A section of Youghal’s ancient town walls, which caved in last spring has crumbled further. The fresh damage is “‘far more substantial than the original collapse”, says Town Clerk Liam Ryan, a member and and former chairman of the Irish Walled Towns Network. BY Christy Parker/ Photo Michael Hussey (YoughalOnline.com)

The damaged portion measures approximately 20ft by 6 on a 400 metre long section at Raheen Park, overlooking the northern end of the town. Mr Ryan attributes the damage to very heavy rain on foot of two weeks of cold, dry weather. “That brought a lot of contraction and expansion,” he explains.

The walls date from the early 13th century and are essentially a series of walls within each other, having been simply widened as a fortress through the centuries. They form a crucial part of Youghal’s heritage and tourism profile and in recent years have been restored and made more accessible under the town’s Heritage Plan.

The fresh breach in the structure renders the immediate sides more vulnerable. A €1/2m funding application to the Heritage Council at the Department of Environment still awaits Ministerial approval. “There were some technical difficulties but I think they are almost resolved now,” says Mr. Ryan. He doesn’t expect the new damage to delay the issue further. “It may raise the cost but not delay the process,” he says.
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