Sweet Listowel

"Stacked" - acrylic on reclaimed teak board.  Inquiries.  Available at the Olive Stack Gallery.

​Finally, finally.  The long teak board from Bridget's barn finds its form.  Nearly six feet tall with a thin profile and three of my favorite Irish characters.  I smile each time I pass by this one...sassy rabbit says "hold still down there" while the sheep wonders why she is standing on a predator.  Foxy is annoyed with the entire exercise.

It was the last full day for my guests, who filled every moment of the day and into the wee hours of the night.  The time for leaving clearly weighs heavy on their hearts, as I believe this land has captured their love as much as it has mine.

We had tickets for St. John's last night, where a holiday show featuring singer Claire Keane and friends was utterly spectacular.

Keane's voice was pure and true, bringing tears to our eyes.  Irish dancers delighted the audience with their skill, glittery costumes and the exuberance of youth.  Traditional Irish flute music was new for me, and I am enchanted by the instrument, its sounds and the soulful renderings of the flautist.

There was poetry by Gabriel Fitzmaurice in both Irish and English, both serious and hilarious as only he can do.

The gorgeous music of Mickey McConnell blended well with Claire Keane in Silent Night...and then my favorite, Lidl and Aldi, whose lyrics I knew nearly by heart and couldn't help but sing along.  If you haven't heard this before, here it is for your enjoyment.  If you have heard it before, you'll likely want to listen again. :)

Host Billy Keane was dapper and eloquent, even giving a shout out to the North Carolinians seated next to me.  His performance of his own poem, The Star Man, written about his father, was the essence of everything about Listowel which makes our hearts find a home here.

The gang ended the evening at John B's, where Billy signed books, Mickey shared philosophy and three sleepy Americans wondered how to get an Irish pub on every street corner at home.

For today, dear reader, I leave you with ​Sweet Listowel...