The Ballybunion thread

snow scorpion · 15-06-2005 4:00am

YES!!

Fight fans have the opportunity to witness perhaps the final chapter of boxing’s most fascinating character when SHOWTIME rebroadcasts the fight that took place at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, June 18, at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

snow scorpion · 17-06-2005 4:42am

Where is J.J. O'Carroll's?

I remember hearing the name when I was a kid, but I don't remember where the shop is?

tinkerbell · 27-06-2005 2:59pm

If you're coming up from the men's beach, it's on the right side of the road. Opposite the chipper / park area. I think!

snow scorpion · 28-06-2005 7:23pm

tinkerbell wrote:

If you're coming up from the men's beach, it's on the right side of the road. Opposite the chipper / park area. I think!

It's been so long since I've been in Ballybunion that I don't know where you're talking about, tinkerbell.

"Coming up from the men's beach" ...

.... Which one is the men's beach? I remember hearing about "The Nun's Strand" when I was a kid - a little cove sealed off from the rest of the beach. You wouldn't want to be down there when the tide came in.

Tinkerbell, alfa, air, et al, want to see a cool picture of Ballybunion?

chris2005 · 01-07-2005 7:55pm

Hello you all,

I was very glad to see all the visual images of Ballybunion and to read the talk about it. I have not been there myself yet, though I plan to visit this place in November and stay there for a couple of months.

I almost found no information on the internet about this town. what I´m really looking for is a city map of Ballybunion, or information for public transport (within Ballybunion, and from Ballybunion to cities around, eg Tralee).
Is there anyone who can give me information about the town, the people, public transport, St. Joseph`s School, accomodations, a city map???

I would be VERY GLAD to hear from you!!!

Thanks in advance,
Chris2005 (Germany)

Alfasudcrazy · 02-07-2005 1:32am

Yes - typical Ballybunion - they can create the snazziest websites about all the hotels B&B's (private guest houses) and of course the Golf club - but forget to publish a simple map for people to get around - of course there is money to be had from tourists by making them buy them when they get there :mad:

I will try to dig out a street map of Ballybunion and scan it on here

give me a few days :rolleyes:

Alfasudcrazy · 02-07-2005 1:36am

snow scorpion wrote:

Where is J.J. O'Carroll's?

I remember hearing the name when I was a kid, but I don't remember where the shop is?

It is at the bottom of Main St near the beach - if you are walking from the beach up Main St it is to the right opposite that building with the wood railings in the pics.

snow scorpion · 04-07-2005 8:27pm

Alfasudcrazy wrote:

It is at the bottom of Main St near the beach - if you are walking from the beach up Main St it is to the right opposite that building with the wood railings in the pics.

You parked your car in front of it when you took the pictures on May 31st?

snow scorpion · 04-07-2005 8:53pm

chris2005 wrote:

Hello you all,

I was very glad to see all the visual images of Ballybunion and to read the talk about it. I have not been there myself yet, though I plan to visit this place in November and stay there for a couple of months.

I almost found no information on the internet about this town. what I´m really looking for is a city map of Ballybunion, or information for public transport (within Ballybunion, and from Ballybunion to cities around, eg Tralee).
Is there anyone who can give me information about the town, the people, public transport, St. Joseph`s School, accomodations, a city map???

I would be VERY GLAD to hear from you!!!

Thanks in advance,
Chris2005 (Germany)

Chris,

I'm sure alfa will have a better map than this one. This one does not have the Doon Road area just to the north or the area around Ahafona just to the east, but it it should satisfy some of your curiosity until alfa finds his map.

Chris, click on it to make it bigger. I don't know how to get the full size pics. into the thread.

Arty · 06-07-2005 12:09pm

Hi,

Can someone help me with the name or telephone number of a couple of houses we used to stay in during July/Aug in the 70s. One is/was on Cliff Road (It think), two bungalows back to back one had a long front garden overlooking ladies strand. The other was one of a row of four houses, called Clarke's Lodge, on the road to the golf course, there were up high overlooking the mens strand. If someone could help me with contact numbers or any other information pleezzzz. I have great memories of BallyB & would love to have the chance again to stay in one of these houses if possible & soak up the memories.

snow scorpion · 06-07-2005 4:59pm

Arty,

This is the link for the Irish phone book:

http://159.134.203.172/search.asp?source=Eircom

But be warned, a lot of businesses don't seem to be listed. At least not many of the stores and shops I remember from Ballybunion are listed.

Arty · 07-07-2005 4:36pm

Thanks for your reply Snow Scorpion but as I don't know the name of the business it doesn't throw up anything.

Thanks anyway.

snow scorpion · 12-07-2005 4:22pm

The East End of Ballybunion has been photographed in hi-res by google.

http://maps.google.com/

snow scorpion · 19-07-2005 7:34pm

alfa, is this the caravan park on the north side of Main Street or the one between the Listowel Road and the upper road?

Alfasudcrazy · 27-07-2005 12:06am

Hi Snow Scorpion - sorry for not getting back sooner been quite busy and still have no Map of Ballybunion

but will soon

That caravan park looks to me like the 'smallish' one just off the Sandhill Road called the Green Valley caravan park. Am not sure how long its there but was there in 1992 at least - and still is.
Those cottages in the background are the ones just along Sandhill Road and the camera man has his back to the beach (cliff's really)

I remember that because just where this pic was taken I was once after a guy who used to stalk the park at night peeking into the caravans - had all the women terrified. I sneaked up by the small cliff walkway so he never noticed me.
But my own strict & self imposed uniform code was my undoing - he spotted the glint of my buttons in the steetlight and dashed off with me after him at full gallop. But my backup which should have been waiting at the main gate had shagged off :mad: so he was able to escape - but we knew who it was anyway. Still it did some good the stalking stopped after that

snow scorpion · 29-07-2005 9:25pm

Hi, alfa. Good to know you're still around. Keeping the streets of Tralee safe for the law-abiding is certainly noble work. I can't really yank your chain about that, can I?

Sandhill Road is the one section of the village I was rarely in.

I've been amusing myself with Google Earth. ( http://earth.google.com/ ) The east end of Ballybunion has been photographed in hi-resolution. There's an area I would desperately love to see but look where the hi-res photos stop! ARRGGHH!!! :mad:

I'll be checking in with Google every month or so until they photograph the junction or switch at the Francis Road.

They haven't taken pictures yet of Tralee or Listowel either, but good things come to those who wait.

Is the map your talking about different from the one I posted?

reic · 29-07-2005 10:12pm

Well, I'm off to Listowel in the morning, for 2 nights and will probably take a walk on Ballybunion beach on Sunday. Saturday night I'm supposed to bring a gang of teenage girls to a disco in Ballybunion (i.e. drop them off and go away I've been told). Some place called Queue? Cube?

snow scorpion · 30-07-2005 4:33pm

reic wrote:

Well, I'm off to Listowel in the morning, for 2 nights and will probably take a walk on Ballybunion beach on Sunday. Saturday night I'm supposed to bring a gang of teenage girls to a disco in Ballybunion (i.e. drop them off and go away I've been told). Some place called Queue? Cube?

reic, I think it's called Queue 2. Radio Kerry runs some commercial advertising the place.

reic · 01-08-2005 6:27pm

Just back. Glorious day there this morning in Ballybunion. Indeed, it's called Q2 SS. Huge crowd there Saturday night. I was doing taxi for 4 girls, the bouncers let the 1st girl in and stopped the other 3 (all just under 18). The first girl had paid her E10 before she realised that the others were stopped. She went inside for 20 mins to see if there was anyone she knew and came out again. They all got into the Caisléan(?), older crowd but they had a great night. They rang me at 3am to go collect them. At least they were all still in one piece.

snow scorpion · 06-08-2005 2:15am

snow scorpion wrote:

I've been amusing myself with Google Earth. ( http://earth.google.com/ ) The east end of Ballybunion has been photographed in hi-resolution. There's an area I would desperately love to see but look where the hi-res photos stop! ARRGGHH!!! :mad:

I'll be checking in with Google every month or so until they photograph the junction or switch at the Francis Road.

Maybe I won't have too long to wait:

The California company has so far focused more on the US than other places, but mapping out Europe was a "very high priority", said John Hanke, general manager of Keyhole, whose company was acquired by Google and came up with the technology.

One click and you're flying

snow scorpion · 21-08-2005 4:31am

Somewhere in Ballybunion, but I'll be damned if I can figure out where

snow scorpion · 02-09-2005 8:20pm

:eek: Hey, when did the paint the police station?

I've never seen it any color other than that yellow-ish color.

reic · 03-09-2005 1:26pm

I'm sure I saw a news item that the brass golf ball was stolen about a week ago?

And the picture looks like the road down to the beach, just the other side of the road from the hotel.

reic · 03-09-2005 1:28pm

Just found this:

Clinton’s bronze golf ball stolen from Kerry sculpture
31/08/2005 - 15:28:14

A bronze golf ball belonging to a sculpture of former US President Bill Clinton has been stolen from its plinth in Kerry.

The statue in Ballybunion was unveiled in 1998 and has since become a popular tourist attraction.

Gardaí are investigating.

*****************

What's the world coming to? lol

snow scorpion · 04-09-2005 8:12pm

reic wrote:

Gardaí are investigating.

*****************

What's the world coming to? lol

Clinton being investigated. Seems like old times.

SandhillRoad · 18-09-2005 4:03am

I lived in Ballybunion from 1966-1988, also worked there in the Summers when I was a teenager at the OLD Central Hotel ( now the Golf Hotel). Very Very Happy memories. Not back since 1999.

snow scorpion · 18-09-2005 8:08pm

SandhillRoad wrote:

I lived in Ballybunion from 1966-1988, also worked there in the Summers when I was a teenager at the OLD Central Hotel ( now the Golf Hotel). Very Very Happy memories. Not back since 1999.

Do you have any pictures, Sandhill?

What are some of the memories? I spent several summers there up until 1978. We might have been at the same place at the same time (:eek:) 11 o'clock Mass Sunday mornings, maybe? At Deenihan's shop at the east end, thowing money away at one of the casinos? :rolleyes:

SandhillRoad · 20-09-2005 4:20am

Came to USA 1972. One Dance hall( besides the Central Hotel Ballroom) was the Ballerina Ballroom in the middle of town, I remember it had one of those twirling mirrored balls dangling from the ceiling. My drinking haunts were Paddy Dwyers ( owned by Mary Hanlon), Paddy Dowlings ( next door) and the MARINE Hotel( owned by Marjorie Woulfe) opposite the Old, and now torn down ,CASTLE HOTEL.I also went to Chris Hellards THE EXCHANGE BAR ( 3 doors down from the Garda Station. I was not around when ALFASUDCRAZY was 'on the beat'. Another dance hall was HORANS down beyond the Castle Green ( there began SANDHILL ROAD) on the way to the Golf Course.Of course the Fish and Chips at GLEASURE'S, after a night on the town.I forget who was the paish priest??I know he was interested in Greyhounds!
No photos of Sandhill road.Our house was on the road opposite the Golf Course,Now about DEENIHAN'S :On the east end of town.How far from the Garda Station was it? I guess it was on the Listowel road, probably before the Grotto? Was it near KIELY'S Hotel/Motel/ballroom ?. I am writing to a lady on eBay ( I was looking for BALLYBUNION items) who lives in England. She lived as a child in Listowel but just came back from Ballybunion after her familys July holiday at Clark's Lodges on Sandhill road.Got to go,I am up too late!

snow scorpion · 20-09-2005 3:28pm

I don't much about your end of the town. Mostly what I know about that section was the gold course was over that way and the road to Killehenny (or however it's spelled

)

You're right: Deenihan's is between the Garda Station and the grotto. I would guess it's about halfway between the two, on the right hand side of the street as you walk towards the Garda Station.

I was fooling around with google.earth (or earth.google). They have a section of the town photogrpahed in high resolution. I was shocked to learn the grotto and the Garda are almost 3/4 of a mile apart. I don't remember them being so far apart.

Keily's is a new name to me; I have no idea where that is.

Have you downloaded the google.earth thing? It's free.

SandhillRoad · 21-09-2005 4:49am

Hello Snow Scorpion,
I did download Google earth. I THINK I found Ballybunion.
Very top of image and cloudy towards the ocean? Where I seem to start was at the Graveyard on the edge of the Golf Course near Killehenny then I worked backwards up Sandhill Road. I guess all the rectangular shapes ( like parked cars) in different configurations are CARAVAN PARKS.
It is a l -o-n-g walk from the Garda Station to the Grotto-many the time I walked it to thumb a lift into Listowel ( you had better luck from the Grotto Cross.. Not a nice walk on a hot Summers day.-no trees.Worse was the trip back out from Listowel as you had to walk all the way up William Street and then make a left in front of John B's to walk the whole length of Market Street to the "Convent Cross" ( which started the Ballybunion Road.)
In regards to Market day in Listowel was it when they had the animal sales on the street or later on in the Mart ( that is the location where Duffy's Circus was during Listowel Race Week).
Near Deenihan's wasn't there a School close by ? I new a Mary Deenihan, I think she lived up Doon Road.Could be her family.
I had been going to Ballybunion since the I was a child. We lived in Listowel and we went for a week every Summer to stay in Ballybunion at a full board guest house. One place we stayed at was around the corner from the garda Station. Later on we moved to Ballybunion to live there.
Now and then I look for postcards of either Listowel or Ballybunion on eBay. There is a guy somewhere in Kerry I emailed for a price on some old ones. The price he was asking I could put on a new roof on the house!

The Ballybunion thread

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