FÉILE CHAMPIONS: For the first time in the history of local handball, the Club won the Division 1 Féile when they defeated Monaghan Harps in the final in Nenagh on Saturday. In the earlier round of the three team competition they overcame their sister club Galmoy. The victorious side was Jack Doyle, Padraig Foley, Eoin O' Brien and Sean Barron. In addition team member Jack Doyle got 3rd place in the Skills competition.
On the occasion when the Club had four entrants the girl’s team of Roisín Foley, Cliodhana O’Shea, Sontae Jackson, Emer Dunphy and Heather O’Brien were beaten by just two points in the Shield Final in Division two in Ballinahinch. The other sides were, Sean Purcell, Mark McCoy, Adam O’Shea and Niall O’Brien who participated in division 3 in Carrick-on –Suir where Sean Purcell won 1st place in the Skills Final. In Division 6 Killian Doyle, Jamie Joy, Zak Kennedy and Blade O’Gorman lined out in An Rinn.
JERSEY PRESENTATION: In preparation for the Handball Féile local Glanbia Branch Manager Damien Sheehy made a presentation of Glanbia Jerseys to the Handball club and the players for the event.
TIDY TOWNS; Rain failed, to stop play on Tuesday evening when two well-known volunteers braved the elements and carried out a huge amount of strimming at the Grotto in Windgap. With work continuing on weeding, planting and hedge cutting on most evenings, Tuesday evening has become a social meitheal at the iconic site attracting an ever growing band of volunteers from over a wide area. The work that has transformed the Grotto area has attracted many positive comments from visitors and supplements the grass maintenance being carried out in the adjacent churchyard by the Fás team. In addition Richie Cashin and Tommy Murphy keep the growth momentum of the new plants going with watering on dry days. At the lake, Amenity Area, GAA Pitch and Playground George Watters and Michael Micklas keep the grass areas in perfect shape. In between both areas at the highest and lowest points of the village, work is scheduled to re-commence on the building of the boundary walls at the forge. The arrival of the sand cement and stone has reinvigorated the team of stone masons led by Seamus Davis and Dermot Houlihan to get the project and landscaping completed.
COMMEMORATING 1916: A crowd of over seventy people, locals and visitors attended the opening of the 1916 Tullahought Garden of Remembrance on Friday evening last. The garden which is located between the Wildlife Lake and Tullahought Village is comprised of a granite monument inscribed with the 1916 Proclamation, seven trees to represent each of the signatories of the Proclamation and a flagpole bearing the Tricolour. The attendance was welcomed by the Development Committee Secretary Mary Egan before the garden was blessed by An tAthair Fearghus O'Fearghail P.P. Windgap. Following the reading of the 1916 Proclamation by Thomas Egan the Tricolor was raised by Richard Walsh and the attendance were led in the singing of the national anthem by Alan Hearne. The event concluded with a very informative oration by Michael Moroney detailing the events of the 1916 rising and the subsequent war of independence before the crowd retired to the nearby Community Centre to avail of welcome refreshments. Those gathered to celebrate the event on an overcast but fine evening were able to see in the background the famed mountain of Slievenamon and the closer hill of Carraigadoon. Carraigadoon Hill was one of the first places where the Tricolour was erected by Thomas Francis Meagher in 1748 when his forces held the hill for several weeks in defiance of the British troops garrisoned in Carrick-on-Suir. Thanks are extended to all involved in organizing a fantastic evening of commemoration and to all those who attended. And a big Thanks to all involved in developing the Tullahought Garden of Remembrance.
SOS SLIABHNAMBAN: Local action groups along the Lingaun Valley have been campaigning since 2006 to protect the area from the threat of wind turbines. To date these groups have been relying on the generosity of the local communities who supported numerous fund raising initiatives. These action groups drawn from the communities of Ballyneale, Kilcash, Killurney, Carrick-on-Suir, Ahenny, Grangemockler, Tullahought, Windgap and the Caiseal Conservation Committee have united under the umbrella Suir Valley Environmental Group to oppose the Dunoair plans for Giant Wind Turbines. In order to prepare a comprehensive rebuttal to the Dunoair plans that were re-submitted during the week the Suir Valley Environmental Group have engaged a professional consultant to examine the proposals. An online fund raising campaign SOS SLIABHNAMBAN has been launched to help cover the costs. To donate log on to https://www.ifundraise.ie/2532_sos-sliabhnamban.html to help the committee protect the Heritage and Landscape of Sliabhnamban and the Lingaun Valley.
HURLING DRAW WINNERS: Local winners in the Hurlers Co-Op Draw were 8th Prize George Smyth €400. 9th Prize 2 nights Waterford Castle Bobby O’Keeffe Callan. Thanks are extended to all Sellers and Supporters of the draw and club.
CAMOGIE NEWS: The Club would like to extend our Best Wishes and a speedy recovery to Club Player Aine Dunne who is making great progress after her recent accident. The Seniors are playing in Piltown against Piltown on this coming Friday evening in the Senior All County League, all support welcome. Training for all under age continues on Monday's and Seniors/Minors on Wednesday's. The club have their Annual Clothes Collection on Saturday 2nd July @ 9.30am. If you have any full bags please leave them into the G.A.A. dressing rooms any evening your support would be most appreciated.
RED BULL: The local Camogie Club participated in the longest days games in Kilkenny Castle on Saturday last. The local side was Phena Heffernan, Julie Walsh, Ciara Molloy, Aisling Cody, Catherine Foley, Amanda Power, Eimear Moylan, Claire Kirwan, Deirdre Purcell, and Margaret Purcell with Denise Foley as team manager. Also participating with eventual Hurling finalists Matt the Millers was local player Niall Walsh. In the Final they went down to Mullinavat.
LOTTO: Numbers 4, 7, 15, 28 and bonus number 24. Next week’s prize fund is €6,900. Tickets at €2 are available from any club member.
BRIDGE RESULTS: Winners at the weekly Killamery Bridge Club game played in the Olde House on Monday were; 1st Sarah Crowley and Elizabeth Lanigan. Best Gross: Pat Arrigan and Margaret Comerford.2nd: Moira Hickey and Peggy Vaughan. 3rd: Kathleen O'Shea and Elizabeth Murray
LINGAUN VALLEY: If you wish to be part of a committee to look at developing the Lingaun Valley contact Fergus Horgan, Harry Everard or Christine Walshe at Kilkenny LEADER Partnership, 8 Patrick’s Court, Kilkenny by calling 056 7752111 or by emailing [email protected].
NUACHLITIR: Notices for the weekend Masses can be emailed to [email protected] or (085) 8830756dropped into the Parochial House by Thursday evening.
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 and photos visit windgap.ie