 of us ever talked about  how the goat disappeared. I can only assume it might have made a noise and they let it out or  it didn't have to make a noise because they maybe  sensed something not normal about my behaviour.  As my late mother used to say “God only knows”.

 

 

 

Time lapsed and I came to accept what had happened.

 

I would not give up that easily. So, plan B was put in place soon after.

 

I would summons my older brother to come with me in my morris minor 1000 car. I avoided our    house this time or anywhere  near it, so  instead we planned to take  the potential goat directly to the same farm as before and keep our mouths shut to my family. This meant re- routing our journey.

 

Away we went as we had pre-arranged with the farmer/digger contractor, back for Hunt 2, as the herd of goats were still in the fields.

 

My brother and the digger man were the spectators this time. After hunting  for over 2hrs  I

 

caught a goat that I'd focused on at the start. It had horns but looked fresh. This was my version of the best one for a bodhran, that was available. A Morris Minor wasn't a big car so we decided the only way to get it where we wanted was somehow try to work something with the car. You have probably guessed we got it into the back seat of the car and my brothers job was to hold it by the handlebars/horns to keep it from jumping through the window. We had to go through our local town of Dromore on a Friday around 5pm. The main road from Belfast to Dublin was through  the centre of Dromore at that time and there was always heavy traffic including heavy lorries and buses and there were a lot of traffic jambs sometimes and worst usually on a Friday. We had no alternative but to come through to avoid being spotted by our family. We were probably seen by the passing motorists on their way to Dublin or elsewhere, as the traffic was just creeping along at the time. We did have locals on the street waving and pointing at the car. How embarrassing for us. It wasn't what we wanted but had to be done.

 

We got to the designated farm and the butcher came  the next evening and done what  he had to do and allowed me to help him take the precious skin off.

 

As we had no freezer the butcher stored the carcase in his premises until it was to be used. He got some of it, another farmer who was a friend got some and I took some as well, so it wasn't wasted and very nice it was to eat. I buried the skin in a field belonging to the friend farmer  for the 2 weeks and went through the rest of the procedures and finally finished my version of a bodhran.

 

It wasn't a top of the range one as I didn't know how to steam bend ash so I had to use plywood instead. I left a little extra piece of the skin protruding with hair on it to indicate that it was real goat skin. I also had to  remove and re- skin the frame as I wasn't entirely happy with the tightness of first effort.  Although it wasn't up to Sonny Canavan's standard and it isn't an adjustable frame and sometimes I had to hold it to a fire occasionally or use a damp cloth the odd time to slacken a little.

 

Having said all this it was very playable and was known and commented by people to have a very good tone when at the  a nice tightness.

 

I've had a lot of fun with it and I think about Sonny Canavan every time I tell the story about it, or play it. It's a bit like myself, it's passed it's best but still very playable. I've still to decide if it will go to the grave with me or go to  my musical  nephew or niece?

 

 

 

Incidentally, my friend from Belfast, who was in Limerick with me and I got jobs around the same time in the neighbouring Further Education colleges, both teaching construction. I  also taught Special Needs and Leisure & Tourism  students and when the 2 colleges amalgamated we both then  worked together again. I took early retirement and was 7 yrs on the Mourne Mt. Rescue Team, (After early  Retirement) until I got laboured with a health issue.  We are both now officially Pensioners as we are 65yrs old at the time of writing this little story.