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

Having sent the Celtic Tiger packing, the Wolf of Recession may be baring its teeth for further havoc but Youghal town centre is determined to stare it down. Four new businesses have opened for business in recent months as the Clock Gate oversees an unexpected commercial expansion on its doorstep. A singular blanket of optimism enfolds their proximity.

Mara Mina Pharmacy replaced a similar trade from the leased premises in the Rivergate Mall last October 30th. It forms one link in a chain of six throughout Munster, Ardmore. The Youghal branch employs five staff but “we’d hope to double that in time,” says Egyptian-born proprietor Akram Hanna.

Arkam stresses customer care. “Patients can register with Mara Mina and benefit from a 24-hour service, 365 days a year,” he says. “If someone can’t get to the shop, we will try to deliver to them. People often focus too much on administration but I believe if you look after the customers, the business will care for itself.”

Three doors down, Helen’s Boutique opened on November 29th and represents “a life’s ambition to own her own business for proprietor Helen Brookes. Following 16 years working in local factories, Helen’s passion for fashion was stirred over six subsequent years in fashion retail, including Annette’s.

Of youthful appearance and demeanour, the businesswoman radiates positivism despite the recession. “I think people may reduce their travelling and shop more locally because of it,” she appraises. If so, all ages will find threads for their taste at Helen’s Boutique, where popular, quality brand names reside; Fever, Culture, Naf Naf, B Young, with Lavand forthcoming in spring. In tune with the times, Helen’s Boutique also offers a ‘put away’ service, for those opting to pay instalments on a purchase.

Barely twenty metres away, Marie Egan has just launched fashion accessory store, Chamarie (a French interpretation of her name that she discovered advertising a restaurant during a trip to France). Chamarie offers “party, wedding, Communion and Confirmation attire -including bags, elegant fashion footwear and hat hire”, says Marie, “as well as very mid-priced jewellery and other daywear.”

Her third in a chain linking already Midleton and Monaghan, Marie choose Youghal partly on the urgings of friends already established in fashion retail here.
She also found her premises, adjacent to the Clock Gate, “irresistible.”

The business aspires to originality. “You get a genuine ‘touch of Continent’ here because we travel to Italy, France and Spain to buy stock,” Marie continues. “We even pick our shoes or fabrics so we have a unique supply.” In the weeks to come, Chamarie’s will invite customers “to bring their outfits to our dressing room and we will try to match the appropriate accessories on site,” Marie concluded.

Perhaps there is something clairvoyant about Joan Collins of Sage’s restaurant, because she opened her comfortable respite from shopping fatigue well in advance of her neighbours.

Joan, from Summerfield, has held a longstanding interest in cooking but prior to fulfilling the ambition that is Sage, she undertook a cooking course in Ballymaloe. By contrast to her fellow new arrivals, she owns her premises and employs up to eight staff, p/t and f/t combined.

Friendly and approachable, nevertheless Joan spurns the limelight and prefers her son Shane to speak on her behalf. He describes Sage’s intended market as “café trade and deli, serving lunches, pies, Thai soup and curries, light dinners and varied carvery snacks.” He adds, “Everything is made in house, mainly from local produce and is also available for take-out.”

Inveigled upon to comment, Joan expresses the belief that “good wholesome and service will always be in demand and there will always be some people who haven’t time to cook at home.” She believes there has often been unwarranted negativity expressed about Youghal which, in keeping with her new neighbours she refuses to allow alter the course of her ambition. “People ask of new business, ‘why Youghal?’”, she reminds. “I say, ‘Why not Youghal?!’” The Celtic Tiger may be gone. Has a Youghal Leopard been spotted? .