WELCOME TO LISMORE .... COUNTY WATERFORD... IRELAND.
Please scroll Down!
*******************************************************************************************
KIELY'S COMMENTS NEWSLETTER formerly known as Local Ireland's WATERFORD & COUNTY FREE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIPTIONS SUSPENDED ...Detail soon on index page.....click above.
IMPORTANT: Do not try to email me at my old Quios email address or subscribe to newsletter through Local Ireland's s website as I will not get your messages.Please USE patkiely@eircom.net
*********************************************************************************************
A Free regular newsletter bringing you the latest from County Waterford. A mixture of news,gossip, humour and photos, from the brilliant ballistic brain of Pat Kiely. Published By: Pat Kiely Volume 1 Number 75 ********************************************************************
29th.June 2001
Hi and welcome once again to all of you from in and
around the 
County of
Waterford, whether by birth, ancestry or adoption, who regularly
tune in here, to read your interactive Waterford and County
newsletter with a few of Kiely's comments thrown in just for good
measure.
Remember there are updated extra items everyday to read on my web-site, just click or cut and paste either of these links to go there.
http://www.kielyscomments.com or http://kielyscomments.tripod.com (less banner ads)
Well here it is, the June issue, (just about). We've had a month of excellent weather with flowers, especially roses, bursting into bloom everywhere, and ice-cream lickers out in force!
Because of the recent hot weather we have also had some thunder storms,and very early the other morning I had two modems wrecked by lightening, luckily my computers were protected but unfortunately my telephone wires were not, so be warned, as reconnecting everything can be such a pain!
I would like to welcome the many new subscribers to this list since last month including one from China, two from the Philopeans, and several from the USA and Australia....and a couple from Ireland including a doctor, (Hi Doc) (I may need some medical treatment after this newsletter.) Thanks for all your interest.
In the last issue I carried a piece about the European referendum and am pleased to tell you that the majority of citizens in Ireland voted NO to the Nice Treaty, which was not so 'nice' for the government who were sure they had us all sufficiently brainwashed after a massive advertisement campaign to give it a Yes!...
Now they want to call another referendum so that all the 'No' people can change their minds again...
Now we all know men that say 'Yes!' for a quiet life when they really mean NO! and that women 'God bless em' who sometimes say 'YES!' for a quiet life, when they really mean NO!
So our leader Bertie and his government may have a bigger job on their hands than they think, with all this, Yes and No business!
The 'Ship of shame !' is the name Waterford born, Captain Peter Boucher christened the Dutch abortion ship which was recently moored in two Irish ports, Dublin and Cork. Peter who has been living in Australia for many years was deeply annoyed that the Irish port authorities would allow a ship like this to dock here,(where abortion is still officially illegal.)
The good news for Peter and us all is that although the ship docked here and got world publicity for doing so, the crew were prevented from carrying out any abortions on board because of a technicality in Dutch law which would have made them liable to a four year prison sentence if they had...
During the same weekend thousands of Irish people in
County Waterford travelled to venerate the relics of a French
saint, Therese
of Lisieux in Tallow,or to attend one of the
Masses or religious ceremonies which were held in the large field
at the back of the Carmelite Convent, over the weekend.
The attendence of so many people at this event and later in Waterford City where 50,000 visited the relics in the cathedral in a 24 hour period must prove that there is still a deep spiritual hunger in Ireland..
Waterford's Bishop William Lee Blesses the relics of St.Therese of Lisieux.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
But first, for something silly.........
Which One?
A young man was in love with two women and could not decide which of them to marry, so Finally he went to a pre-marriage counselor.
When asked to describe his two loves, he noted that one was a great poet and the other made delicious pancakes.
"Oh," said the councillor, "I see what the problem is,
You can't decide whether to marry for batter or verse."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Francis Edmund Currey, Castle agent and
early photographer (Old photo hand coloured by Pat Kiely)
Caught on ‘Currey’s Camera!’
This old photo of Lismore Spout, taken by Castle
Agent, Francis Edmund Currey one of the first pioneers of
photography, shows how the Spout has been a popular place for
satisfying the needs of the thirsty, for many a long year. Photo
(2) The Spout (circa 2001) by Pat Kiely. 
It’s strange to think that the people captured on ‘Currey’s Camera,’ a long time ago, would probably have sheltered under the same trees which are shortly to be felled!. Photo (1) The Spout (circa 1855s) by
It’s also strange to think that Currey’s old black and white photograph, probably took several minutes to capture on film, and many hours to process in a darkroom, with loads of smelly chemicals all around.
This photo of the Spout in colour, recently taken by
Kiely, took seconds to capture, used no film or darkroom and
could be sent digitally all around the world electronically on
the Internet in less time than it takes to make a cup of coffee. 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Origin of Plane Trees.
The immenent felling of two old plane trees by the spout,in Lismore have prompted Kiely to find out a little more about what in the USA you call Sycamore trees.
The trees near the Spout are a species known as London Planes , a species more common to the streets and parks of England than of rural Ireland.
In the 19th, century large amounts of them were planted to adorn suburban streets and in public parks of in Greater London, but with the strong English influence on Estate towns like Lismore, its not surprising that some were also grown here, as well.
Commonly known as the 'plane' in England and as 'sycamore' in North America. They belong to the genus Platanus, family Platanaceae.
The first plane trees planted in Britain were oriental planes, planted from about 1550. Most trees seen in London however belong to the group that is often described as the London Plane, a group of hybrids probably derived from a cross between. orientalis and P. occidentalis.
This cross is thought to have occurred in about 1650 in the south of Europe.
The first of these trees planted in England were planted from about 1680.
Most plane trees seen will therefore be less than 300 years old, and for suburban London, it should be safe to assume that the planting of planes took place with the urban development.
Plane trees that survive disease are likely to grow to be some of the biggest trees in the future.
The oriental plane is often the largest native broadleaf tree in Western Asia and southern Europe, and the occidental plane holds the same position in the Eastern USA. Both of these planes can have trunks with girth exceeding 12 meters (about 40 feet).
Growth rates of younger roadside trees can be fairly low, such as about 2-3.5cm of girth per year, as these trees often grow under difficult conditions. Given reasonable soils and conditions much faster growth is possible; 5cm per year should be seen as normal.
Many of the other largest specimens are in central London, in the Royal Parks and in some of the old squares. Among the other large ones are those in Kenwood in Hampstead, and in Ravensbury Park, Morden, and several in Kew Gardens.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Tallest Daffodil in County Waterford?
Photo Ned Barry ‘Is it the Tallest?’ 
Staying with nature, a few weeks back I saw with my own eyes,is this proud specimen grown by Ned Barry of New Street. ‘Botany,’ Lismore, who was caught on Kiely’s camera, showuing off what is probably the tallest Daffodil ever grown in County Waterford?
Ned reckons it just might be, after it reached an astonishing 42inches, in height.
‘Now don’t ask me what that is in centimetres or caterpillars, cause I couldn’t tell you,’ remarked Ned, who has always enjoyed a spot of gardening and once worked as a landscape gardener.
‘I planted this daffodil it in my back-garden last winter and was amazed when it just kept growing up and up through a tall hedge before bursting into bloom a couple of weeks back.’ explained Ned, proudly holding high, his prize specimen which he has now transferred to a pot on his kitchen window sill.
Well, do you think Ned’s Daf is a County record?
Let me know! ------------------------------------------------------- that's it for this week but will have some more stories from in and around County Waterford including the O'Rourke reuniion,sometime in Mid-July.
So finally,finally, finally.....
As they say down this way...Thanks a million! to all of you who have sent emails, signed my guestbook, or sent me real postcards...I appreciate the feedback!
Remember if you receive this newsletter by email, you must go on-line to see the photos....
See 'ya all soon again. God bless, Pat.
********************************************************************
If you have enjoyed Kiely's Comments County Waterford newsletter please spread the word.
*******************************************************************
COPYRIGHT The copyright of the photos and text belongs to Pat Kiely(Lismore)1999_2001...
email: patkiely@eircom.net
