A fascinating letter relating to the Keane family of the Castleisland district, a copy of which is held in the archive of Castleisland District Heritage, is given below.[1] It was written in about 1919 by Kerry native Dennis Keane, living in Chicago, to his son Timothy. The content of the letter shows that Dennis…… Continue Reading
‘Our Hope is in God’: A Kerry to Boston Correspondence 1840-1850
An almost unique opportunity to study the raw material for judging both the lives of a family in Ireland during the famine years and the lives of the emigrant children in America – Ruth-Ann M Harris, Historian, Boston College During the period 1840 to 1850, James Prendergast and his wife Elizabeth (née Hurley) of Bleach…… Continue Reading
Countdown to Castleisland 800, 1226-2026
The Geraldines, the Geraldines, ‘tis full a thousand years Since, mid the Tuscan vineyards, bright flashed their battle-spears; When Capet seized the crown of France their iron shields were known, And their sabre-dint struck terror on the banks of the Garonne; Across the downs of Hastings they spurred hard by William’s side, And the grey…… Continue Reading
Mastering Mountains: B B Kelliher, Railroad Engineer Extraordinaire
‘He was called The Pathfinder’ Bartholomew Brosnan Kelliher was born at Ballyplimoth near Cordal, Castleisland on 26 December 1862, the third son and one of seven children of land surveyor John D Kelliher of Ballyplimoth (Ballyplymoth), Cordal, Co Kerry and Johanna Brosnan (or Brosnihan).[1] Kelliher attended Kilmurry National School and the National School…… Continue Reading
Recalling Kerry All-Ireland Quiz Champions Fifty Years On
The following article appears in the archive of Castleisland District Heritage. It was written for publication in 1994 on the twentieth anniversary of the 1974 victory by John Galvin, formerly of the committee of Castleisland District Heritage. Cross Country Quiz was a weekly quiz programme which featured competing Macra na Feirme clubs from around…… Continue Reading
Down to an Art: The Liberator at Home in Kerry
Darrynane Abbey, the Seat of Daniel O’Connell Esq MP in the county Kerry is becoming a favourite subject with the lovers of fine arts in Ireland[1] This year (2025) marks the sestercentennial of the birth of Daniel O’Connell, ‘The Liberator of Ireland.’ It will be celebrated widely, no more so than at Derrynane House, the…… Continue Reading
Listry Creamery Museum: A Tasteful Blend of Past and Present
My mother took first turn, set up rhythms that, slugged and thumped for hours ‘Churning Day’ by Seamus Heaney In 1919, a creamery was established in the village of Listry, Co Kerry which survived into the 1990s. One century on, Paul and Annette Garland, the owners, opened the building as a creamery museum in homage…… Continue Reading
To The People of Ireland: Castleisland gives the Proclamation a Kerry Home
‘We declare the right of the people of Ireland to the ownership of Ireland’ Castleisland District Heritage has acquired a replica of Poblacht na hEireann, the 1916 Proclamation of Ireland, measuring an impressive 6ft x 4ft.[1] The artefact was produced in 2016 by a team of third level Multimedia Design students in the (then) Institute…… Continue Reading
To the Grist: Three Centuries of Milling at Ballymalis, Co Kerry
Kerry Woollen Mills at Ballymalis, tucked away in the vicinity of the old castle of that name, dates to about 1745.[1] A contributor to the 1930s Schools’ Collection ascribed the origin of the mill to a man named Leahy: About 200 years ago a man named Leahy built a small mill driven by water,…… Continue Reading
River Island Hotel, Castleisland hosts Groundbreaking Talk on the Irish War of Independence
William K Storey, Professor of history and great grandson and namesake of Head Constable William K Storey RIC, grew up in America with a strong sense of ‘a skeleton in the cupboard.’ Professor Storey – ‘Bill’ as he has become known to his new friends in Castleisland – knew his great grandfather had died in…… Continue Reading