The People

The People who resided at Kiely's

The Dillane's

The title deeds show that Matthew Dillane was the first owner of 53 church st. He was a victualler on church lane. In 1819 the year the house was built, Matthew Dillane jnr became the owner of the house when his father Matthew snr died. Mathew jnr was the eldest son he sold the house to Timothy Dillane Tailor in 1843. Timothy lived here for a number of years and had a tailor shop here He lived and traded here throughout the 1850's and 60's he passed it on to John Dillane as a farmer at Asdee west in 1873.

The Stack's

In 1874 Thomas Stack, originally from Lissahane, purchased the House from John Dillane Their first son Thomas Francis was born October 15 the same year they bought the house. This was bought as a family house and shop by the Stacks. Thomas Stack was married to Hanora o Donoghue from Ballyrehan Lixnaw They were Married in 1870 at Lixnaw church Thomas had spent 15 years in the US prior to returning to his native Kerry. While in the US Thomas and his brother Richard partook in the long held Stack tradition of engaging in the major military battles. Like Edmund Stack a war hero of the 1745 French battle at Fontenoy and Decorated Captain Edward Stack, the American revolutionary war hero. The two stack brothers were engaged in many of the bloodiest battles of the devastating American Civil War. Thomas and Richard were not career soldiers. They were working in Alabama doing hard manual labor when story has it that if they did not sign up, they would not get paid monies due for some contract work that they were involved in. Thomas joined the Alabama 2nd regiment based mostly in Mobile, Alabama and Richard joined the Alabama 8th regiment company A. This regiment fought in all the major civil war battles.


St. Patricks in Montana built by Fr Thomas Francis Stack


	A Confederate soldier

Thomas escaped serious injury and returned home to a poor country but a safer one that the one he had left behind. The Stacks had Seven children Born here at 53 Church St: Molly, Thomas, Richard, James, Ellen, Elizabeth, Michael. All seven emigrated to the US as their father had done forty years prior. Philadelphia was the destination for most of these young church streeters. The girls worked as domestics and housekeepers mostly. James became a clergy assistant, Thomas Francis was ordained a priest in 1900. He built a cathedral in Billings, Montana in 1906 called St Patricks Co Cathedral. Michael Joseph, the youngest boy, was well taken care of by Molly his eldest sister. She was a housekeeper for some wealthy Philadelphia families. Michael served in WW1 in the Navy. He later became a Congressman (1930s). He served in the Naval Affairs Committe with future president, Lyndon B Johson. Ellen (Nelly) married William Hayes from Dromkeen Co Limerick . They had 5 boys and one girl.


	Nelly Stack

Thomas Stack left the house to his eldest son Fr Thomas Francis Stack (Glendive Montana USA) when he died in 1912. The Kielys were living in the house at the time. Jack Kiely and his wife Hanora Fitzgerald had a shoemaker business in the shop. 11 children were born to the Kielys here, twins died at birth leaving nine surviving children. Jack Kiely died tragically in 1914 at the age of 43 from tubercolosis leaving behind his young family. Kiely children were Mai b1902 she worked at Mc Auley Solicitors. The Square, Fr Michael b1904 spent most of his life in Sydney Australia. Agneas b1905 worked at Presbetary Duagh. John Kiely b1906 lived in Bronx, New York. Elizabeth Kiely b1909 worked in Mc Mahons Bar on Market Street for Jack McKenna's mother. She later worked at JP Kennelly's hardware shop in Main St. Lizzie as she was known was on a formidible local Camogie team. Nora Mary b1912 married Mossie Collins Abbeyfeale and reared a family in Abbeyfeale. Johanna b1908 lived at the Home place at College Cross. James was a twin of Johanna he was a Dental assistant to Dentist Bourson on Upper Church st. James or Jim died in his thirties. One by one the Kiely children were moved to College Cross where Nora Kiely's brothers and sisters helped rear the young family. By 1921 the House had been empty for a few years. The Young fatherless Kiely family had now fully relocated to their mother's home place at College Cross. In 1921 Fr Thomas Francis Stack sold the house to Marguerite Prendeville. Marguerite had lost her husband the previous year 1920 in the War of Independence. She bravely moved her five sons and one daughter to start a new life on Church st. The Country was at war. Church st had its share of strife with several shops being burned to the ground (Flavins, Breens and Jr Walshes). Murder, mayhem and mutiny ensued on Church st during that time.

The Prendeville's

The Prendeville family grew up here on Church st without a father; the identical fate of the previous family the Kielys. children were Jack, whop founded a school in Castleisland, Eddie married Vangie Hanlon's sister and became a doctor. Other brothers were Maurice, Gerard and Tommy. Nina the only daughter lived in Dublin. She married the head chef at the Shelbourne Hotel. In 1936 Marguerite Prendeville relocated to Dublin as all her children were now grown up and had moved on out. Mrs Prendeville sold the house to Nora Kiely after she had decided to leave for Dublin a property deal that no doubt was built on the solidarity between two brave widows.

The Ruane's

Guard Ruane and his young family rented 53 church st From the Kileys for approx 6 years in the late 1930s into the early 1940s after the Prendevilles had moved on. The Ruanes had Two Girls Nuala and Pat. They tragically lost a three year old son Michael to diphtheria, a disease that was prevalent among children before proper vaccinations became available .
The Ruane name Is associated mostly with Co. Mayo. Guard Ruane and family after serving in Listowel and Ballylongford was relocated to Youghal Co Cork where their children still live today.
The Ruane girls used to play with John B Keane's sisters and other local children. Pat tells a humorous anecdote about a game of cowboys and Indians on Church street that ended up with Nuala Ruane (cowboy) losing her entire auburn hair in a scalping by young John B Keane (Indian).


	Guard Ruane and his daughters Pat on left Nuala on right


Fr Michael Kiley and Brother Jim in Ballybunion

The Kiely's

Richard (Dick) Kiely and Marie Shannahan were married in the early 1940s and soon after took up residence at 53 Church st.
They were blessed with three children who were reared in this house and on this street. The new generation of young Kielys in time relocated to bigger cities both at home and abroad. This moving on continued the trend of past residents' children emigrating and migrating away from the homes they were reared in. Yes indeed as the song says "many young men of twenty said goodbye." Richard (Dick) Kiely worked locally at Mc Kenna's Hardware. He began there at very young age and worked there into his seventies. Through the backways to work it could only have taken a minute or two from door to door. The Kiely name is associated with Listowel for hundreds of years. And so another one of Church Street's families has moved on forever. The street is still busy—a different kind of busy.

I hope ye enjoy this web site and help me develop it further with any relevant facts, figures or photos.