BY JOHN FITZGERALD
Part 2
Noel Ryan continued his guided tour of Windgap. I had accompanied the Kilkenny Heritage Walkers on their Saturday outing, and a revelation it was that weekend.
Noel has an intimate grasp of local heritage A few years ago he co-authored with his brother Jim a book about Windgap’s remarkable history and archaeology. His parents managed the old post office in the village for fifty years, and he shared with us his own childhood memories of this once thriving social hub of the locality. It was where people gathered for a chat as much as to buy a stamp or attend to business interests.
He led us to the location of the old Village Forge, where blacksmith James Walsh of Kilcash plied his trade in the late 19th century. Upon his death in 1919, his son John took over and kept the sparks flying from the anvil until the late 1970s when Windgap said goodbye to a great tradition. The age of the horse and cart was ending.
Conscious of the cultural and historical importance of the blacksmith’s role in the village, locals initiated a project in 2015 that saw the creation of a replica of the forge’s frontage, an eye-catching piece of artwork and another example of the community spirit for which Windgap is noted.
The highpoint of any visit to Windgap for many people is Calvary Grotto, which stretches along a pleasant hillside overlooking St. Nicholas’s graveyard. It’s deemed to be the largest grotto of its kind in Europe.
It dates to 1815 when the Marquis of Ormonde gifted a plot of land to the Diocesan Trustees. Windgap’s enterprising PP, Fr. Brennan quickly saw the potential for a fitting act of homage to his church and its teachings. He conceived the idea of the grotto, and his parishioners responded heartily.
With the aid of philanthropic funding from Australia and a small army of committed volunteers, his dream quickly became reality. Meticulous planning went into the design and construction of the grotto, and the result was an enormous credit to the community.
Noel Ryan took us along the heavenly quartz-lined pathways that were finished delicately with Red Sandstone. The quartz, we learned, was mined about two miles from Windgap and carted to the site by dedicated locals
We took in each of the other-worldly features that have beguiled thousands of visitors over the decades: the five exquisite marble sculptures on plinths, and the seven divinely wrought mosaics.
The Immaculate Conception and Christ the King are among the depictions, and I was struck by the thoughtful image of St. Bernadette. It captures subtly and with extraordinary devotion the innocence of the young girl who had that transcendent one-to-one with the supernatural.
If you venture a little beyond the village you won’t want to miss a link to Ireland’s pre-Christian past that’s of national significance. The passage tomb at Knockroe dates to around 3000 BC. You can see the ancient chambers and marvel at how the structure has alignments to the rising and setting sun at the Winter Solstice. And you’ll also see those enigmatic stones engraved with spirals and motifs whose meanings are still the subject of academic debate and speculation.
Another must-see is the site of the high crosses at Ahenny. These belong to what’s known as the “Ossory Group”…crosses that go back as far as the eight century.
You can make out figures at the bases of the crosses. The North cross has a solemn procession that includes a priest bearing a ringed cross, and images of a chariot and a headless horseman.
(The Kilkenny Heritage Walkers will recall another chapter of the county’s past next week. They usually meet at 11 am on Saturday at the Horse Trough on the Parade.)
