Check out the Reports from various media below !

http://www.kilkennypeople.ie/sport/other-sports/classy-clare-is-booked-for-the-european-finals-1-6027215
http://www.kilkennypeople.ie/sport/other-sports/our-clare-jets-out-to-hungary-for-euro-finals-1-6083592

 WINDGAP PARISH NEWSLETTER     25 MAY 2014
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MASSES DURING THE WEEK
Monday & Friday: Dunamaggan at 9.30 a.m. First Friday mass in Windgap at 7.30 p.m. 
Tuesday: Windgap at 9.30 a.m.  
Wednesday & Thursday St. Joseph’s Home, Kilmoganny at 12.10 p.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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ANNIVERSARIES: 
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TROCAIRE BOXES should be returned to the Churches as soon as possible.
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THANKS from Epilepsy Ireland for €170 collected in the recent Church gate collection.
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THE TAX REBATE SCHEME Thanks to all who have returned the signed forms. If you have not done so as yet it would be appreciated if you could do so in the near future.
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SPECIAL COLLECTIONS: (1) Lourdes collection will be taken up as the 2nd Collection on this Sunday 25th May; (2) Diocesan Charities will be taken up as the 2nd collection on 8th June.
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THE SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION will be celebrated in St. Nicholas’ Church, Windgap on Sunday 1st June during 11.00 a.m. mass. There will be no 10.00 a.m. mass on 1st June.
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A PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL MEETING will take place in the Parochial House on Tuesday 3rd June at 8.00 p.m.

Windgap Camogie Club launches Fund Raising Draw with Cash, Hampers, Dinner Vouchers prizes. Tickets €5 from any member. Also Sellers Prize

Early Unofficial tallies show Matt Doran performing well in the Kilkenny city west electoral area.

From Jimmy Walsh (Kilkenny People)
2014 RÁS: The AN POST RAS passes through the area on Saturday next 24th May as it reaches the end of its eight day circuit of Ireland. Having started in Dunboyne the previous Sunday The Rás has been a worldwide sporting institution for over the past sixty years. The Rás arrives in Carrick-on-Suir on Friday 23rd and departs for Baltinglass the following morning before ending in Skerris on Sunday. Leaving Carrick at eleven the colourful peloton of one hundred and eighty riders that includes seventeen national and nineteen county teams competing the gruelling challenge that allows amateur county and club riders to pit themselves against domestic and international professionals will turn left at Maloney's Pub in (Skough). It will than travel along the main road through Birchwood, past Delaney’s Pub in Baunreigh before going right at Hawes cross towards Kilmoganny. On the route the King of the Mountains points will be awarded on The Tullahought Category 3 climb as the race climbs from Hawes cross to the summit at Barnatrasna. After the expected sprint at the peak somewhere near Tommy and Annie Moran’s house on the cross it then continues on down the hill to Kilmoganny. The leaders are expected to arrive at Hawes cross at ten past eleven and will be led by a colourful array of team cars and support vehicles, Camera bikes and Garda outriders. For those attending an early arrival is essential as road restrictions will be in place until the broom vehicle has passed. Local interest will be provided by the South Tipperary and Waterford county teams and the Sean Kelly An Post team as the race passes close by his where his mother Nellie Fitzpatrick was reared in Ballygown by her aunt Bridgid Kenny and also by her old National school in Kilmacoliver.

If you haven't already done so, vote now for the candidate of you choice in  either Windgap National school for those in the Pilltown electrol area, or in Callan hall for those in the Killamery to Coolagh end of the parish. 

Its open until 10 PM and this is your opportunity to decide who your local and European representatives are.  Its your democratic right and duty to vote.  

Vote is said to up a couple of percent on the last local elections, at both Windgap and Callan booth 2 !

WINDGAP PARISH NEWSLETTER     18 MAY 2014
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MASSES DURING THE WEEK
Monday & Friday: Dunamaggan at 9.30 a.m. First Friday mass in Windgap at 7.30 p.m. 
Tuesday: Windgap at 9.30 a.m.  
Wednesday & Thursday St. Joseph’s Home, Kilmoganny at 12.10 p.m.  No mass on Wednesday
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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ANNIVERSARIES: Christopher & Josephine Brennan, Tullahought, mass at 9.00 a.m. Sun 18th; Geoffrey Moore, Birchwood, mass at 9.00 a.m. Sun. 18th; Mary O’Meara, Baunreigh.
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TROCAIRE BOXES should be returned to the Churches as soon as possible.
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MASS OF HEALING will be celebrated in (1) St. Nicholas’ Church, Tullahought on Thursday 22nd May at 3.00 p.m. (2) at the Grotto in Dunamaggan at 7.30 p.m. on Thursday 22nd May.
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THE TAX REBATE SCHEME Thanks to all who have returned the signed forms. If you have not done so as yet it would be appreciated if you could do so in the near future.
**************************************************************************************
SPECIAL COLLECTIONS: (1) Lourdes collection will be taken up as the 2nd Collection on 25th May; (2) Diocesan Charities will be taken up as the 2nd collection on 8th June.
**************************************************************************************
THE SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION will be celebrated in St. Nicholas’ Church, Windgap on Sunday 1st June during 11.00 a.m. mass. There will be no 10.00 a.m. mass on 1st June.
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A PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL MEETING will take place in the Parochial House on Tuesday 3rd June at 8.00 p.m.
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Windgap Tullahought Notes May 18thwith Jimmy Walsh
 
HURLERS GREAT WIN: 
The Junior hurlers deservedly created a surprise result in Windgap on Friday evening as league table toppers Blacks and Whites visited in search of three wins on the trot. Played in perfect conditions on a sultry summers evening a gusty and hungry display saw immense contributions by the underage team members with minor players Niall Walsh scoring 1-1, Peter Hennessy 0-2 and under twenty one player Cian Ryan 0-8. From the outset both understrength sides battled toe to toe as they were even four times in the first half and only a point seperated the sides on five occasions in the second half. After a bright start the visitors led by 0-2 to nil before Windgap rallied to lead 0-6 to 0-5 after seventeen minutes. Having went two ahead the Black’s and Whites replied before the games major score arrived. A fine run by Eoin Cody saw Niall Walsh collect the ball well out on the left. In a move with pace and a very narrow angle to aim at he drove the ball to the back of the net to give his side 1-7 to 0-6 lead at the break. Within minutes of the restart it was back to a brace of points as the hour long battle between ace free takers Black’s and White’s Niall Kennedy and Windgaps Cian Ryan swung Cian Ryan’s way as he unerringly tacked on points. Under pressure and battling to hold a one point lead approaching the fiftieth minute two fine Peter Hennessey points put his side back three points in front. As the game swung up and down the field a fine save by Paul McKenna in the Windgap goal kept the momentum going as two late points by the visitors saw the locals collect their first brace of points on a 1-13 to 0-15 scoreline. Others to perform well were Eoin Cody, Paraic Walsh and Phillip Lonergan.
CAMOGIE NEWS: Windgap Camogie Club launched a Fund Raising Draw with Cash, Hampers and Dinner Vouchers as prizes over the weekend. Tickets costing €5 are available from any member or player. The draw also includes a sellers Prize. Windgap Senior Camogie side travelled to New Ross on Sunday where they had a win over Blackwater in a challenge game.
UNSOCIABLE BEHAVIOUR: The saga continues unabated with more robberies in the area in the past fortnight. Now as an integral part of the conversation as the weather, the mention of more unsociable behaviour or robberies in any conversation at a match, pub or outside the Church elicits a round of similar experiences from residents from across the country.  The abiding fear for everyone is that there appears to be no end of it in sight and it has been highlighted by most of the election candidates as one of the main topics along with un-employment and emigration they encounter.
AUSTERITY EFFECTS: The new seasonal issues that have arisen through the reduction in the Summer Jobs market for students will apparently see more of them stay away in the countries where they are studying or move away to get employment during the main months of the Hurling and Camogie seasons.
2014 RÁS: The AN POST RAS passes through the area on Saturday next 24th May as it reaches the end of its eight day circuit of Ireland. Having started in Dunboyne the previous Sunday The Rás has been a worldwide sporting institution for over the past sixty years. The Rás arrives in Carrick-on-Suir on Friday 23rd and departs for Baltinglass the following morning before ending in Skerris on Sunday. Leaving Carrick at eleven the colourful peloton of one hundred and eighty riders that includes seventeen national and nineteen county teams competing the gruelling challenge that allows amateur county and club riders to pit themselves against domestic and international professionals will turn left at Maloney's Pub in (Skough). It will than travel along the main road through Birchwood, past Delaney’s Pub in Baunreigh before going right at Hawes cross towards Kilmoganny. On the route the King of the Mountains points will be awarded on The Tullahought Category 3 climb as the race climbs from Hawes cross to the summit at Barnatrasna. After the expected sprint at the peak somewhere near Tommy and Annie Moran’s house on the cross it then continues on down the hill to Kilmoganny. The leaders are expected to arrive at Hawes cross at ten past eleven and will be led by a colourful array of team cars and support vehicles, Camera bikes and Garda outriders. For those attending an early arrival is essential as road restrictions will be in place until the broom vehicle has passed. Local interest will be provided by the South Tipperary and Waterford county teams and the Sean Kelly An Post team as the race passes close by his where his mother Nellie Fitzpatrick was reared in Ballygown by her aunt Bridgid Kenny and also by her old National school in Kilmacoliver.
VILLAGE ENHANCEMENTS: Development work continues in both villages as beech hedging was planted in Windgap and work continued on the rebuilding of a wall in Tullahought. The closing date for this years Tidy Towns competition is May 22nd.
CLUB NEWS: Windgap play host to Tullaroan in the Paddy Cahill Cup at 7.30 on Friday evening and to Mooncoin at Junior B level at a time to be confirmed on Saturday.  ,
OUT AND ABOUT: With the nesting season in full swing the blue tits nesting in a hole in a sycamore tree have been busy in recent days making uncountable journeys to and fro to feed the nest of fledglings. Having been observed by a grey crow who traced their destination to the nest, its attempts to seek out the occupants was defied owing to the depth the nest was within the tree. Deprived of his feast his search continued at a slow deliberate pace as he observed the activities of the other small birds in the search for another nest. Elsewhere the low pressure belt has seen the house martins weave a high speed maze of patterns between eve and tree top level as they sweep about to collect insects and glide accurately and almost without a beat of their wings back to their nests. Displaying their white rump whilst leaving the nest their never ending activity clocks up substantial distances each day.
RAFFLE RESULTS: "Local" product was a strong theme at the Easter Sunday breakfast, from the scores of homemade brown breads supplied by volunteers to the door prizes on display in the hall. The Prize winners and prizes were; 1st prize a handmade patchwork quilt by Bridget Comerford went to Walter Power, Nine Mile House. 2nd prize the Easter bunny extravaganza cake created by Pauline O'Shea from 2 nice 2 Slice went to Kathleen O'Shea, Windgap. 3rd prize, a still life painting by local artist Sheila Cross was won by Joan O'Gorman, Skough. 4th prize a trailer load of firewood from Simon Brophy went to James Fahy c/o Leo Conalty. 5th prize was a turned lamp by john Ryan which went to Robert Meagher Kiltrassy. 6th prize a fruit hamper to Eileen Hawe, Coolhill. 7th prize an Easter egg to Rory Dullard. 8th prize a fruit hamper to Detty Byrne. 9th prize a box of sweets to Katie Daly. 10th prize was the Easter Bunny Hamper to Babette Conalty. 11th prize an Easter egg hamper to Gavin Cleere. 
HURLERS CO-OP DRAW: Supporters from near and far can support Windgap GAA Club by purchasing tickets from the local committee members or players or by going online, by visiting kilkennygaa.ie and select Windgap GAA Club whilst making a purchase. The Prize fund of €110,000 includes five cars.
SCRAP COLLECTION: If you are tidying up a farmyard for the silage and harvest season and want to get some scrap removed please give any committee member or collection co-ordinators of the hurling club a call. For any other old cars or scrap PJ Egan, PJ Barron and Simon Brophy are the contacts.
CLOTHES COLLECTION: A clothes collection fund raiser is being organised by the Camogie Club on Saturday 7th June at 9.30am. Items being collected include Bed Linen, Towels, Curtains, Shoes, Bags, Belts and Soft Toys. Also Laptops, Mobile Phones and Books excluding school books. All items can be dropped to the meeting room in Clubrooms before 9.30am or at any training session or match. For further arrangements and details Contact Ann Foley, Kathleen Purcell, Mary Byrne, Elaine Purcell or any committee member.
NOTES: Contributors and Clubs are invited to email items for publication with a name and contact number to [email protected] by Sunday evenings at 6pm. For all the local news visit the parish website windgap.ie