One man's legacy to Kilkenny community recognised
A memorial seat has been unveiled for John Smyth in Windgap
A memorial seat for John Smyth created from a horse drawn finger bar mower ‘in appreciation of his outstanding contribution in this community’ links the areas farming heritage with one of its agricultural contractors.
It is appropriately located at John Walsh’s restored village forge and the Tess Cross sculpture in Windgap where John passed every day.
The piece of vintage machinery built by Pierces in Wexford had lain unseen and unused for generations except for a single outing, has been converted to a reflective seat for two and a picnic table.
The revolutionary piece of machinery, that replaced the scythe for cutting hay was pulled by two horses as the steel wheels drove the cutting mechanism as the seated driver guided the horses from above the work.
The work of Windgap Tidy Towns, the piece was donated anonymously, with the restoration work being carried out by Eddie Grincell and the stonework by Seamus Davis, Dermot Houlihan, Joe O’Shea, John Ryan, Pat Walsh, Pat Murphy, Noreen Hayes and Kate Moloney.