Owen 'Eugene' Liston was the eighth and last of the children born to Paddy and Mary Ann (nee McAuliffe) Ahern on April 1st, 1930, in Athea. They were known as 'the Painter Listons' and came from a tradition as wheelwrights in the village. The family craft began immediately after Oiche na Gaoithe Moire (The Night of the Big Wind) which cause considerable devastation on January 6th, 1839. They collected a number of fallen trees and commenced making timber wheels for carts. Owen himself loved to say that, since a large portion of Kerry was blown eastwards that night, this may account for the decency of the people of west Limerick.
He attended school in Abbeyfeale and showed promise as a Gaelic football player as a Gaelic football player at an early stage. He was just 20 when he captained Athea to the club's first Limerick County Championship in 1950 and would later win a Munster Junior medal with Limerick. In the All-Ireland semi final, he marked the Derry legend, Jim McKeever, but unfortunately Limerick lost the game.
Cathy Scanlon, a aunt of the young Listons, owned the Ocean Bar in Ballybunion and on one particularly beautiful day as Owen ran up the sand dunes and looked out over the long beach and Shannon Estuary, he said to himself 'what a magnificent place to live."
It was also on a visit to Aunt Cathy that he came across Noreen O'Keefe and an enduring relationship developed. Owen joined An Garda Siochana in the early 1950s and after he and Noreen married, they lived in Dublin for three years. Padraic arrived in 1955 and shortly afterwards, Owen decided to return to Ballybunion and help his sister Kit in running the bar. After Padraic, Donal, Eoin, Maire and Sean completed the Liston family in Ballybunion.
With Kit in Seanad Eireann in 1963, he took over the bar, which duly became known as Liston's and it became a haven for Irish traditional music. Owen used to enjoy joining in the sessions on his bodhran.
He immediately became immersed in the local community. In time he served as chairman of Ballybunion Development Co. and St. Patrick's GAA Club, a director of Cork/Kerry Tourism and was a founder/member of the Ballybunion Festival.
He stepped down as chairman of St. Pat's to facilitate the amalgamation with Beale and the new entity won five of the six North Kerry Championships in the space of six years, beginning in 1977. Padraic played for the Kerry minors and later appeared in the National Football League until a knee injury terminated his career. Sean won an All-Ireland medal in 1985 and the towering Eoin had a remarkable career, gathering seven All-Ireland and four All Star awards along with a large number of Munster and National League medals.
Cancer ultimately claimed this great contributor to Ballyb and Kerry just a short few months after he had buried his eldest son Padraic, the former managing director of Murphy's Brewery, who was also struck down by the condition.
He was greatly pleased to be able to spend his last ten weeks in his own home at Kit Ahern Road, cared by his daughter Maire. The family wish to express their heartfelt appreciation for the doctors and nurses who cared for him during his illness, particularly the hospice nurses, his local district nurse Eileen Neville and family doctor and dear friend Dr Jim O'Sullivan as well as relatives from the O'Keefe families and the many dear friends and the many dear friend Dr Jim O'Sullivan, as well as relatives from the O'Keefe families and the many dear friends and neighbours, the musicians and singers who performed at the funeral and Fathers Kennelly and Spring.
Owen was predeceased by his Noreen and his son Padraic and died at home on Sunday, January 15th. Following repose at home, he was taken to St. Teresa's Church, Ballydonoghue, on Tuesday and was laid to reset at Killehenny Cemetery, Ballybunion, following Requiem Mass on Wednesday.
He is dearly missed by Donal, Eoin, Maire, and Sean, his grandchildren Colm, Emer, Ellen, Danny, Barry, Conor, Eoghan, Katie, Noirin, Maire, Aigneis, Jack, Tadhg and Mary, son-in-law Pat Hitchen, daughters-in-law Eileen, Jean, Lilian and Ciara, nephews and nieces, and relatives, including the Allen, Carey, Trinder, Liston and O'Keefe families, neighbours and many friends.

Kerry's Eye, 23rd January 2014 Tweet

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