LOOKING AHEAD: Living for the weekend, has taken on a new meaning as the weeks ahead are viewed in the locality. Starting with the Heritage Weekend in Tullahought from 29th to 31st of August it will be followed by National and Local events when Heritage and Sport conjoin as Kilkenny face Tipperary in the All Ireland Hurling Final in Croke Park on Sunday September 7th. Next up is the Clubs championship outing against Bennettsbridge on the Saturday 13th followed by the All Ireland Camogie Final on the Sunday 14th. To add to the focus of the All Ireland weekends, local connections will see Niall Walsh as a member of the extended minor panel and Denise Gaule play in the All Ireland Senior Camogie Final.
QUIZ TIME: Guinans Bar and Lounge in Windgap is the venue on this Thursday 28th at 8.30pm for the "Drive for Liam" All Ireland Hurling Final Radio Quiz. The event has amazing prizes for the All Ireland weekend that include Match Tickets, Banquet Tickets, Hotel overnights in the City West and a Mediterranean Cruise. On the air John Walsh and Edwina Grace will cast the questions as teams of co-ordinators will check the results that will arrive in from contestants from the top of the of the country to the bottom. Teams of four cost €20 and all were welcome to participate and support in any way.
HERITAGE WEEK: The annual heritage weekend commences in Tulllahought on Friday:29th August and runs until Sunday 31st. The Official opening and an Exhibition of old photographs will be carried out by Mr. Eamon Aylward, Chairman of Piltown Municipal District at 8pm. It will be followed by a Cheese and Wine Reception at 8.30pm and a Lecture by Mr. Richard Hyland from Kilkenny entitled ‘Slatequarries 1820 to 1827 – Hyland FamIly Connection at 9.30pm. The evening will conclude with a Traditional Music session, song and storytelling.
Saturday 30th August will see the Photographic Exhibition continue from 3pm. At 8pm the Opening of the Quern Stone Sculpture beside the Wildlife lake will be followed by a Lecture given by Dr. Barry O’Reilly, Fethard entitled ‘Domestic Milling in Ireland.
The list of activities on Sunday 31st will include the Under 12’s - Mike Williams Memorial Hurling and Camogie Shields at 11.00am in Tullahought Sportsfield. The Photographic Exhibition continues from 12noon to 5pm. At 2.30pm the Kilmacoliver Loop Walk over the new route starts at Tullahought Church. A traditional skills display and Vintage Car Display commences in the village at 2pm.
FOOTBALL LINKS. Over one hundred years of local football history was linked when a gold American Football Championship medal won by Mattie Butler in 1917 made a visit recently to his home place where he learned the game. The medal was one of many won by the great Kilkenny teams that dominated the American Gaelic Football scene at a time of when the game was reputed to be stronger in the United States then it was at home. Wearing Black sweaters with a Green Sash and a Shamrock on the breast the side was undefeated from 1904 to 1912 and won more titles through to the 1920's. Mattie from Kilcasey was a member of the sides that were renowned in song and story and were built with players from all of the local clubs that included The Slatequarry Miners, Lamogue, Cotterstown, Glenmore, Comer, Ballyhale, Gowran, Kells, Knocktopher and Slieverue. In New York Mattie married Bridget Duggan from Poulrone, Tullahought whose brother Jimmy was another member of the famed sides. Now a beautiful piece of jewellery and a family heirloom it is attached to a Gold Pocket watch that was handed down through the family and is now in the hands of his granddaughter Maureen Ford. Three generations later, the links forged between the local families when they emigrated to New York over a century ago, still remain intact with a visit to the local towns lands and the Daly Home in Cotterstown being part of Maureen and her daughter Jaclyns agenda. The sides achievements were recorded in Thomas Veales songs of the time and are now published in James Murphy's, Black and Amber Glory a Book of the Poetry and Songs of County Kilkenny. In one the lines concerning some of the local stars in the great finals against Cork and Cavan included mentions of other emigrants, like the Miners Captain Pat Conway from Knockroe and his teamates Ned Shea, Bob and Jack Maher. An extract from another one of the verses describes the play as
"The leather goes from Phelan now (Tom of Windgap) to Duggan (Jimmy) of renown
And across to Tommy Daly , the pride of Cotterstown.
Now Furlong and Jim Farrell they have charged the Cavan backs
With Kilkenny's Matty Butler in some fierce and grand attacks
The visit rekindles interest in a lost era of Kilkenny Football that boomed in the United States after employment led emigration occurred almost directly after the Counties All Ireland Senior Football Semi Final win by the Slatequarry Miners over the Munster Champions Tipperary. The game that was played in Carrick-on-Suir took place in 1900.
ALL IRELAND CAMOGIE: Denise Gaule was one of the stars of the county Kilkenny Senior side who defeated Galway in the All Ireland semi final in Limerick on Sunday. The side plays the winners of the Wexford verses Cork replay. At Intermediate level
FIRST ICE BUCKET: Tullahoughts first ice bucket challenge took place after Jaclyn Ford visiting form the United States in search of her roots was challenged by her friend Nicole De Salvo from Plainview, Brooklyn. The ice supplied by Shane Power of Powers pub was deposited by her cousin Pat Walsh. The world wide phenomenon spread through the parish at the weekend with Facebook displaying new events and challenges in support of Motor Neuron disease funding..
DEVELOPMENT NEWS: In Windgap village preparatory work for the new Playground by Kilkenny County Council is expected to commence in the next couple of days. The opening of the Community Shop and Tea Rooms scheduled for the Parochial House on August 31st has been deferred.
WALL BUILDING: Supplies of stone and volunteers are required to have the wall at the Frankfurt end of Windgap Village completed in time to benefit from a resurfacing programme in the area that would see the footpath beside it tarred. To date a handful of volunteers working each Saturday have made good progress against the deadline.
MATCH TICKETS: The Draw for All Ireland tickets for the Kilkenny and Tipperary Senior game and the Kilkenny and Limerick minor game will take place in the Club Rooms on Monday next the 1st of September.
CLUB NEWS: In preparation for the Junior Championship game with Bennettsbridge Windgap played Fenor in a challenge game in Windgap on Sunday morning.
YOUTH NEWS: Foróige is looking for adult volunteers to get involved with our clubs countywide. If you have a skill to share or are passionate about working with young people, apply to join our team today. Forogie have over 600 clubs throughout Ireland that cater for young people aged 10 – 18. Foróige Clubs and Junior Groups support thousands of young people to be the best they can be; make things happen, learn new skills and have fun too. For more information please contact Rosie O’Brien Foróige Regional Youth Officer on 086 2997677 or [email protected] . For more information on Foróige check out www.foroige.ie or like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/foroige. Please note that all volunteers must comply with Foróige’s volunteer recruitment process which includes an informal interview, Garda vetting, reference checks and training.
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
Regards
Jimmy Walsh
[email protected]
051 648366
087 7875501