Community celebrates centenary of Windgap's unique grotto

A special community event took place on Sunday to celebrate the centenary of the Windgap Grotto.

Mass was celebrated at the grotto, with Kilkenny Gospel Choir performing, followed by a historical tour of the grotto and village walking loop. Refreshments were served in the new community hall afterwards.

The Windgap Grotto is unique, covering four acres, and has many ornate features including statues and mosaics. It is the largest of its kind in Europe.

Sagairt Paróiste Fr Fearghus O’Fearghaill assisted by Fr Larry Wallace and the Kilkenny Gospel Choir celebrate  Mass at the Centenary of the Grotto in Windgap on Sunday

The beginnings of Windgap Grotto date back to April 1915, when James Edward William Theobald Butler, Marquis of Ormonde, agreed to ‘make over as a free gift’ to the trustees of the Diocese of Ossory ‘that plot of land containing about two acres three roods and twelve perches’.

This belonged to a part of the extensive Ormonde estate centred on Garryricken House, the historic home of the Ormonde Butlers near Killamery.

The grotto, constructed mainly between 1915 and 1922 was established on a natural hillside, with a coniferous plantation at its centre.

GREAT ATTENTION
It was originally put forward by James Brennan, Parish Priest of Windgap (1908-45), who devoted great attention to its planning, layout and construction and involved the whole community. The hillside was planted with a variety of trees.

Focal points were provided by statues, all on plinths, set in quartz lined alcoves cut into the hillside. A statue flanked by two small stone pyramids is set on its western side. Seven mosaics were placed at strategic points.

Paths bordered by large, rough pieces of quartz cemented into a kerb and finished using red sandstone natural to the area were set around the grotto.

The quartz was obtained from a quarry about three kilometres away in Scrahan and transported to the site by horse and cart.
Flowers and shrubs were set in beds on the Western side. In places ferns were pressed into the wet cement to leave a fossil-like impression.

Local stonemasons, Burkes from Graigue, assisted by Nicholas Coady from Killamery (later a Cistercian priest in Mount Mellerary), did a lot of work on the grotto.

LOOP WALK
Nowadays, the grotto forms part of village loop walk, which is accreditated to National Trails of Ireland.