around the area which covers land in both Kilkenny and Tipperary. Tullahought shares its association with the quarries with the south Tipperary village of Ahenny, which claims the larger of the 3 lakes created by the quarrying of slate in the area. In the mid-1990s, a yearly festival known as the "Slate Quarries Festival" began with a Summer Mass at the better known and easier accessed of the lakes. The first festival was marked with the creation of artworks made entirely out of slate. Although the festival was reprised over the coming years with numerous sculptures being developed each year, the festival no longer takes place in the same format. An annual mass is still held at the lake during early summer. The most notable building attributed to have the quarries slate is the Palace of Westminster in London (UK House of Parliament). Tidy Towns Tullahought has been honored a number of times in the "Tidy Towns" competition. Numerous sculptures including the "Viewing Tower" and lake are among the many additions to the village which contributed to the success in the competition. These were shown on the RTÉ programme Nationwide, in an episode which was broadcast from the village. See also List of towns and villages in Ireland References External links Windgap.ie Examiner.ie - Clooney clan discovers George’s Kilkenny roots Kilkenny People - Clooney is a Cat Towns and villages in County Kilkenny