Here are a few quick GAA Updates relayed from Windgap Twitter account at 
https://twitter.com/WindgapGAA


CLUB GEAR: Hoodies, Jerseys, Balls, Helmets at cost price. red training jerseys, adult togs cut price. also no of rain jackets. 051 648366.

2014 Hurling Draws provide Kilmacow, John Lockes, Piltown, Blacks and Whites as the opposition at Junior Hurling level. Time to get started

Junior Footballers face Carrigeen, Muckalee, Graiguenamanagh and Tullougher Rosbercon in championship games in the weeks ahead.

All editions of the Kilkenny GAA Yearbook from 1972 to 2012 are now online at kilkennygaa.ie Resources tab compliments of Gerry O'Neill & IT

Windgap Tullahought Notes Jan. 13th 2014

with Jimmy Walsh

(Notes for 6th and 13th Jan published this week)

DRAWS SET THE SCENE: The new hurling and football season opened when the championship draws were held in Nowlan Park on Monday evening. For the reigning Southern Junior Hurling Champions the J J Kavanagh & Son Junior Hurling Group B had a Divisional feel to it when Windgap drew both of their neighbouring sides Piltown and John Lockes along with old rivals Kilmacow who are under former Windgap trainer Brendan Fennelly. They are joined by Windgaps sister club for many years at underage level Galmoy. The group is completed by the Blacks & Whites. With Championship favourites Bennettsbridge and Mooncoin in the opposite section of the draw the forecasting of outcome of the final league table will be difficult with sides jockeying for a high points tally to evade the favourites in the early stage of the knockout competition and to steer clear of the feared relegation zone.         

In the J J Kavanagh & Son Junior Football championship Carrigeen, Muckalee and Turllougher Rosbercon provide the opposition in the competition. Played on a league basis with the placings determining the eventual championship draws this years competitions at all levels sees the implementation of mouthgaurds in football and full face guards in hurling.
CLOTHING COLLECTION: A clothes collection in aid of the Dochas will take place on Thursday the 16th of January in the Car Parks of Windgap and Tullahought Churches at 11.30 am. The collection is in aid of the Nasuma Orphanage in Kenya which is built and run by Irish personnel. Suitable items for collection are clean clothing of all types and also towels, sheets, sheets and handbags. For further details contact Marie on 087 6890995
K2 CORRIDOR: A public meeting about the environmental, health and property impacts of the Eirgid plans to erect twelve hundred 400Kv pylons under the Gridlink project takes place in the Clubhouse in Faugheen on Monday 13th.at 7.45. Recent meetings have taken place across the country with a march to the top of Vinegar Hill recently. Whilst the cables are scheduled to run overhead across the South East and Midlands, it appears similar proposals to connect Dunnestown station in Kildare to Carrickmines in Dublin and other areas will be under grounded owing to population densities.

BRIDGE: Winners at the Killamery Bridge Club game held in the Olde House were 1st. Mary Lonergan and Josie O'Gorman. Best Gross: Peggy Vaughan and Stella Tenneyson. 2nd Finoula Walsh and Annette Meagher. 3rd Peggy Margaret Comerford and Pat Arrigan. 4th: Moira Hickey and Agnes Foley

CARDS: The next Hurling Club Progressive 25 card drive takes place in Guinans on Friday 24th of January and all are welcome to attend.

CLUB MERCHANDISE: Currently available in most sizes are Club Hoodies, Jerseys and Hurling Balls and Helmets at cost price. Also available in time for the new season training are large red training jerseys, adult togs at cut prices along with and a number of rain jackets. For further details contact any committee member or call 051 648366.
UNSOCIABLE BEHAVIOUR: Should acts of vandalism be highlighted or not has become the main debate as drivers continue to drive into the grass margins on the road from Tullahought Village towards Carrick on Suir. The country road, that is as straight as a die for most of a mile with grass margins almost fifteen feet or five meters wide, is being continually driven on and the carefully manicured margins being damaged by careless drivers. Acceptable on narrow twisting roads where forthcoming cars cannot be seen and would have to pull in the damage is being carried out mostly at night time when headlights should give additional warning of other vehicles approaching. Part of a new driving phenomena where the regular walkers who use the safety of the straight road with the wide margins are now deemed to be in danger no matter how far they step away from the side of the road. Along with indiscriminate dumping of fast food containers in plastic bottles and wrappers from vehicles it has joined the ongoing robberies as a major conversation topic.

COMPLIMENTS: Thanks are extended to the many people who supplied material to the weekly notes and have helped to record the ongoing activities of the community. Contributors and Clubs are invited to email items for publication with a name and contact number to windgapnotes@gmail.com by Sunday evenings at 6pm. For all the local news visit the parish website windgap.ie

Windgap Tullahought Notes Jan. 6th 2014


IN AINM DÓ: A local success story was highly visible over the South East when the colourful homemade name plaques made by Liz Cashin in Courtnaboula West were on sale at the weekly Friday market in the Showground’s in Clonmel and also at the Christmas Craft Fair in the Market Cross in Kilkenny. Having started it as a hobby during her time in Middlesex in England, Liz saw it became a part time project following her visit to the local car boot sale after her return home with her young family in 1997.  Since then it has developed through various market, fairs and events to a fulltime occupation with many other items being added to the gallery along with personalised commissions. The new ranges include Crazy Sheep and Mad Cows enhanced with county colours, butterflies and ladybirds for girls and hurley's, footballs, cars and tractors for the boys. The plaques are all handmade from a modelling clay dough, placed on a pine board, baked in the oven, hand painted and then lacquered for a nice gloss finish. Glamour has been added to the plaques through the new company name Ainm Dó a combination of the Irish ainm for name and Dó for the dough used. Over the busy season it was all hands on deck as golfing husband Paul, Windgap Hurling playing son Daniel and St. Brighids College and Windgap camogie playing daughter Sarah helped man the stalls. One of a new brand of local entrepreneurs Liz’s wares will be on display in Clonmel as usual and now at the Market Cross on the first weekend of every month, Liz is contactable by email at ainmdo@gmail.com  Phone 056 7755063 or 087 2264834 on Facebook and also on www.ainmdo.ie
CARDS: Winners at the Hurling Club Progressive 25 card drive held in Guinans on Friday night were 1st. Mary Guinan and PJ Barron with eleven games. Second place went to Eamon Doyle and Robert Meagher. The table prize was won by Maura and Johnno Reid. Other prizes went to Neddy Hawe, Seamus Hawe Martin Madden, Johnny and Gracie Landy. The next game takes place on Friday 24th of January in Guinans. 
REAL CHRISTMAS CARD RESULTS:  A The results of the best designed Christmas cards from St. Nicholas National School were announced at the tea that was held in the parochial house after mass on Christmas morning. The winners were, 1st. Jack O'Shea, 2nd. Emer Barron 3rd. Sontae Jackson, 4th. Ciara O'Shea, 5th George Culleton for all the winners and more entries go to windgap.ie
TIDY TOWNS SETBACK: The two foot high Road signage strips erected by the local Tidy Towns committee members to mark the grass margins and to protect walkers at the wildlife lake were broken recently. Well in off the road they were driven over by a driver who was completely on the wrong side of the road. Luckily for the vehicle it was before the heavy rains where the margins were dry as the same manoeuvre in wetter conditions could have seen the car end up in a tree or the lake. In the same area a constant stream of water is making the pathways at the entry to the lake inaccessible.
UNSOCIABLE BEHAVIOUER: Another occupied isolated farmhouse was visited in recent days under the guise of the callers looking for something or other. The recent reasons, range from needing to make a phone call to being stuck for petrol or diesel.
ENTRANCE WIDENED: Almost fifty years after Bishop Peter Birch laid the foundation stone for the new Church in Windgap the entrance to the Car park has been altered to facilitate safer entry and egress to the parking facilities. The Church was built in the time when Fr Geoffrey Brennan from Ballyragget was the Parish Priest. In anther era the opening of the Church was greeted by a guard of honor from the defense forces and the event appeared on the nine o'clock news on the same Sunday night. Fr. Brennan was later the first priest to be laid to rest outside the front door of the Church which replaced the older one on the higher ground in the graveyard overlooking the village.
BRIDGE: Winners at the Killamery Bridge Club game held in the Olde House were 1st. Helen Lanigan, Catherine Burke. Best Gross: Finoula Walsh and Noreen Hayes. 2nd Stella Tennyson and Rita Townsend. 3rd Peggy Vaughan and Rita Houlihan. 4th: Annette Meagher and Pat Arrigan


PLAYGROUND: Following the receipt of planning permission with five stipulations the arranging of an extended overdraft facility is well under way. Its arrival clears the door for the application to Kilkenny Leader Partnership for grant funding.
CLUB MERCHANDISE: Currently available in most sizes are Club Hoodies, Jerseys and Hurling Balls all at cost price. Also available in time for the new season training are large red training jerseys, adult togs at cut prices along with and a number of rain jackets. For further details contact any committee member or call 051 648366.
COMPLIMENTS: Thanks go to the many people who supplied material to these weeks’ notes and have helped to record the ongoing activities of the community. Contributors and Clubs are invited to email items for publication with a name and contact number to windgapnotes@gmail.com by Sunday evenings at 6pm. For all the local news visit the parish website windgap.ie

Please note that previous two weeks are also attached below !

WINDGAP PARISH NEWSLETTER     5 JANUARY 2014

MASSES DURING THE WEEK
Monday & Friday in Dunamaggan at 9.30 a.m. First Friday mass in Windgap at 7.30 p.m.  
Wednesday & Thursday in St. Joseph’s Home, Kilmoganny at 12.10 p.m.
Tuesday in Windgap at 9.30 a.m.
Saturday:  Kilmoganny at 7.00 p.m.; 
Sunday: Tullahought at 9.00 a.m.; Windgap at 10.00 a.m.; Dunamaggan at 11.00 a.m.
Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in St. Nicholas’s Church, Windgap each Monday from 10.00 a.m. – 8.00 p.m.
Holy Hour each Wednesday from 3.00 - 4.00 p.m. St. Leonard’s Church, Dunamaggan. 
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MONTH’S MIND: Jimmy Moore, Birchwood, mass at 9.00 a.m. Sun. 5th.
ANNIVERSARIES: Pauline Comerford, Lamogue, mass at 10.00 a.m. Sun. 5th; Cloe Edwards-Enright, mass at 10.00 a.m. Sun 5th; John Phelan, Seskin, mass at 10.00 a.m. Sun 5th.
Mary Moore, Birchwood, mass at 9.00 a.m. Sun 12th; Mary & Edward Morrissey, Ballygowan, mass at 9.00 a.m. Sun. 12th; Recently Deceased: Nell Walsh, formally Butlerswood & England, mass at 10.00 a.m. Sun. 12th.
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FEAST OF THE EPIPHANY in on Monday 6th January. It is a Holy Day of Obligation. Masses for the Feast will be at the usual Weekend times; Sunday 5th in Kilmoganny at 7.00 p.m.; Monday in Tullahought at 9.-00 a.m.; Windgap at 10.00 a.m. and Dunamaggan at 11.00 a.m.
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BRIDGE resumes in St. Eoghan’s Centre, Kilmoganny on this Wednesday 8th January at 8.00 p.m. ****************************************************************************************
MASS IN WESTCOURT: The monthly mass to pray for the intercession of Blessed Edmund Rice in our lives and for his canonisation will take place in Westcourt on Monday 13th January 2014 at 7.30p.m. The liturgy for this mass will be prepared by Callan Friendship Society. Please note change of date. All are welcome.

Please see the previous two weeks attached

Apologies for the lack of updates over the last two weeks. This was unavoidable, but normal service resumes today.

County juvenile handball fixtures available now on kilkenny handball website please check to see if are playing. click here to see fixtures

Windgap GAA Progressive 25 Card Drive takes place in Guinans in Windgap on Friday next 3rd January at 9pm. All are welcome

Windgap Tullahought Notes Dec. 29th

CARDS: The Hurling Club Progressive twenty Five Card Drive takes place in Guinans on Friday next the 3rd January at 9pm sharp and all are welcome. 
WINDY WEATHER: The stormy weather brought resulted in power and phone cuts owing to lightning in the run up to Christmas whilst St. Stephens night brought wind inflicted ones. The high wind also resulted in traffic diversions as some roads were closed whilst fallen trees were removed. With electrical supplies reconnected within in a few hours it is hoped that repair crews will have phone services restored at the time of going to print.
SAINT STEPHENS DAY WALK: The annual community development St. Stephens Day Walk attracted a crowd of almost one hundred and fifty. Commencing at the GAA Club Rooms it was led off by Irish Senior Boxing champion and dual bronze medallist Clare Grace. In its third outing, it went via the wooded section of the new amenity walk and via the lake onto the Hill Road. A great community occasion there was plenty of banter and chat exchanged as the attire saw Catherine Foley wearing her New South Wales Camogie top, her brother John just back from Kansas and Davy Power in from Perth amongst the participants. Amongst the many visitors was a large Tipperary contingent displaying their premier tops. On the day they saw their iconic mountain of Slievenamon in a new format from the other side as the route swept through the old football stronghold of Lamogue and on to Barnatrasna. Shepherded across the unusually quiet main road by the stewards it was downhill to Knockeen and Tullahought for refreshments. Hot punch, minerals, sweets and crisps were not the first choice for the runners who were the first arrivals at the half way stage as they checked their seven kilometre times and went for the local fresh water instead. After time for a chat, it was away again as some headed back to organise dinners the remaining headed back for Windgap via Baunreigh and the Slatequarries. Passing the mill the waterfall was in a majestic flow of white water after the recent rains. Amongst the many runners were aspiring members of the county minor and under twenty one hurling and junior football county teams in Peter Hennessey, Cian Ryan, Adrian Landy and Shane Walsh respectively. Thanks are extended to all of the walkers who attended and made it such an enjoyable day. 
SOLTICE ON TV: Neillis Dennihy of RTE recorded footage of the solstice on the shortest day and had it edited and ready for the evening news, where it shared its time with its larger relation in Newgrange.
OUT THE WINDOW: A scarcity of finches of all types over their recent great numbers and the absence of the two visiting cock pheasants and their harem was noted through the kitchen window in the recent cold spell. Battling for their daily diet of meal, nuts and fat balls were a dozen sparrows, blue tits, robins, thrushes, dunnocks, great tits, blackbirds a pair of wagtails and crows. Nearby a magpie and wrens flited about as the finches make an occasional appearance. Missing was the big star of the show, the pheasant with the white wing bar who had been  accompanied by two female partners in the spring. Over time he had become tame enough to fly to the windowsill and would appear when any action was taking place in the kitchen. One of a pair of visiting males early in the year his opponent had to give ground towards the rear of the house as spring progressed. Having become accustomed to the comings and goings, one of the hens laid her first egg in the shade of the peas in the onion bed. Its disturbance, when weeding was taken palce saw it move away from its original nesting site. In recent weeks, its new site was located close by between the rows of potato drills where it had again nested until it was possibly disturbed by watering during the dry summer. Having been abandoned the eggs remained until the nest was found when the spuds were being dug out. Nearby a clutch of three chickens was reared and it is hoped it was third time lucky for the hen and that the chicks will grow to add to the sights for locals and the visiting walkers.  
CD'S OF WINDGAP: A small number of CD's of Windgap that were available for the Gathering can be purchased from Frances Brett or members of the Gathering Committee. Further details to follow.
CHRISTMAS TEA: The forerunner to the Gathering, tea was served for the second year in a row after Christmas morning mass in the Parochial House. The brainchild of Kate Moloney and her team it again attracted a great crowd many of whom had not met in the past year.
TEA ON THE NET: The tea for all event was streamed live from the parochial house via the parish website windgap.ie and was followed as far away as Australia, America and at home in Ireland.
LOCAL ELECTIONS: Just days before the New Year that sees the local elections being contested, competition has started in earnest to gain brownie points with supporters of two of the major parties claiming credit for getting small roadwork’s done by the County Council whilst the major issue of protecting the public and their properties by catching and incarcerating robbers is being precieved locally as having made no improvement for generations even with the ongoing changes of governments. Recent days have seen the local post office in Kilmoganny and an isolated homestead being robbed whilst occupied.
BRIDGE: Winners at the Killamery Bridge Club game held in the Olde House were 1st. Helen Lanigan and Catherine Burke. Best Gross: Finoula Walsh and Noreen Hayes. 2nd Stella Tennyson and Rita Townsend. 3rd Peggy Vaughan and Rita Houlihan. 4th: Annette Meagher and Pat Arrigan
SCRAP COLLECTION: Windgap Hurling Club is wrapping up their Scrap Collection this week. The collection is going well to date thanks to the generosity of local residents. The proceeds will assist the repairing of the Ball Stop netting behind the goals. For more details contact PJ Egan, PJ Barron, Simon Brophy or any member of the committee. All last minute donations of scrap are greatly appreciated.
COMPLIMENTS: Thanks go to the many people who supplied material to these weeks’ notes and have helped to record the ongoing activities of the community. Contributors and Clubs are invited to email items for publication with a name and contact number to windgapnotes@gmail.com by Sunday evenings at 6pm. For all the local news visit the parish website windgap.ie