The Transition year students are gearing up to do battle once more on CRY104fm as two Groups, The Pobail Scoil Sports Show by Transition Years (PSSST) and A Bitta Banter battle it out to win the title of Best TY show.
The two shows will go head to head on Wednesday night the 22nd of December with The Sports Team up first at 8pm discussing local and National Soccer GAA and Rugby. They will be interviewing Pobail Scoil Pe Teacher Mr Brian Lotty and up and coming Youghal and Cork Hurler Bill Cooper while they will asking Pobail Scoil Students about the decision to omit Sean Og from the 2011 Senior Hurling Panel and asking them what their greatest sporting Memories from 2010 were.

The Team consisting of Brian Swayne aged 16 from Youghal , Ryan O Sullivan  15 from Pilltown, Conor Farrell 16 from Youghal , Anthony Keniry 15 from Killeagh. Mark Coady 16 Youghal, Bobbi Donoghue 16 from Youghal and Michael O Neill 16 from Youghal.
The guys have been busy putting their show together over the past number of weeks and are promising a great hours entertainment with some great music as chosen by Anthony Keniry.
The boys the majority of which are accomplished sportsmen in their own right will be giving their thoughts on the sporting year and what the future looks like for Youghal and the Surrounding Areas on the Sporting front.

In The Other corner A Bitta Banter consisting of  Declan Long aged 16 from Killeagh , Jordan Power 15 from Youghal, Emma Flavin 16 from Youghal, Michaela Dalton 15 from Youghal. Nikki Foley 15 from Youghal. Rebecca Wilson 15 from Clashmore and Claire Cunningham from Clashmore who will be live from 9pm on wed the 22nd and they were keen to tackle some of the issues that affect Youth in the town and they have a studio discussion with Mayor Mary Linehan Foley and Foroige’s Drugs Coordinator Eric Trihy. They will be asking the students of PobailScoil how the IMF Bailout will affect them and what impact the increase in Student Registration Fees will have on future generations of students.
There will also be some great music from the charts intertwined with some all time Christmas Classics.

Following on from the success of last years winners “Just Shuffle” CRY’s Community Development Officer Darragh Parker is very impressed with the current crop of  TY  students   who are full of enthusiasm and given time have the potential to become accomplished broadcasters and was full of praise for the students  “Both groups took on the difficult task of hosting mainly talk based shows and went in search of varied opinions from a large group of Pobail Scoil Students and the Skills that the Students learnt over the last number of weeks will really stand to them” says  Darragh.  “ They have touched on Research and Interview skills , got to grips with using recording equipment and hosted both On location and In Studio interviews while of course gaining some valuable project management experience.
Both groups need your vote in order to emerge victorious so on the  night  make sure text in on the following number 087 2544745 to vote for your favourite group..

Last books remaining in bookshops now!

Mike Hackett, author and historian, is no stranger to the people of Youghal and East Cork, and his books have brought acclaim from far and wide.

Known for his easy writing, his great knowledge of his book topics, and his love of all things Youghal. Some copies of Mike Hackett’s tenth book ‘Sars’ are still available to buy in most bookshops in Youghal and in Quinn’s Shop Ardmore. This is a limited edition and will not be reprinted. The book is sure to be sold out for Christmas, so purchase now for the few remaining.

All monies raised from the sale of ‘Sars’ will be donated to the Leukaemia Section of Cork University Hospital, which has a special place in Mike’s heart.
So, Mike Hackett’s tenth book is now on sale and by purchasing this great, heartwarming, funny, factual and enjoyable read, you will also be contributing to a most worthy charity.

Friday December 17 2010 sees the launch of Youghal’s new community bus. Run by Youghal Community Transport Group (part of Cumann na Daoine), the bus will provide transport for older people and people with disabilities living in Youghal.  From January the bus will run two days a week – Thursdays and Fridays.  It will also be available for use by other community and voluntary groups in the town on other days.

Youghal Community Transport Group was formed in August 2009, with the aim of providing a community transport facility which addressed unmet needs of people with disabilities, the elderly and disadvantaged in Youghal.  The group is made up of local volunteers.  To support its initial work the group secured grant aid from SECAD to pilot a service and help establish the level of need and what type of service might work.  This grant enabled the group to start a pilot community  bus service every Friday.  The pilot started in December 2009 and proved a great success.  The service is open to people aged 60 years and over, and people with disabilities of any age.  They just join the travel club and can use the community transport service from their homes to and from the town of Youghal.  In less than one year the success of the club is obvious with over 100 members availing of this wonderful facility each Friday.

Demand for the bus was such that when the grant for the pilot phase ended the group themselves used their own resources to continue the Friday service.  However ongoing efforts were being made behind the scenes by the group for a permanent community bus for Youghal.  Now, one year after starting the pilot service, Youghal Community Transport Group is delighted to launch its own bus which will enable the service to operate two days a week from January – Thursdays and Fridays.

The bus was a kind donation from St Mary’s Senior Citizens Group in Knocknaheeny.  However the project has also secured great support from a range of other groups – including Youghal Credit Union, the HSE and FAS (who has allocated a Community Employment bus driver post to the group).

“ Youghal Credit Union Ltd. is proud to be associated with Cuman Na Daoine and the Community Bus. The role of our Credit Union is to reach out to all sectors of our local community. The provision of a community will benefit both the users and the local economy by allowing people to circulate and spend money locally. We are delighted to assist in satisfying a local need to allow affordable transport to all who require it.” – Julie Ni Chomhrai, Youghal Credit Union Promotions and Development Committee’s chairperson.

The people of Youghal have taken the bus to their hearts – they have supported the bus through town and church collections, a sponsored walk by VTOS Students at the East Cork Further Education and Youthreach Centre to name just a few.  Other organisations and companies have provided supports – MC Autos are helping with bus repairs and Youghal GAA has kindly agreed that the bus can be parked there when not in use.

“This is more than just a bus – the service gives older people and people with disabilities the independence to go out and do what they want to do – whether it’s shopping, meeting friends, going to the doctors or drawing their pension” – Tony Phelan, Chair of Youghal Community Transport Group.

When the bus is not operating for Travel Club members on Thursdays and Fridays it is available for use by other voluntary groups in Youghal.  Our Community Bus driver may have some additional hours available to drive your group on Tuesdays or Wednesdays.  But these hours are very limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.  To make maximum use of the bus, groups are encouraged to provide their own driver.  Volunteer bus drivers must have a D1 licence and be aged between 25 and 70.   Priority will be given to groups supporting the elderly, people with disabilities, groups supporting young people and other voluntary groups.

So, if you are aged 60 or over, or have a disability, why not join the travel club and use the community bus on Thursdays or Fridays (starting January).  Or if you are involved in a voluntary group and would like to find out more about using the bus then call Cumann na Daoine, tel 024 91900.

A selection of artists and their tracks released with kind permission of each artist (recording and copyright belong to each artist respectively) to a) showcase the work of local and visiting artists that played at the sessions this year. we didn’t get everyone featured but more releases are hoped for next year including live recordings once we get new audio equipment for the marine which this cd is raising money for in order to make it more of a contender as a live venue.

Kudos to all the artists who played at the Marine, and contributed previously recorded material, thanks to Claycastle Studios for any extraneous recordings and mixes and masters, and to claire for her free time for artwork and other bits and bobs!

Looking forward to a year of great sessions plugged and unplugged in the Marine Youghal 2011. If interested in playing contact themarinesession@mail.com

–
CLAYCASTLE RECORDING STUDIO
Seafield business center,
Youghal,
east cork
Ireland
0035324 90885

Aimed at both local and visiting musicians, it provides an intimate platform for individuals or groups to have their original or cover works listened to. More info from Claire Regan and Warren Tivy from Claycastle Recording, Youghal

The evening will close with Warren playing a selection of his own vinyl, and those discs brought in by the customers.

A “Healing Hands” fundraiser for the Keith Phelan Appeal, which including Reiki, Stress reduction and relaxation, “Laying on Hands”, Spiritual Practice, Card Reading, etc. was held in the Walter Raleigh Hotel recently. The funds will help aid local boy Keith Phelan from Raheen Park, who suffers from Cerebral Palsy, to travel to Germany for an operation, in the hope that it will improve his quality of life.
Photos: Nathan Twomey www.youghalonline.com

The Phelans are attempting to raise enough money to bring Keith to the XCell-Center Dusseldorf, Germany where they believe he could benefit from stem cell treatment. Following inquiries to the centre they were informed that Keith had a number of options: surgical or lumber puncture (where cells are withdrawn from the hip bone marrow, good cells are retained in the lab where they regenerate and are reinserted by lumber puncture). It takes five days to complete the procedure.

An account for the fund has been set up through the Allied Irish Bank and the family is already busy planning ways to make the campaign successful.

To donate to the fund: Sort Code: 93-43-05, Acc. No.: 05841087. To contact to assist in fundraising or organise events, contact: 024-20843.

Click on image to enlarge

Community Radio Youghal (CRY) has been awarded a grant of over €270,000. The money was allocated from the offices of Minister for Social Protection, Eamon O’Cuiv, under the Community Services Programme for the years 2011-13, following representation made by local Fianna Fail TD Michael Ahern. It will be administered retrospectively, per annum, over three years.

The grant reflects ongoing confidence in the station and follows previous allocations of €96,000 in 2008 and €89,000 in 2010, plus €4,000 in capital grant aid for equipment, etc.

Station manager Declan Gibbons says the money will go towards the €100,000 annual wage bill for the station’s four full-time staff, which between them oversee management, administration, funding initiatives and station & community development.

This year the station won a distinction award in the Commissioned Programme category for its documentary series ‘Last of The Yarns’ which chronicled the rise and fall of the textile industry in Youghal. It also won a distinction award for’ Perspectives,’ a weekly inclusiveness programme that gives a platform to minority individuals or groups.

CRY 104FM began life as a pirate station broadcasting from a remote attic near the golf course in 1979 and acquired a broadcasting licence in 19**, allowing it to broadcasts across 10 square kms. Following several address changes, it moved to its town centre location at Cumann na Daoine, near the town centre, in the early 2000’s.

In 2007 the station was revamped and along with four senior staff, employs employs four FAS workers and is supported by “up to 100 voluntary staff” at various times. Audience figures are difficult to gauge under community radio procedures but “in a survey of 350 people, 70% said they tuned in at some stage during the week,” says the manager.

CRY may recruit advertising from within its broadcasting range but Mr Gibbons says he is “pretty certain” that the station may also accept advertising from outside these parameters, while it total advertising cannot surpass 50% of its income.

With increasing voluntary participation, the station hopes to move again in 2011. A spacious premises at Nagle House in South Abbey, adjacent to several youth services, has become available. “We need the space to better accommodate our present staff, to offer training for new people and in turn to give the community a better service,” Mr. Gibbons concludes.

Youghal Town Council will continue to operate with eight members for some time longer as the Labour Party continues its ludicrous adherence to ‘proper procedure’ with regard to appointing a successor to Cllr Donie Daly.

Labour party secretary Ita McAuliffe says the organisation is “now concentrating our efforts on the Dail selection conventions.” Previous to its concerns with the “Dail selection convention,” the Labour party had been too busy with the Donegal bye-election to address the requirements of the 380 Youghal voters who put their party on the local council.

In a rhetorical comment that would gladden the heart of any Soviet politburo meeting, Ms McAuliffe also informs that “the canvas selection board has been opened” in regards to nominating, selecting and ratifying a replacement for Cllr Daly. In plain speak this means that the Youghal branch has been invited to nominate a candidate, which they did several months ago and which resulted in Tomas O’Conaill representing the party at October’s town council meeting.

Nobody complained except the Labour party itself, which nullified the nomination in a disproportionate show of exaggerated self-importance behind which, many suspect, lies political skulduggery. If so, it is symptomatic of the kind of stroke culture that has landed Ireland in the mess in which it currently wallows. The party’s argument was that, although Tomas O’Conaill was the only candidate, proper procedure -involving interview by a selection board, etc- was not pursued. Therefore the appointment was unauthorised and even liable to cast illegality within council decisions.

The secretary says the general election candidates for Cork Southeast have been ratified but this does not benefit the situation. “We have very limited resources,” she says of the political party that until recently dallied with the prospect of being Ireland’s most popular, “and we are spreading all our staff very thinly across the country to get these selections in place.”

Ms McAuliffe says that “as soon as this process is completed we will deal with other issues,” but cannot estimate in weeks or months when Cllr O’Conaill’s faith would be decided.  A budget defeat followed by an early general election would see the party proles “out there trying to get every poster up,” she states, adding that “we are not forgetting about Youghal –far from it.” No, one is tempted to respond, not forgetting -just ignoring us!

In conclusion, the secretary declined to be drawn on whether a second candidate might emerge to challenge Mr. O’Conaill’s candidacy, whether from within the Youghal branch (unlikely) or ‘parachuted in (probably unwelcome). Audibly irritated, she said she had “no idea” and reiterated that she would address the issue after the minor business of Dail selections was completed. Whether its protracted inertia in Youghal boosts confidence in the party in this constituency is a matter for speculation.

Christy Parker reflects on an urgent excursion to save his Christmas during the recession of the early ‘80’s.

As history repeats itself with a vengeance, many of us recall the enforced departures that saw us unpack our bags in foreign rooms in the 1980’s. Nostalgia is selective of course and what may have once seemed cold and uncertain acquires a warmer glow with time. Christmas, in particular, ignites the memories.

Before Ryanair, the likes of Aer Lingus were expert practitioners of the attitude that would define the Celtic Tiger; they charged exorbitant prices. At Christmas they increased them. Consequently, coach & boat was the dominant mode of transport for emigrants to London, even if every journey took ten times longer while conversely reducing one’s life expectancy by a year.

In late 1982 I had formed an attachment with a girl in Youghal, which helped happily to divert my attention both from being unemployed and from doing anything to rectify it. However this sustaining situation cast a discomforting hue across Christmas as I realised that my impoverished state (hasn’t changed by the way) would see me fall badly short when it came to celebrating the birth of Christ in every bar in town. On November 1st, my hopes and chattels in a green rucksack, I boarded Slattery’s bus for London, vowing to return by Christmas a wealthy man, for at least two weeks.

I quickly acquired a live-in bar job through the Tara Catering Agency, Paddington, a one-woman service operated by the late Nora Nesbitt (nee Dunlea) of Glendine. Nora dispatched me to a bar in the Holloway Road, where a 5 ½ day week of 13 hour shifts awaited. I’d been mangled by the system before so this didn’t surprise me.

I would be the sole staff in a small, L-shaped bar, where grim wallpaper and worn carpet didn’t add its attraction. The jukebox consisted 50% Joe Dolan, 40% Brendan Shine and the remainder for English people. The guv’nor (as landlords are known over yonder) was a small man in possession of a huge stomach, several cheeks, a few chins and a walk that seemed reluctant. His name was Tony but everyone referred to him as ‘The Pig,’ though not to any of his faces. His wife, Anne, dressed in miniskirts and carried a 1970’s beehive hairstyle. She was seldom seen in the bar nor, allegedly, outside it since the mid-70’s. They were childless but had an old, lame sheep dog that seemed to be the wiser of the three.

My lino-floored room had a bed, a chair, a dressing table and a fan heater. I was summonsed to work by a loud rap and a yell of “nine-a-clock y’awake?!” On my first morning I had my head out the 2nd floor kitchen window conversing with a departing delivery man on the street below. I was oblivious to The Pig’s voice until he roared in frustration, “You’re f****ng breakfast is ready! Are you f****ng deaf or f****g stupid?!” I responded, “Must be stupid, or I wouldn’t be here!” To which he smiled delighted, “I like your style. Good man.”

Thereafter, as seemed to be the norm, I always ate alone in the kitchen. My diet largely consisted of combinations from toast, boiled eggs, beans, bacon, cheese, fish fingers, steak & kidney pie, pork chops, ready mashed potatoes, peas and tea. I would be summoned to the kitchen by a bell to find it prepared on the table courtesy of the elusive Mrs Pig who would either be absent or about to depart. She rarely spoke to me. Soon the dog and I had become had formed an empathy and began taking each other for walks after closing time.

Saturdays were busy and the rest of the week ticked by as casually as summer waves rolling onto Youghal beach. In this vacuum of energy, I polished every glass and dusted every shelf twenty times a week while Joe Dolan professed his love for the girl in the white washed gable only feet away.

The clientele were small in number and mostly represented elderly locals and some younger Irishmen en route to livelier haunts. Occasionally a few young girls happened by but the juke box soon cleared them. Most nights, The Pig sat at the counter talking to friends and casting a caustic eye at any stranger who might alight on the premises, though this was normal behaviour for guv’nors.

One night, feeling I wasn’t contributing sufficiently to life’s dynamism, I hurled an ice cube into the air with a spoon and caught it in a spirit glass before administering the whiskey. The Pig’s eyes nearly popped onto the counter. He broke off from conversation to ask, with unconcealed awe, where I had “learned that trick.” Thereafter, his limitless admiration demanded that I repeat the manoeuvre whenever he himself wanted to impress someone. I resolved never again to work for someone who didn’t go out.

Then there was ‘Harpo.’ It wasn’t his real name but his resemblance to the famous Marx Brother was uncanny. This was not merely due to his physical appearance but, appropriately, he could neither hear nor speak. He also had a glass eye. Harpo worked in a local restaurant but spent much time in the bar playing cards. He possessed an amazing communication skill whereby his hand and facial gestures seemed to telepath his wishes.

Harpo was mostly loved but sporadically ridiculed. One afternoon a customer was aping his rather loping walk when suddenly Harpo turned and caught him in mid-gait. Embarrassed, the mimic began to apologise and Harpo half turned away, scrunched his fist over his eyes and then offered his irritant a reconciling handshake. The joker eagerly accepted and a second later screamed in alarm as he discovered Harpo’s glass eye staring up at him from his palm! Harpo, grinning widely, waved his finger in his face by way of a lap of honour.

Two weeks later, to circumvent the possibility of being instantly cast into a cold dark night, I informed The Pig by daylight that I was going home for Christmas. I’d stay a week to give him time to replace me. Like a couple whose relationship had settled for acceptance over ambition, we had grown to expect no surprises from each other and so this made him swear profusely. Then suddenly he mellowed, sighed and observed, “I should have known when I saw the rucksack that you weren’t a man to stay put.”

A new man, more determined than I to rid himself of Ireland, arrived within days. I hoped the dog would understand.

The Youghal RNLI Lifeboat is hosting a Christmas party fundraising night on Friday the 17th of December in the Quays Bar in aid Of Youghal Lifeboat and the Keith Phelan appeal.

With music by Rannach, a DJ, finger food and a raffle it is sure to be a fun filled night.  Tickets cost €10 each and are available from all lifeboat members and the Lifeboat Souvenir shop which opens every Saturday from 11am to 1pm.  The tickets will also be available on the night.

CRY Christmas Party at Youghal Rugby Club on Friday the 17th of December. 4 Bands, 2 DJ’s  1 Dance off…… 9pm till late.

The party features the cream of local Talent. Planet Claire, Bobby Lee and Friends The Birds and Singing sensation Michael Del Punta singing songs from his new album and more.
DJ Stan will MC on the night kicking things off at 9pm before the bands take the stage at 9.30 . Dancers from the Graham McDermott school of dance will host a dance off afterwards where there will be fantastic prizes on offer ,before DJ Brian Rellis hits the decks afterwards playing the very latest club classics and the best of the Noughties.

Christmas Parties have never been this good.

All proceeds to the CRY Relocation fund.