Listowel is a famous town located on the banks of the river Feale in North Kerry. This historic town has been the market centre for the northof the county for centuries and is still a lively shopping town with numerous shops, pubs and restaurants. This is a very well maintained town which has been the recipient of many Tidy Towns awards in recent years.
It is the centre of the food processing of Kerry Group which has been the main employer in the area for decades.
What’s in Listowel?
The River Feale which flows through the town is a popular trout and salmon angling river. The town has a nice golf course and park and Listowel Emmets GAA Club is located here.
This town is famous for its many renowned writers including playwright John B. Keane who was the author of many internationally acclaimed plays including “The Field”. Other writers include Bryan McMahon, George Fitzmaurice and Maurice Walsh.
Listowel Writers Week, an annual festival held at the end of May or beginning of June each year, celebrates the lives of the numerous writers who were born in the area. It is attendedby many current literary celebrities and it awards prizes to writers in various categories.
The main square in the town is dominated by the Church of Ireland which has been converted into St. John’s Theatre.
Listowel Races
The Harvest Festival in September is the last horse racing festival of the year in Ireland. It is a mixture of Flat and National Hunt racing which goes on for 7 days and the great prize money on offer attracts some of the best horses from Ireland and some from abroad. This festival has been in existence since the 1850s and it attracts huge crowds to the town.
As well as the horse racing, the nights are very lively with pubs and restaurants packed with revellers enjoying the ‘craic’.
Click on the images for more views of Listowel
