By Christy Parker | Photo: Michael Hussey (YoughalOnline.com)

ln terms of preserving Youghal’s heritage it may not rank as magnificently as restoring a wall or resurrecting an ancient graveyard so to speak, but a single brick has inspired considerable reflection amidst the contemplative clientele of Tynan’s bar. The debated brick is inscribed ‘Youghal Brick Company Ltd – Youghal’. The company ceased trading about 200 years ago but as the brick hails from the oldest part of town it is probably much older. This and much relevant information has been traded since its arrival on the premises. The brick spent most of its lengthy life as part of a chimney attached to Joe Green’s pub, nowadays Mackey’s. Having spent 99% of its life in the vicinity of a bar, it is glazed and very redfaced but in this case amazingly intact and well preserved.

Having survived all weathers, it was dispatched from its watering hole when builder David O’Callaghan’s employee Mick O’Connell was helping to demolish the 50ft chimney. Quaintly bestowing a female gender on the sturdy artefact, Mick says, “she came from Blyda”, a local yellow-clay region and was one of only two inscribed bricks amongst the seven tons that was knocked “She’d be good for another 200 years”, Mick adds. The earthy lady is extremely heavy for her standard size and, in Frank Tynan’s words ‘you couldn’t lift her with one hand.’ Nonetheless, Mick somehow managed to bring her ‘sister’ home for safe keeping. While such bricks are now barred from house building, the ex- Mackey’s stalwart is now firmly embedded in Tynan’s establishment.

Mick encased her in a wall of the smoking area, where she will no doubt appreciate a return to her old habit. Curious callers have been dropping by to view the Red Lady of Tynan’s and Mick plans to encase her in glass to protect her.
Coincidently she reclines only a trowel removed from several, similar ‘cousins’ once installed during repair work on an arch leading to Tynte’s Castle. They appear to be constantly plastered though.