Not a case of illegal dumping in Windgap, but the result of Windgap N.S. Parents Association's "Clothes Collection" on Monday morning. 
​Thanks to all !

In the Annual Report of the Super Valu Tidy Towns at the Helix Theatre in Dublin both local Windgap and Tullahought villages were lauded amongst the twenty two Kilkenny and eight hundred and sixty two entries nationwide.

In the adjudicators individual reports it was stated “Tullahought is a charming traditional Irish rural village with a fascinating heritage, one of a few of its kind left in the country. It has been many years since your adjudicator's last visit to Tullahought and it was a pleasure to note that the village is as charming as ever with the addition of fine new amenity features for the benefit of the community and visitors”. 

In adjudicators comments in Windgap it was stated “It has been too long since Windgap last participated your adjudicator enjoyed the visit to your charming village. Windgap is a lovely village with some charming amenity developments and wildlife amenity features and opportunities for children”.

Amongst the highlights found in Windgap were “Windgap’s lake and woodland amenity area together with children’s playground are enviable attractions that many communities would love to have. Whilst in Tullahought “Congratulations were paid on the Quern Stones sculpture”. 

To view the Windgap Report go to
http://www.tidytowns.ie/u_reports/2015/2015%20County%20Kilkenny%20Windgap%201105.pdf

​To view the Tullahought Report go to
http://www.tidytowns.ie/u_reports/2015/2015%20County%20Kilkenny%20Tullahought%20404.pdf

Juvenile and adult registration for tullahought badminton club will be held on Wednesday the 20th of september in the community centre. Juveniles €30 adults €35

​Walking Group: Walking Group meets in Tullahought Church Car Park Mondays and Fridays at 7.30 sharp. Requirements: hi-vis jacket and flash lamp.  New walkers would be very welcome.

​Windgap N.S. Parents Association:

​Clothes Collection will take place at the Community Hall between 9 am and 9:30 am on Monday, 28th September; black sacks may be used. If you have any queries, please contact Barbara Kelly at 051-648915 or 086-1712150.

Sagart Paróiste: Fearghus Ó Fearghail

Mass Times: Windgap: Saturday, 7.30 p.m. Tullahought: Sunday, 10 a.m.
Windgap, Monday, 9.30 a.m.

Recent Death: Rita Conalty, Wicklow Town (mother of Leo Conalty, Coolhill).

Anniversaries: Windgap: Walter Culleton, Coolhill; Jimmy Murphy, Cotterstown.

Tullahought: Thomas Purcell, Inchanagloch.

Windgap: Readers for September: 6, Michelle O’Brien; 12, Marie Brown; 19, Larry O’Shea; 27, Thomas O’Callaghan.

Eucharistic Ministers: 6, Catherine Meagher; 12, Ann O’Shea; 19, Breda O’Shea; 27, Eileen O’Gorman.

Tullahought: Eucharistic Ministers for September: 6, Leo Conalty; 13, Patricia Power; 20, Mary Walsh; 27, Eileen Grace

Sunday Readings: Wisdom 2:12, 17-20: the life of a righteous, virtuous person is an embarrassment to the wicked. In Psalm 54 the psalmist appeals to God in whom he trusts to uphold his cause. James 3;16-4:3: envy and selfish ambition lead to disorder and wickedness; the roots of violence and war lie in the human heart– it is the wisdom of God that brings peace. Mark 9:30-37: "Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all”.

Special Collection: The letters for the Special Collection will be delivered to each house in the parish in the coming week.  Please be as generous as you can.

Windgap Youth Club: Windgap Youth Club recommences its activities, Friday, 2nd Oct.  New and existing members (secondary school pupils) are all welcome.  Anyone interested in becoming a leader should please come along.  Registration will take place on Thursday, 4th October, in Windgap Hall, from 7.30 pm to 8.30 pm.  Cost: €20 per member, with €40 the maximum per family. Refreshments will be served.  All enquiries to 0871007676.

Windgap N.S. Parents Association: Clothes Collection will take place at the Community Hall between 9 am and 9:30 am on Monday, 28th September; black sacks may be used. If you have any queries, please contact Barbara Kelly at 051-648915 or 086-1712150.

Walking Group: Walking Group meets in Tullahought Church Car Park Mondays and Fridays at 7.30 sharp. Requirements: hi-vis jacket and flash lamp.  New walkers would be very welcome.

Camphill Ballytobin Open Day: Sunday, 20 Sept. 2-5p.m.  All the usual fun and games, stall, vegetables from Camphill Gardens, wheel of fortune, crafts, cakes, coffee etc. and afternoon tea.

Coming up: Mount Carmel Golf Classic: Callan Golf Club, Frid./Sat. 2/3 October 2015–contact Robert Woodcock to get on timesheet, or as a sponsor to sponsor a hole or prize : tel. 0876592977. You can support Mount Carmel also by buying Raffle tickets for this worthy cause – at Mount Carmel, Callan Golf Club or from a Committee Member.

Irish Wheelchair Association: The Irish Wheelechair Association wishes to express its gratitude to the people of Windgap and Tullahought for their generosity in support of the recent collection.  The sum of €390 was raised.

South Kilkenny Historical Society lecture: O Donovan Rossa Commemorated, by Gabriel Doherty (UCC): 8.15 pm. Thursday, 24th September; Admission Free; All welcome. The lecture will be preceded, at 8pm, by the launch of the Society's 1916 Commemoration Programme by Cllr. Mary Hilda Cavanagh, chairperson Kilkenny County Council.

Coming up: National Eucharistic Congress 2015 in Knock: The Irish Bishops Conference will celebrate a National Eucharistic Congress on the weekend of 25-27 September at Knock Shrine, Co. Mayo in preparation for the next International Eucharistic Congress 2016 which will take place in the Philippines next January. The theme for the National Congress, echoing the theme of IEC2016, is “Christ, our Hope” (Col 1:27).  The Congress which is free of charge will focus on important pastoral questions in the life of the Church such as Marriage and the Family, the Year for Consecrated Life and the upcoming Jubilee of Mercy.  The programme will include over 40 workshops and talks; Children’s Programmes; Youth Space; Perpetual Adoration ; Sacrament of Reconciliation;  Liturgy of the Hours; Concert of Praise and Worship; Candlelight Procession  and lots more.

Bus to Congress: Ossory Young Priests’ Society are running a bus to the Congress on Saturday, 26th September 2015. Fr Brian Griffin, St. John’s Parish, will act as spiritual director. Bishop Freeman will attend the Congress and meet the Ossory pilgrims in Knock. Departure:  7.00 a.m. Loughboy Car Park, Kilkenny; 7.20 a.m. The Square, Ballyragget; Cost: €13.00 per person Contact: Marian Fennelly at 086-0693510. The bus will stop in Moate for refreshments on both legs of the journey.

Vocations Awareness Afternoon: An afternoon of conversation and reflection for men aged 18 or over on becoming a priest in our diocese will take place in the Chapter Room St. Mary's Cathedral, Kilkenny, on Sunday October 4th from 2 pm to 5 pm. This is part of the Vocations Promotion Programme in the Diocese for 2015/2016. Sr. Louise Phelan DA for Secondary Schools and Fr Willie Purcell will visit the secondary schools with a presentation on 'becoming a priest or religious in the Diocese of Ossory; for further information contact Fr. Willie Purcell Vocations Director, at Tel: 0876286858, or ossoryvocdir@gmail.com.

Bridge Classes for Beginners:  Bridge classes for beginners will commence in St. Eoghan’s Centre, Kilmoganny, on Wednesday, 7th October 2015, at 8.00 p.m.  No knowledge of card playing is required.  Classes will continue for ten successive Wednesdays.  Cost: €20 for all 10 lessons (including tea/coffee); for further details contact 0872257498.

Priests of Windgap: The first parish priest of the post reformation parish of Windgap and Dunnamaggin of whom we are certain was Peter/Pierce Walsh who is described in August 1669, in a list of priests of the diocese, as Canon or Prebend of Killamery.  He was in fact parish priest of Windgap and Dunnamaggin. He is mentioned by Richard Butler of Roscon in his will of 24 September 1672. “I bequeath to father Pierce Wailsh twenty shillings and ten shillings more to the rest of the clergy to pray for me”.  Fr Walsh seems to have been translated to St. Canice’s parish in Kilkenny towards the end of 1682 and probably ministered there for some years.

It is likely that James Phelan who became bishop of Ossory in 1669 stayed from time to time with the Butlers in Garryricken.  He returned from France via London to Ireland with Richard Butler (brother of the Duke of Ormonde) around 1660 and lived in Kilcash for some years but during the following years he probably also stayed in the new Garryricken House which was built about 1660, particularly when he became PP of Callan in 1667.  As bishop of Ossory he ordained priests in the chapel of Garryricken House in 1675, 1677, 1680, 1681, 1683, 1684, 1685, 1686, 1687, 1688 and 1694.

Robert Tobin: Fr Tobin may have succeeded Fr Walsh in 1682.  In that year Father Robert and Father James Tobin are mentioned in the will of James Fanning of Baysrath, Dunnamaggin, made on 25 July 1683.

Update from Matthew O'Shea
​
Windgap under 10 boys finished off their 2015 hurling season with two matches at the Stoneyford Field Day on Sunday last. In their first match against our near neighbours Dunnamaggin they hurled tremendously with some wonderful skills being shown by both teams particularly in a thrilling end to end second half. At the final whistle only a goal separated the teams in Dunnamaggin’s favour. In their final match of the season Windgap defeated a gutsy Shamrocks side and despite the rain both teams served up some fine hurling. This brings to an end our outdoor season for our under 10 boys in 2015.
​Don’t forget as members of Windgap GAA club you are welcome to puck around at the pitch or the hurling wall anytime. Also we look forward to seeing some of you at the indoor hurling over the Winter.
On behalf of the coaches, thanks to all our players, it has been a joy to watch as you and your hurling skills progressed over the course of 2015. In addition thank you to all the parents that brought our players to training, matches and simply pucked around with them whenever time allowed. We have found year after year that the hurling they do outside of regular training and matches makes a big, big difference.                                            

Note that Matthews hign resolution picture is attached below. 

Viking Reenactment Day: Deise Medieval, a living history society from Waterford will come to the school on this Friday, 25th September to educate the pupils in a fun, interactive fashion about daily life in the Viking and Early Medieval Age. This day has been organised by Barbara Power from our committee who plays a female part in this society and we hope your 
child/children both enjoyable and educational.