Liners Join The Ranks Of Youghal Coach Visits – By Christy Parker  

YOUGHAL’S dalliance with coach tourism embraced a new level this month when five buses ferried passengers to town from the cruise liner Crown Princess. A welcoming party organised by Youghal Concerned Citizens group pushed out the boat, so to speak, to greet the 500 arrivals from Cobh harbour on a sunny afternoon. “We had Irish dancing courtesy of  Blackwater School of Dancing and Luigi’s restaurant in Barry’s Lane provided complimentary snacks,” says YCC representative Norman McDonald. By all accounts the visitors were highly impressed by the welcome as they undertook a two-hour sojourn about town.

The cruise coaches arrived courtesy of Cork-based Cronin’s Travel and marked the culmination of months of hard work and persistent lobbying by Norman, assisted by Cliff Winser and the YCC. “It was essential to make a strong impression as it was something of a trial run by that particular coach company,” says Norman. “But we would hope to provide similar receptions regularly enough next summer as we try to get Youghal established as a destination for liner coaches.”

Before and since the Crown Princess party, other cruises have to a lesser degree, also dispatched their charges to Youghal. “We had two German and one British party last week,” Norman proceeds. “The Germans were particularly delighted to receive summaries of Youghal’s attractions in their language.”

Timed visits

The stopover time for cruise buses operates on a three-tier system. “There are photo-calls, two-hour and four-hour stays,” Norman elaborates. “We’re now getting more photo-calls, with several companies visiting for the first time and some of those are upgrading us to two-hour calls. We are not yet included in the four-hour schedules, which are the biggest ones obviously, because tourists will buy meals, do more shopping, visit more sites and so on with more time to spare. But we are getting there.”

The four-hour calls are also crucial as they can govern the other two schedules. “If a four-hour visit goes awry, then obviously the coach driver may jettison or reduce the passengers’ later visits to elsewhere under the two remaining criteria,” says Norman.

More tea, driver?

These turning wheels of tourism also rotate round the axle of general bus tours, often en route from Rosslare towards Blarney and Kerry. Since the bypass arrived, many have chosen to ignore the town entirely, while those that do follow the town centre sign at the Rhincrew roundabout often merely pause to pee.

Quietly and largely unheralded, Norman and Cliff have spent long hours and days urging drivers and couriers to consider the charms of the locale before departing from the Market Square rapidly. Diplomacy at ground level can mean transporting cups of tea or coffee to weary coach drivers or couriers. “It really is hard work,” Norman sighs. “You can be waiting around for ages and then maybe get instantly dismissed by some drivers. On the other hand, many of them really appreciate our efforts, especially if they have to stay in the bus with elderly passengers for example. We just have to keep trying every day. Then sometimes we get to meet a company director. That’s when we have a chance for real change because they dictate their coaches’ schedules. We chat to them explain our intentions and maybe we will see the efforts of this year reflected in next year’s traffic.”

Town walls…then walk

Norman views Cronin’s, Insight and Cosmos as tour operators now particularly partial to Youghal. “The next plan is to persuade some of them to arrive up at the town walls, which are a huge attraction,” he says. “Then they can walk down to Emmet Place either via the college gardens, or St. Mary’s Church, down Church Street and through the main street back to the coaches at Nealon’s Quay. Cosmos seem interested in this and they could have two or three buses a day here, whereas some companies are just one a month.”

Some revolutions quietly unfold and there is no apparent clamour on the streets to greet the impending new scheme of things. “The vast majority of restaurants are fantastic and most of the businesses are taking note as well,” Norman considers. “But probably there are a few enterprises that don’t yet see the overall picture, which is to promote every aspect of tourism we have. It can call for a change of mind-set, no doubt. Blarney for example, does it all as second nature by now. So does Kinsale. It’s part of their rhythm. The bottom line is that Youghal has as much, if not more, to offer and if we work together as a broad community, we can do it justice to everyone’s benefit. But if we can promote the tourist end of it- the restaurants, hotels, b&b’s etc, it may lift the rest up with it.”

Nealon’s unfortunate Quay

Nealon’s Quay remains central to the project and one wonders if, the location, with its potholes, uneven surface, faded road markings and cramped parking facilities –not to mention minimalist toilet facilities- offers the stuff of which dreams are nurtured. Norman maintains a diplomatic silence but relents that the public toilets are proving to be a considerable hindrance to progress. “They just don’t always work,” he says before agreeing that in any case they are quite limited in what they provide. After many, many hours of greeting tourists, he knows a bit about their requirements and on theirs and Youghal’s behalf he would welcome a decent sized convenience, manned and maintained by a paid worker. “I don’t think it would operate at a loss,” he adds.

Norman and company began their coach tour seduction in early summer, arising from an idea proposed at the newly-formed YCC months after tour companies had decided the season’s schedules. As the season nears closure, the hope is that the impression made in 2011 will impact on their 2012 programmes. “Either way we cannot rest on our laurels. We will have had more time to prepare though and with hopefully more helpers and maybe appropriate dress and a co-ordinated approach, we can build on this year’s work,” concludes Norman.