CLANCY FEST: The Bank Holiday weekend Clancy Festival in Carrick visits the locality this weekend when one of the original Clancy brother haunts Powers of Tullahought appears on the entertainment agenda. The local events include on Sat 31st - Live music with Roisin Clancy, Ryland Teifi & Special Guests - TG4 and S4C are filming a documentary on the Clancy Brothers and plan to do some filming in Tullahought. The following day Sun 1st - Live music with Ciaran & Martin Tourish (of the famed ALTAN). The events run from Wednesday 28th to Monday June 2nd with local club player Niall Walsh defending his Urban Poc Fada through the streets of the town on the Monday.
MUSIC AND ARTS: Carrick-on-Suir will be transformed into a haven for local & visiting artists, performers and cultural enthusiasts as it hosts its 7th annual Clancy Brothers Music and Arts Festival this June Bank Holiday weekend. The Festival honours the musical legacy of the world famous Irish Folk music group - The Clancy Brothers - whom together with Tommy Makem were the first Irish singers to achieve international fame during the folk revival of the 1960s. For further details on the weekend of sessions, concerts and mostly free events that culminate with an Open Air Concert in Healy Park with an array of performers including Bagatelle contact Festival Office, Heritage Centre, Main Street, Tel: 051 640200 email
[email protected] or visit www.clancybrothersfestival.org
CONFIRMATION: Bishop Seamus Freeman visits the parish on Sunday next to celebrate the bi-annual sacrament of confirmation. The ceremony takes place in St. Nicholas Church in Windgap at 11am. As a result there will be no 10am Mass.
FOOTBALL: Local player Gerard Purcell lined out at centre field with the county footballers in their game with Warwickshire in Nowlan Park on Sunday. The game was the first round of the British Junior Football Championship.
ELECTION RESULTS: Local councillor Matt Doran made the successful transfer from the Callan area to the new Kilkenny West electoral area that included part of Kilkenny City when he topped the poll . The changes saw the parish divided between the Kilkenny West and Kilkenny South electoral areas. In the Southern area the nearest councillor will be in Carrigeen or Mullinavat.
CAMOGIE NEWS: Windgap Senior Camogie side travelled to New Ross on Sunday where they played St Ibar's in a challenge game. The Camogie Club have 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.
BRIDGE RESULTS: Winners at the Killamery Bridge Club Card Game held in The Olde House in Killamery were 1st Sarah Crowley, Pat Arrigan. Best Gross: Helen Lanigan, Mary Joy, 2nd. Annette Meagher, Edward Lanigan.
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.
THE RÁS: A sporting institution for over sixty years passed through the area on its eight day circuit of Ireland. Having arrived in Carrick-on-Suir via Seskin Hill on the previous evening it departing on Saturday morning for Baltinglass . Leaving Carrick at eleven the colourful peloton of one hundred and twenty five riders representing seventeen national and nineteen county teams competed in the gruelling challenge that allows amateur county and club riders to race against domestic and international professionals. Turning left at Maloney's Pub in (Skough) the Rás travelled through Birchwood, past Delaney’s Pub before going right at Hawes cross towards Kilmoganny. On the route the King of the Mountains points were awarded on The Tullahought Category 3 climb as the race crossed the summit at Barnatrasna near Tommy and Annie Moran’s former residence. At the first King of the Mountains finish of the day almost a hundred spectators gathered to support the cyclists who faced wet and cold weather cycling conditions. Local interest was provided by the South Tipperary team and the pink clad breast cancer supporting Waterford Comeragh team. Continuing Carricks cycling tradition the Déise team included Sean Hahessey whose last minute call up saw him taking part in his first Rás. Other local connections were provided by the Sean Kelly's An Post team as the race passed close by where his mother Nellie Fitzpatrick was reared in Ballygown by her aunt Bridgid Kenny nee O'Brien and also by her old National school in Kilmacoliver.
CLUB NEWS: Windgap qualified for the semi-final when they defeated Tullaroan in the Paddy Cahill Cup in Windgap on Friday evening. The Junior B side went down to Mooncoin Saturday evening. Both sides also line out this weekend.
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 as he searched 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 as their never ending activity clocks up substantial distances each day.
RAFFLE RESULTS: The Prize winners in the recent development draw 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.
CLOTHES COLLECTION: A clothes collection fund raiser is being organised by the Camogie Club on Saturday 7th June at 9.30am. 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