The Youghal Lifeboat was launched at 13.30 on Saturday 20th March 2010 to the aid of an upturned power boat just off Youghal Beach. Youghal Lifeboat under the command of helmsman Sean Slattery and crew members Erik Brooks and John Griffin Jnr arrived on scene at 13.34.

They brought a 20 year old Italian student on board and brought her back to the Lifeboat Station where Lifeboat first aiders treated her for mild hyperthermia.   The Lifeboat returned to the scene and found that the power boat was being towed by another boat.  The lifeboat stood down and returned to the station.

Pearl McCarthy is one of a large Youghal family, well known to all.   Some time ago Red FM were in SuperValu Youghal, interviewing people for their upcoming event entitled “Week in the Wild”  and, in her own words Pearl, who works in SuperValu, was curious about what was going on. Report: Denise FitzGerald | Photo: Michael Hussey YoughalOnline.com

She went outside to talk to the crew, but when she found out what it was all about, decided it was not for her.   However, her colleagues thought otherwise and persuaded her to have a go.   And so, she did.   “Week in the Wild” is a competition whereby eight people are picked to spend exactly that – a week in the wild – but ‘the wild’ is situated at Fota Wildlife Park.

The week commences on March 29th next and, wait for it, Pearl McCarthy from Youghal is one of the eight taking part.   Pearl told the YoughalOnline.com that she has no idea of what is in front of her but she thinks some things “might be very disgusting, like eating live maggots or something like that”.  She is, however, in for a penny, in for a pound and says she will do anything she has to do, to win.

Pearl’s partner and her two sons Dylan 10 and Kevin 2 think she is absolutely crazy but, Pearl says, “they won’t think I’m crazy if I win it”.     The prize for the winner is a whopping €10,000 and also includes a two week trip to Africa.

But first, Pearl must win the competition and this might not be so easy.   The winner is picked by votes and in this particular case, commencing Monday March 29th, one competitor each day will be eliminated, and it will be the person who has the least number of votes FOR THAT DAY.

Pearl is hoping that the people of Youghal and East Cork will rally round and help her win the competition and the only way to do that is by voting EACH DAY for her. Pearl is a member of the famous Youghal Pipe band and is keeping up the McCarthy family tradition of piping since way back in 1914!. Here she is pictured above with fellow band members wishing her the best of luck in the competition. I havn’t had a holiday in more than five years, she admitted, and boy would I enjoy one with my family.

To keep Pearl in the wild just text PEARL 53030 ( text cost 30c) Be sure to keep her in your ‘contacts’ and vote each day to help the Youghal girl win the big prize!.

Go on, give Pearl your daily support from March 29th.   If you can’t win it yourself, wouldn’t it be lovely for Pearl to get it?

Please feel free to leave a comment in the box below and wish Youghal’s Pearl McCarthy the best of luck in the RED FM/ FOTA “Week in the Wild” competition.

Luka Bloom received a warm welcome at the Mall Arts Centre, Youghal on Saturday, March 20th 2010, along with special guests Jack O’ Rourke and Niall McCarthy, as part of the Sacred Root music projects. Report:  Bobby Whyte | Photo: Michael Hussey (YoughalOnline.com)

Supporting him on the night were Jack O’Rourke, who performed his own compositions on piano with Jack Hussey and Niall O’Connor on guitars, as well as Niall McCarthy who delivered an inspiring acoustic set on guitar and bagpipes.

Currently finishing an 11-date Irish tour, Luka Bloom performed  songs taken off his latest album ‘Dreams in America’ as well as treating the audience to select songs from his vast repertoire.

Luka showcased his inimitable style of guitar playing with a blistering set of classics as well as new music which reflect his interest in World music. Having suffered from tendonitis, Luka adopted a heavy, fast strumming style which gave his music a rich texture about it.

The concerts, which had previously taken place at St. Mary’s Collegiate Church, have been temporarily re-located to the Mall Arts Centre, another local venue in the town. Previous Sacred Root concerts which took place in the church included Mick Flannery and Kate Walsh, Liam O Maoinlai, singer/songwriter Declan O’Rourke and Dublin-group Kíla. The unique concerts are acclaimed for their haunting atmosphere and unique ambience, accredited to the church’s 500 year old acoustic system.

For more information, visit Sacred Root (www.sacred-root.com) or contact Bobby Lee on 087 9957102.

Upcoming Sacred Root gigs include Freddie White on the 30th of April, with Dervish and Mary Coughlan scheduled for later dates.

Click on image to enlarge

The people of Youghal received the news today (Sat. 13th Mar. 2010) that the go ahead has been given to build a marina in the town. The 56 berth marina will be located beside Buttimers Dock in the heart of the town and is hoped to put Youghal on the map where boating is concerned. Photo: Michael Hussey Youghalonline.com

Up until now there has only been 2 visitor moorings complements of local sailing school Aquatrek. Although still in the planning stages, it is hoped that the building of the marina will commence in the coming months and completion is expected by early next year.
The man behind the marina is local developer Jerry Dennehy, and he is delighted to be bringing such a development to the town ‘Youghal deserves to be seen as a fantastic place to visit and by building this marina I hope to boost the profile of the town to both foreign and Irish boat owners alike’.

After spending much of his years living in Australia Mr.Dennehy has come home with a fresh pair of eyes and the drive to make Youghal a “must stop spot” on the tourist map, saying ‘We have a beautiful town with everything a tourist could need, all we need to do is let people know we are here’.

Those interested in obtaining a berth can do so emailing blackwatermarina@gmail.com or phone 0877526370

Tommy Tiernan played to a sell out audience at The Walter Raleigh Hotel last Saturday night (20th March 2010) as part of his ‘World tour of Cork’ stand up comedy tour. Michael Davitt manager of the popular hotel said he was delighted with the capacity crowd and told Youghalonline that this was just one of many big nights planned for the hotel entertaining calendar for 2010. Photo: Michael Hussey Youghalonline.com

Tommy has the highest selling DVD sales in Ireland. ‘Cracked: Live at Vicar Street’ went straight to number 1 in the 1st week of release and will reach Four times Platinum Status. His ‘Loose’ DVD went straight to number 1 as well and reached Eight times Platinum Status. ‘Jokerman: Tommy Tiernan in America’ not only reached Quadruple Platinum Status but got also nominated for an IFTA award.

Tommy is second only to U2 when it comes to live ticket sales in Ireland. The Bovinity Tour culminated in 3 sold out shows to a total audience of 12,000 in the Marquee Cork. No other artist, Irish or International has ever managed to do this. It’s an astounding amount of tickets to sell for 3 days in one city. With his Loose tour he broke all Irish box office records by selling out in venues across the country including a staggering 166 dates in Dublin’s one thousand seat theatre, Vicar Street.

Not only has Tommy success at home in Ireland and the UK but also in Canada and America. The Gala performance in the Just for Laughs Tour in Montreal in 2005, saw 2000 Canadians on their feet crying out for more. In 2006 he headlined the first ever Irish gala at the Just for Laughs Montreal Comedy Festival and he has joined the Just for Laughs National Tours in 2007 and in 2009. Following in the footsteps of Eddie Izzard & Billy Connolly, Tommy was again invited back to perform a huge solo run at this years Festival.

In America, Tommy has been invited to perform three times on the ‘Late Show with David Letterman’ to rave reviews. His DVD ‘Something Mental’ has been aired numerous times now on America’s huge Comedy Network, Comedy Central as part of their popular ‘Secret Stash’ comedy slot and has now been viewed by over 3 million. Comedy Central UK are currently broadcasting ‘Bovinity’ with plans to follow with a number of his live shows this year.

In April 2009 Tommy set the Guinness World Record for the longest Stand-Up Comedy Show by an individual by a staggering 36 hours and 15 minutes. In the next 12 months Tommy will have toured a number of times in the US, Canada, UK and Ireland and will return to Australia and New Zealand with a solo show next April. Tommy has 5 children and is married to Yvonne. They live in Galway on the West coast of Ireland.

Learning takes centre stage on Wednesday 24 March in Cumann na Daoine with a day filled with free workshops, displays, information stands and talks.  Organised by the Youghal Adult Learning Network, this special day showcases the variety of learning opportunities available both in Youghal and in Cork City.  Free workshops provide an opportunity to try your hand at a range of skills – from paper flower making and gardening to computers and mobile phones; there is something for everyone. Photo: Michael Hussey YoughalOnline.com

The event is part of the Cork Lifelong Learning Festival and provides a chance to find out more, meet with adult learners, guidance counsellors and have a go at new skills.  The festival’s motto is Investigate, Participate, Celebrate – so join us in Youghal and:

Investigate – representatives of FÁS, UCC, CIT, Coláiste Stiofáin Naofa, St John’s Central College, Dept of Social & Family Affairs, Co Cork VEC Adult Guidance Service, Co Cork VEC, Cumann na Daoine, SECAD and Youghal Family Support Group will all be present to answer your queries about courses available and supports for adult learners.  Staff from the DSFA and the County Cork VEC Adult Guidance will give a special briefing session on returning to learning

Participate – watch or join in some of the many free workshops taking place throughout the day.  Learn about gardening, computers, paper flower making, needlework and how to make the most of your mobile phone.  Other workshops focus on coping with adult dyslexia and how parents can support a child’s early learning.  Why not end the day relaxing with a special yoga workshop?

Celebrate – above all enjoy the day – learning should also be fun.  So enjoy coffee and a scone prepared by Youthreach students, have a mini facial from ITEC Beauty Specialist students, and celebrate the wealth of learning opportunities available.

For further information contact Cumann na Daoine, 024 91900

Click on image to see the 2009 event

A Skull in Connemara at The Mall Arts Centre, Friday March 26th 2010.
Tickets on the door at €10/€5.  Show starts at 8pm!
For further information call 083 360 6507

UCC Dramat is delighted to present their first ever touring production,  “A Skull in Connemara” by Martin MacDonagh at The Mall Arts Centre, next Friday, March 26th.

Dramat has had an excellent year being nominated for 16 awards at the Irish Student Drama Association Festival and winning four.

For one week each autumn, Mick Dowd, the grave digger, is hired to disinter the bones in certain sections of his local cemetery to make way for the new arrivals. As the time approaches for him to dig up those of his own late wife, strange rumours regarding his involvement in her sudden death seven years earlier gradually begin to resurface.

Janice de Broithe director of the play was recently awarded her Drama Theatre Studies Masters.

A Skull in Connemara at The Mall Arts Centre, Friday March 26th 2010.

Tickets on the door at €10/€5.  Show starts at 8pm!

For further information call 083 360 6507

TEAM Youghal took a massive step forward to raising awareness of the Emer Casey Foundation this morning by appearing on Ireland AM on TV3, helping to promote the ‘Race around Ireland 2010’. By Derek Kiely

The East Cork Eight man cycling team, led by Ger Flanagan, are part of a massive push to raise funds for the Emer Casey Foundation and are the defending eight man, team race around Ireland champions and will look to go close to last year’s time of just over 90 hours.

Flanagan spoke of the team’s intention in the gruelling 1,350 mile race which leaves Navan covers the county and ends up in Navan at the finish line some three and a half days later to Ireland AM Presenter Alan Hughes.

Flanagan when asked about how much would be raised during the event replied “Well you’re talking about hundreds of thousands of Euro, which is great and we in team Youghal are a group of leisure cyclists and we have managed to raise quite a significant amount ourselves, so there is fantastic support out there for this event”.

There is a meeting with all the details to the ‘Race around Ireland to be held at DCU tomorrow Saturday the 20th of March, for more information on Team Youghal, go to www.teamyoughal.com

Youghal town council has pulled the plug on concerts at St. Mary’s Collegiate Church due to ‘health & safety’ issues. Consequently Saturday’s (March 20th) Luka Bloom concert has been transferred to the council’s €750,000 headquarters at the Mall Arts Centre (Town hall), which also hosts concerts. Report: Christy Parker | Photo: Michael Hussey Youghalonline.com

Youghal Town Manager Patricia Power says consultants have expressed concerns that the doors at the 800 year-old church, which the council owns, “do not open quickly enough” to ensure a safe exit in the case of emergency.

“We recognise the value of the church as a venue but we have to consider people’s safety first,” she said.

Ms Power says the estimated cost of rectifying the exits is €5,000. “The council be seeking funding and we hope to complete the process within a few months,”  she says. The venue will remain open for Church of Ireland services.

The news is a blow to voluntary concert organisers Sacred Roots, who channelled concert profits into a Foroige-supported youth centre and café. “The young people also benefited from helping to prepare the venue for gigs,” says local musician, youth worker and Sacred Roots co-founder Bobby Lee. Mr. Lee says the group had been operating with insurance cover since concerts began last October.

Since last October the 300-capacity church has also provided a mini-boom to the local economy with stars such as John Spillane, Liam O’Maonlai and Declan O’Rourke gracing a venue more synonymous with Oliver Cromwell, Walter Raleigh and the Boyle family. It has been acclaimed for its unique ambience and an amazing 500 year-old acoustics system provided by round earthenware jars placed high in the chancel

The Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade took place in Youghal today Wednesday 17th March 2010. The parade was very colourful and many of the local business, organisations and clubs were represented with their colourful floats.

You can send in pictures of the Parade to news@youghalonline.com and we will post them in the gallery below, also please send in photos of the event from anywhere around the world and we will feature them on our site! Photo: Michael Hussey (YoughalOnline.com)
Thanks to Helen Lyons and Kay Donnelly for sending in pics of the parade so far….more please.

Click on image to see clubs and organisations who took part in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Youghal 2010

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