Listowel Race Meeting celebrates its 150th anniversary this year. It starts on next Sunday 14th September and continues until Saturday 20th. There will be €1.3m in prize money over the seven days. The highlight of the week will be the Kerry National with a total prize fund of €160,000. The race has been won by many notable horses down through the years including The Gooser, Doran’s Pride and Monty’s Pass. Pat Taaffe won the race five times during the fifties, and champion jockey, Ruby Walsh, will this year attempt to add a fourth win to his tally.
The origins of Listowel Races can be traced back to an annual gathering in Ballyeigh, near Ballybunion in the 1820′s. It involved a variety of sports, games and horse and donkey races, and usually concluded with a faction fight between rival townlands – a kind of a parish league.
The Ballyeigh gathering was eventually abandoned due to continued crowd trouble and the race meeting was transferred to Listowel, with the first meeting taking place in 1858.
Up until 1970 Listowel was a three-day meeting. The trains were still running back then, and it was a memorable experience to travel in the old fashioned carriages pulled by a steam engine through rolling countryside from Abbeyfeale, back through Kilmorna, and on into Listowel.
Is it too late to start a campaign to bring back our magnificent railway system? Sadly, I believe it is.
The Kerry National would be held on the Wednesday. We always got a day off school and headed for the Island Field.
First stop was the market yard where Byrds Amusements were in full swing. They had swinging boats and bumper cars and chair-o-planes and spin-the-wheel and various other games and attractions. The three-card-trick merchants would be out in force, trying to fleece unsuspecting punters. The rifle range always drew a crowd, although those of us who had seen active service with the FCA were banned because we tended to shoot a tad too straight! Music blared from loudspeakers, belting out the latest hits from Brendan Bowyer or Joe Dolan or Bridie Gallagher. It was a real carnival atmosphere.
Having fortified ourselves with bottles of red lemonade, sticky cream buns and long sticks of candyfloss, we headed out across the bridge to the island. Down below in the shallow waters of the Feale, young lads shouted up to “throwmedownsomething” and were often met with a fusillade of empty woodbine boxes and half-eaten rasher sandwiches. Occasionally, someone would drop in a metal washer and a flash of bodies would dive hungrily onto it. The air would turn blue when they finally realized that they had been duped.
The races themselves were a blur of flashing colours and flying whips and sweating, heaving horse-flesh. Tight finishes were fought out frantically, while the crowd in the stand roared themselves into a collective frenzy. Everyone had a tip, and everyone had backed a winner.
In the evening, tired but elated, we headed back to the little railway station and caught the last train home. There was usually great banter on our homeward journey as folk recounted their experiences throughout the day and talked about the people they had met and the wondrous sights that they had seen. And, as we approached Abbeyfeale, a spontaneous sing-song would inevitably break out;

“On the road to Abbeyfale
Sure I met a man with male.
Sit down said he and spend your idle hour.”

The All Ireland Wrenboy competition would take place on the Friday night after the races and the town of Listowel would be packed. Bunny Dalton would be playing in the local dance hall and it was here that we first learned to twist and jive to the music of Buddy Holly and The Beatles. It was a skill that would later stand us in good stead in dance halls all over the world.
The little man from Grogeen journeyed back on the train with us and headed immediately for the race course. He owned a donkey for the creamery and a pony for going to Mass, and so considered himself something of an expert in matters equine.
He rambled around the stable area, examining the horses and generally making a nuisance of himself.. Suddenly he spotted the PP from Tour sprinkling holy water on a bay mare which was down to run in the first race. He said nothing but strolled out and watched, as the mare romped home at 33/1.
Slightly mystified, he furtively followed the PP back to the stables and observed him administering the holy water to yet another outsider. Again the horse galloped home at the unbelievable odds of 20/1.
“No doubt about it, but they do have the power – so they do” he said to himself. Again he trailed the PP to the stables and again he saw him dousing a mangy old nag that looked as if he were on his last legs.
He decided to act. Quickly, he made his way to the nearest bookmaker and handed over the monthly creamery cheque. “Put the lot on number seven!” he commanded.
“Are you sure?” asked the bemused bookmaker. “Number seven looks as if he won’t even make it to the starting line.”
“On the nose!” insisted the Grogeen man, while visions of untold riches floated tantalizing before him
“Very well” said the bookmaker who must have thought that all his birthdays had come together. He placed the cheque in his large leather satchel. “Creamery check on number seven at 50/1, down to pal.” he called out to his pencil man while peeling off a ticket and handing it to the Grogeen man.
The little man from Grogeen retired to a suitable vantage point to watch the race. The starter called them into line and off they went at a fair old canter. They swept over the first fence – all except number seven who pecked on landing, genuflected, knelt down, keeled over and lay still.
The Grogeen man was in shock. “Jesus Christ Almighty!” he exclaimed, half as a swear and half as a prayer. However, neither God or the devil showed any interest in his predicament.
He wandered disconsolately back to the stable area and confronted the PP from Tour.
“Father,” he implored, “the first two horses you blessed went out and won, and the third one dropped dead. What happened?”
The PP from Tour drew himself up to his full height. “My Son,” he said “if you spent less time in the bars and shebeens around Abbeyfeale, and more time on your religious duties, you might recognize the difference between a Blessing and the Last Rites!”
Listowel Races start on next Sunday 14th September and continue until Saturday 20th September – but keep an eye on the weather. Any visitors seeking accommodation can check the links on the right hand side of our home page.
Enjoy the week!

CALLING MICHAEL COLLINS FROM BUFFALOE, NEW YORK!

Marian Collins from Newcastlewest has a copy of her book, “Galtee Come West” to send on to you. Unfortunately, she does not have your full address. Contact Marian, or e-mail us here at Abbeyfeale on Line and we will forward the details.

TRAFFIC

The town will be busy next week due to the Listowel Races which start on Sunday 14th September and continue until Saturday 20th September. Hotels and guest houses in the area report an increase in advanced bookings. Traffic through the town will be heavy, and some delays are inevitable.

SCHOOLS:

Primary schools in the parish re-opened last Monday following the summer holidays. A reminder that the pedestrian traffic lights opposite St Mary’s Boys’ School are now in operation.

BRIDGE;

The local Bridge Club has resumed competition in the Railway Bar every Thursday night. New members are welcome.

GLORACH NEWS

The Glorach Players are inviting new members to join. You will be made very welcome. PRO for the group Lorcan Curtin has been in touch to say “After another successful meeting this week, much of the casting has been done for the new play on Bernadette of Lourdes. There are still a few parts to be filled however, and there’s always room for anyone willing to get involved backstage, in costume/set design, finance, postering etc. We will be meeting again on this Thursday evening, September 11th at the Glórach Theatre at 8.00. Come along and be part of a truly original production.”

ABBEYFEALE CHERNOBYL CHILDRENS FUND.

The committee under the chairmanship of Kathleen Collins, Convent St. are currently organising a fundraising Dog Night in association with WL102fm on Saturday, November 15 at the Greyhound Track in Tralee. All monies raised will be divided equally between the Chernobyl Children’s Fund and Wl102fm whose license has the proviso that 25% of its running costs must be raised by fundraising. The Abbeyfeale Chernobyl Children’s Fund intend to use their share of the monies raised to build a House of Hope in Chernobyl.. Ten children will be taken out of an orphanage and given the chance to live a life as close as possible to family life in the House of Hope under the care of House Mothers. Tickets have gone on sale for the Dog Night at E5 so your kind support is requested and a great night out is assured.

ABBEYFEALE FOR AFRICA

The yearly fundraising walk in aid of Fr. Tim Gavin’s Mission in Sudan will take place on Sunday, September 21 next at 4pm with refreshments being served in St. Ita’s Hall from 5pm. Sponsorship cards are available from Traoine Tobin, Mairead Daly, Carina Prendiville, Abbeyfeale Farmers’ Market or the Credit Union.

GAA:

Fr Casey’s drew 0-11 to 1-8 with Pallasgreen in Ballingarry on Saturday evening in the quarter-final of the county senior football championship. Pallasgreen were ahead by 1-5 to 0-7 at half time. The Fealesiders led by a point with just a minute to go, but Pallasgreen engineered a late score to force the draw.

Meanwhile, Kilkenny claimed their 31st All Ireland Hurling Title with a 3-30 to 1-13 win over hapless Waterford in Croke Park on Sunday. Kilkenny are now the Tiger Woods of hurling and have raised the bar considerably for everyone else.

SOCCER:

Abbeyfeale Utd A have been drawn against Shannonside in the Munster Junior Cup.

RUGBY;

The Transfield Cup game between Garryowen and Abbeyfeale was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch. Abbeyfeale U/18′s defeated Newcastlewest in a friendly at The Grove. Training continues every Tuesday and Friday night at 7.30pm for the 1st. and 2nd teams and the U/18′s. Training at 7pm on Thursday nights for U/13 and U/14′s.