Windgap (), is a village in

County Kilkenny County Kilkenny ( gle, Contae Chill Chainnigh) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the South-East Region. It is named after the city of Kilkenny. Kilkenny County Council is the local authority for the cou ...

, in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. Windgap is located in the south-western part of Kilkenny on the border with

Tipperary Tipperary is the name of: Places *County Tipperary, a county in Ireland **North Tipperary, a former administrative county based in Nenagh **South Tipperary, a former administrative county based in Clonmel *Tipperary (town), County Tipperary's na ...

, just south of Callan. The village is located on the R689 regional road, the nearest main road being the N76 from

Kilkenny Kilkenny (). is a city in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is located in the South-East Region and in the province of Leinster. It is built on both banks of the River Nore. The 2016 census gave the total population of Kilkenny as 26,512. Kilken ...

Clonmel Clonmel () is the county town and largest settlement of County Tipperary, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The town is noted in Irish history for its resistance to the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, Cromwellian army which sacked the towns of Dro ...

. Windgap was named for its location on a pass through hills east of

Slievenamon Slievenamon or Slievenaman ( ga, Sliabh na mBan , "mountain of the women") is a mountain with a height of in County Tipperary, Ireland. It rises from a plain that includes the towns of Fethard, Clonmel and Carrick-on-Suir. The mountain is ste ...

. The

landscape A landscape is the visible features of an area of land, its landforms, and how they integrate with natural or man-made features, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. A landscape includes the ...

of Windgap is dominated by steep hills and large wooded areas. Windgap lies in a former slate-quarrying district spanning the Kilkenny-Tipperary border. Today,

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

is Windgap's main

economic activity Economics () is the social science that studies the Production (economics), production, distribution (economics), distribution, and Consumption (economics), consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and intera ...

, with

dairy A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting or processing (or both) of animal milk – mostly from cows or buffaloes, but also from goats, sheep, horses, or camels – for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on ...

products as the main

export An export in international trade is a good produced in one country that is sold into another country or a service provided in one country for a national or resident of another country. The seller of such goods or the service provider is an ...

. The most notable buildings in Windgap are its 19th-century graveyard, ''The Old League House'', which once served as a home for poor

tenant farmers A tenant farmer is a person (farmer or farmworker) who resides on land owned by a landlord. Tenant farming is an agricultural production system in which landowners contribute their land and often a measure of operating capital and management, ...

(see

Irish National Land League The Irish National Land League (Irish: ''Conradh na Talún'') was an Irish political organisation of the late 19th century which sought to help poor tenant farmers. Its primary aim was to abolish landlordism in Ireland and enable tenant farmer ...

), and early 20th-century

grotto A grotto is a natural or artificial cave used by humans in both modern times and antiquity, and historically or prehistorically. Naturally occurring grottoes are often small caves near water that are usually flooded or often flooded at high ti ...

. Those who hail from the village are sometimes referred to as 'Gappers'.

History and culture

''The Mayor of Windgap'' is an 1834 novel by

Michael Banim Michael Banim (5 August 1796 – 30 August 1874) was an Irish short story writer. Brother of John Banim, he was born in Kilkenny, and died in Booterstown. Personal life Michael was educated at Dr Magrath's Catholic school. He went on to study fo ...

set in Windgap in 1779. Windgap is also referred to in the 1907 book ''The Placenames of the Decies'' by Rev. P. Power. Bearna na Gaoithe3

Sport

Windgap GAA Windgap GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in Windgap, County Kilkenny, Ireland. The club was founded in 1954 and is almost exclusively concerned with the game of hurling. Windgap are a junior club, located in South Kilkenny o ...

club was founded in 1954 following the advent of the "one parish rule" in the county.

Gaelic games Gaelic games ( ga, Cluichí Gaelacha) are a set of sports played worldwide, though they are particularly popular in Ireland, where they originated. They include Gaelic football, hurling, Gaelic handball and rounders. Football and hurling, the ...

have been played in the area since the 1890s. In the early days, it was better known for football, but hurling was played with the Slatequarries in 1929 and St. Joseph 's in Tullahought in the 1940s. Handball first made its appearance in the Slatequarries in the early 1900s before it spread to Windgap. Camogie started in Lamogue in the 1920s and was played in many areas of the parish with teams representing Windgap and Tullahought at various stages. Ladies Football was played in the area for a time in the 1970s with a team in Tullahought. Windgap Camogie Club that was founded in 1994 and Windgap Handball Club in 1984.Windgap GAA
/ref> Galmoy and Windgap's teams amalgamated in 2005.

History and culture

Sport

See also

References

Further reading