YOUGHAL ARTS NETWORK will hold a fancy dress Halloween fun fundraiser at the Marine Bar, Youghal, this Saturday night, October 29th. in aid of the local South Abbey National School. The fun begins at 9pm and there will be special prizes for best male and female costumes.

The Youghal Arts Network are a very active group of people who, among other things, organise fund raising events to help voluntary clubs, organisations, groups, schools etc., in the town of Youghal who are in need of financial help.

Click on the videos below to watch some of the previous Halloween Fancy-Dress parties at The Marine made by www.youghalonline.com and don’t forget to turn up the volume!
Halloween Fancy Dress Party – The Marine Bar Youghal 2010

Halloween Fancy Dress Party – The Marine Bar Youghal 2009 – Click Below

THE YOUGHAL DOCUMENTARY TOWN OUT OF TIME is to be screened at the Belltable Arts Centre in Limerick on the 4th of November. The film is to be screened in conjunction with the MA studies in Art and Design at Limerick Institute of Technology.

The MA programme is called Social Practice and the Creative Environment (SPACE). Students of the MA will partake in a question and answer session with Director, Michael Twomey after the screening. Michael explained. “We were invited to L.I.T to screen the documentary after it was featured in the Irish Times last year.

The MA co-ordinator, Paul Tarpey believes the film is a very good example of how something creative can result from the environment around us and he wants us to discuss how that process came about. It’s very exciting for us to be involved in such events and I would hope that the sociological themes in the film would lead to other similar discussions. The real purpose of the film meets the remit of the MA programme perfectly in that people are affected by their environment and create something as a response to it. The Belltable has a great reputation and is a marvelous venue for us to be showcasing our work.”

It will be first time the film will be screened outside Youghal and Michael is looking forward to how it will be received. “I’m very excited about screening away from Youghal as it will probably give us a better idea of whether the content transmits nationally. It was always intended to be an example of what is happening around the country and it will be free from that localised polerisation you get when people react passionately. It caused a bit of a stir here and that is always a worthwhile exercise but I am looking forward to speaking about it in terms of how it was constructed rather than chairing a discussion where blame is being bandied around the room.” He added.

Town Out Of Time will be part of a double bill with Build Something Modern, directed by Nicky Gogan and Paul Rowley which tells the story of a hidden canon of Irish architecture, groundbreaking young architects who pushed the boundaries of Irish design from the 1950′s to the 1970′s with surprisingly little recognition at home.
Ticket information is available from the Belltable website at http://belltable.ticketsolve.com/shows/126520331/events.

The newly-surfaced streets of Youghal’s look set to play (g)host to a Halloween of unprecedented ghoulishness and entertainment this year. The Youghal Concerned Citizens groups’ ‘Halloween Spooktacular’ hopes to resurrect the annual ghoul-fest from the grave of anti-social mindlessness into which it has fallen in recent times. The group, hopes a new spirit will prevail, as it presents a wide range of activities intent on inciting family participation while preying mischievously on the intuitive fears and imaginings that ripple the neck hairs of the young and not so young alike.

The three-day list of events begins when a headless horseman somehow navigates his way through town on Friday night October 28th. The eerie evening also includes a presentation by Kay Donnelly on the trial of Florence Newton, a Youghal woman tried for witchcraft trial in 1661. The outcome of the trial, conducted by mortal who themselves sound decidedly scary, remains a mystery but the general conclusion is that she was subsequently hanged. The devil is in the details however!

Be afraid…be very afraid.

Saturday promises more chill thrills, with a display of torture machines that would delight many a teacher of the ‘old school,’ children’s storytelling in the hallowed atmosphere of St Mary’s Collegiate Church, fortune telling and a “ghoulish fancy dress street parade” through Youghal, guaranteed to add extra shiver to the spine as it passes vacated business premises where the ghosts of better times may yet linger. A presentation on paranormal investigations at the Old Imperial Hotel may hell to make frightening sense of it all, with fortune telling in Moby Dick’s advising in whether one should remain on for another pint or not.

Sunday bloody Sunday has storytelling in Condon’s florists, a pumpkin competition at Barry’s Lane and a treasure hunt amongst various unearthly pursuits.

YCC Secretary and local estate agent, Adrian Hyde says the Halloween Festival “is part of our on-going efforts to establish Youghal, not just as a summer attraction, but as a vibrant, family-friend resort all year round.”

Mr. Hyde says the response from the business and wider community to the YCC’s efforts has been “very supportive. I think everyone realises that we all have to pull together to secure a better future for our community and that is what is happening,” he states, adding that a subcommittee is also working on a “Dickens-themed Christmas for the Youghal.” Christmas only eight weeks away?  Now that’s scary!!

CLIMB, CYCLE AND CANOE CHEQUE PRESENTED TO YOUGHAL CANCER SUPPORT GROUP
By Christy Parker

A HEROIC fundraising effort that saw a mountain climbed, a scenic route cycled and a river canoe’d culminated in a cheque for almost €8,000 being presented to the Youghal Cancer Support Group on Friday last October 21st.

Between July 30th and August 6th the team of two women and six men undertook ‘climb, cycle, canoe,’ an enormous challenge across eight days. Through variable weather conditions, they climbed Ireland’s highest mountain, Carrantuohill (15km), cycled 220km round the Ring of Kerry and canoe’d 110 km down the Blackwater’ from Millstreet to Youghal.

The ‘extraordinary eight’ presented the fruits of their fundraising to the Youghal support group in the Gate bar, after which their achievement was celebration with much music and merriment. “It seems like only yesterday we were in the midst of it but the sore legs and numb bums are well healed,” smiled participant Jamie McCarthy who organised the venture. “We were very proud to support such a great cause.”

The Youghal Cancer Support Group was founded in June 2010 since which several fundraising initiatives have been successfully held and thousands of euro raised.

Further fundraising events are planned with the group aiming to establish a new, purpose built cancer support & drop in centre for the East Cork & West Waterford region. It is envisaged to open a holistic centre to provide emotional support and practical help for people with cancer and their families. Therapies that will make a difference to the lives of those affected by cancer are also anticipated, including counselling services with fully trained, accredited therapists, stress management, therapeutic massage, reflexology, relaxation techniques and visualisation and yoga.

Regular information meetings are held as the project progresses. For details or information on Youghal Cancer Support Group: 087-2731121.

TARA O’CONNELL officially co-opted during minister’s visit to Youghal town council. – By Christy Parker

YOUGHAL TOWN COUNCIL formally accepted the co-option of Labour Town Councillor Tara O’Connell at a special meeting Monday morning (October 24th). The meeting coincided with the visit of Labour Minister of State at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise & Innovation and Department of Education & Skills, Sean Sherlock. The minister fielded several questions from councillors and town clerk on matters relevant to Youghal, including tourism and education initiatives, marina funding and employment strategies.

YOUGHAL TOWN COUNCIL is to create 34 cremation plots at the town’s North Abbey cemetery. Town Clerk Liam Ryan told October’s Town Council meeting that three areas unsuitable for regular burials would facilitate 20, eight and six cremation plots respectively. “The level of demand is increasing,” said the town clerk, adding that the areas will be specifically landscaped to create “a very serene and picturesque” walled garden environment.

The plots, each measuring a square metre, will cost €250 to €300 and meet multiple requirements. Grave plots currently cost €600 by comparison. “The life expectancy of the graveyard is about eight years,” added Mr Ryan with unwitting irony. The plots are expected to be available by Christmas.

It would be wonderful to report that the final stages of the six-week adult swimming (intermediate level) lesson had seen a sort of web membrane growing across my toes and perhaps even the odd glittering scale glimmering on my back. Sadly I’m not morphing into an off season mackerel, let alone a majestic salmon, although there have undoubtedly been occasions when I have resembled an octopus thrashing about on the surface.

There have been positive changes though. I dispensed with the cut-off jeans that had sustained my maritime activities since 2003 and invested in a proper pair of grey-white polyester, down-to-the knee trunks. I felt like an extra in Summer Bay and for a crazy second I wondered if the ironing board would support me standing up on the water. I also found myself unconsciously greeting people with “G‘day mate” and asking the cat if she’d like more “tucker.” (“Fair dinkum,” she would meow back.)

The only surfing I have ever done –i.e. on the internet- had advised me that lighter swimming clobber was conducive to staying afloat during swimming lessons. This proved to be true. Nonetheless the real changes are more subtle and have occurred through tuition, effort and –let’s be honest- repeated failure.

Kicking back

Lesson four began with back stroke instruction. I had already mastered floating on my back and kicking to propel myself. Now we were revisiting the end of the previous lesson in learning how to employ the arms as well. This raises the stakes and I again noticed that Marcin (the Polish and polished tutor) has an enviable way of staying calm while watching a man (me) drown alongside him. Advice is his lifeline. “Head back in the water, hips forwards, hands by sides and relax. Relax. Now kick, kick, kick. Don’t bend your knees Chris. Keep kicking near the surface, not too far under the water. Keep one arm at your side and bring the other up. Imagine you are standing. Now the other arm up, make a big arc. And down. Kick, kick, kick. Head back. Look up. Never mind Chris…try again!”

We also undertook some exercises whereby we floated on our back and sort of waved our hands underwater, like little ducklings overcome by the novelty of discovering they had legs. I am proud to say that I took to this like, well, a duck to water. I may be no swan but….!

We also reviewed the freestyle (face down) swimming. Again, the importance of alignment in the Total Immersion technique was stressed -face down in the water, legs up in a straight line head leading the way. Rolling to breathe while maintaining the straight line is the key here and I’m working on it even as I sleep! Marcin helpfully pointed out that my arms were going down into, more than across, thus altering my position and dragging me under. Also, “while breathing on one side, your other arm should be extending fully,” he added as I disappeared from view again and water flooded my brain.

Breast efforts

Lesson five brought us to the breast stroke. Proper swimming, I was by now fully aware, is extremely tiring! Muscles last used as a toddler splashing in the bath are suddenly dragged from a life of long-term unemployment, handed a shovel and told to dig, dig, dig or kick, kick, kick at the case may be. The breast stroke takes this to a new level of exhaustion and disillusionment with God. The lungs become appalled at this new method of inundating them with water and threaten strike action every time the head surfaces. The mouth and nose fight desperately to erect a picket line of resistance, while the rest of the body threatens to down tools in support. The breaststroke is no way to come down from the glorious high of the back-floating duck paddle.

Swallowing the swimming pool aside, the breast stroke very much involves the legs. “Hands out, float, relax, then glide,” began Marcin. “Now, feet outwards, bend knees and push. Get power from the kick. Glide, kick, kick, hands pivotal in front, two kicks, push. Relax. It is pointless to resist. The doors are locked. You cannot escape from here.” Ok, I made up the last three sentences but starting the breast stroke does strange things to a man’s mind. But here’s the weirdest part of all. After ten minutes of perseverance, as my pool companions demonstrated a bit more forcefully than I- it starts to er, sink in.

Practice what you practice

Therein lies the key to success, as it resides in most things in life –practice, practice, practice.  Marcin is an excellent coach but “I can only show you what to do,” he rightly explains. “Then you have to do it yourself. But you do not have a lot of time.” Anyone joining up for swimming instructions would be well advised to realise that putting in some extra work of their own would greatly accelerate their progress. It’s like doing homework. I undertook an extra visit to Aura one night between lessons and it was of great help to work on one’s weakness (or in my case everything!) without needing to focus on another drill before getting to grips with the previous one. It’s a point with which two of my fellow learners, who I strongly suspect sleep in full bath tubs, support.

That said, psychology represents another impediment to progress, which practice can rectify. “You have an instinctive fear and distrust of the water environment,” Marcin identified to me. “Therefore you stiffen up. You must regard it as you do walking on land. Relax, be as one with the water if you can and you will learn faster.” Then there is the reward. When swimming goes well, when it all comes together, there are few more relaxing, fulfilling and health-promoting experiences. For those reasons, while the lessons will end next week, the challenge will continue in this lane with more practice, practice and practice. I get a kick, kick, kick out of it. I may even bring the ironing board.

TOTAL IMMERSION TECHNIQUE

Total Immersion is based on making one feel ‘at one’ with the water and focuses far more on technique and comfort than on speed. There are many instructions on Total Immersion available in booklet, DVD and on the internet. The following is a summary of the method’s main points taken from practitioner Tim Ferriss’s blog www.fourhourweek.com

1) To propel yourself forward with the least effort, focus on shoulder roll and keeping your body horizontal (least resistance), not pulling with your arms or kicking with your legs. This is counter-intuitive but important, as kicking harder is the most universal suggestion for fixing swimming issues.

2) Keep yourself horizontal by keeping your head in line with your spine — you should be looking straight down. Use the same head position as while walking and drive your arm underwater vs. swimming on the surface.

3. Think of swimming freestyle as swimming on alternating sides, not on your stomach.

“Actively streamline” the body throughout the stroke cycle through a focus on rhythmically alternating “streamlined right side” and “streamlined left side” positions and consciously keeping the bodyline longer and sleeker than is typical for human swimmers.

For those who have rock climbed or done bouldering, it’s just like moving your hip closer to a wall to get more extension. To test this: stand chest to a wall and reach as high as you can with your right arm. Then turn your right hip so it’s touching the wall and reach again with your right arm: you’ll gain 3-6?. Lengthen your vessel and you travel further on each stroke. It adds up fast.

4. Penetrate the water with your fingers angled down and fully extend your arm well beneath your head. Extend it lower and further than you think you should. This downward water pressure on the arms will bring your legs up and decrease drag. It will almost feel like you’re swimming downhill.

5. Focus on increasing stroke length (SL) instead of stroke rate (SR). Attempt to glide further on each downstroke and decrease the number of strokes per lap.

6. Forget about workouts and focus on “practice.” You are training your nervous system to perform counter-intuitive movements well, not training your aerobic system. If you feel strained, you’re not using the proper technique. Stop and review rather than persist through the pain and develop bad habits.

7. Stretch your extended arm and turn your body (not just head) to breathe. Some triathletes will even turn almost to their backs and face skyward to avoid short gasps and oxygen debt.

8. Experiment with hand swapping as a drill:

It’s difficult to remember all of the mechanical details while swimming. I short-circuited trying to follow half a dozen rules at once. Focus on keeping your lead arm fully extended until your other arm comes over and penetrates the water around the extended arm’s forearm. This encourages you to swim on your sides, extends your stroke length, and forces you to engage in what is referred to as “front quadrant” swimming.

See also: www. http://swimming.about.com; Aura: www.auraleisure.ie/youghal

GARDAÍ  SEEK INFORMATION ON BURNT OUT VAN AND ADVISE ON HALLOWEEN AND NEW DRINK DRIVING LIMITS. – By Christy Parker

Youghal gardai are seeking information on an incident in which a van was stolen and subsequently destroyed in the town on 15th October during the early hours of morning. The grey Peugot 206, registration number 06 C 8843 was stolen from the Kennilworth area overnight. It was later discovered burned out in the Magner’s Hill area.  Contact Youghal garda station on (024) 92200.

Garda Ronan Swan also reports that two daytime burglaries occurred in the district in recent times. Some small items were stolen from a vehicle in Ballymacoda on 18th Oct at about 4 pm. Meanwhile a house was burgled during the day in the Knockane area of Castlemartyr in which a credit union book was taken.

However the garda warns that October and November are prime times for burglaries and asks householders to ensure that their premises are secured and security alarms activated when leaving their home.

Halloween

With the shadow of Halloween again about to fall, Garda Swann warns that possession of fireworks without a licence in Ireland is a criminal offence. More urgently he advises that “a lot of people are out to make a quick buck and so knock up improvised fireworks with gun powder and other lethal materials in them. Short fuses can suddenly detonate them and I’ve seen hands blown to smithereens,” he recalls.

The garda also reminds that fireworks can cause immense distress to animals and ask for consideration to be given in that area too. Bonfires represent further potential dangers and the garda says throwing items such as aerosol cans onto burning piles is likely to cause explosions which can be lethal. “Bonfires can blaze out of control anyway and damage property and endanger lives,” he adds.  Finally on the Halloween theme, he urges parents to ensure that their children wear some form of visible clothing if out trick-or-treating, due to the ability of motorists and other road users being seriously compromised by the combination of dark evenings and dark clothing.

New drink/driving limits

Garda Swann says new drink/driving limits will be introduced in Ireland from next weekend. Under the legislation, driers will be divided into two categories; a) regular drivers and b) specified drivers, which will include learners, those with full licence for less than two years and those driving taxi, lorries, buses, etc.

The new limits are set out on the following website: www.citizensinformation.ie/en/travel_and_recreation/motoring_1/driving_offences/drink_driving_offences_in_ireland.html. They read as follows:

Blood: An offence of driving or attempting to drive a mechanically propelled vehicle in a public place while there is present in your body a quantity of alcohol such that, within 3 hours after so driving or attempting to drive, the concentration of alcohol in your blood exceeds a concentration of:
- 50 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood for experience drivers
- 20 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood for other drivers

Urine: An offence of driving or attempting to drive a mechanically propelled vehicle in a public place while there is present in your body a quantity of alcohol such that, within 3 hours after so driving or attempting to drive, the concentration of alcohol in your urine exceeds a concentration of:
- 67 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of urine for experienced drivers
- 27 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of urine for other drivers

Breath:

An offence of driving or attempting to drive a mechanically propelled vehicle in a public place while there is present in your body a quantity of alcohol such that, within 3 hours after so driving or attempting to drive, the concentration of alcohol in your breath exceeds a concentration of:
- 22 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath for an experience driver
- 9 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath for other drivers.

The garda surmises that “the days of having a pint after work before driving home are now well gone and the new limits really allow for no leeway at all. He adds that increased mandatory check points will operate throughout the bank holiday.

THE OPENING NIGHT of Youghal Theatre Company’s ‘Sive’ took place last night at the Youghal Community Centre, North Main St. Before the show, invited guest the Mayor of Youghal Eoin Coyne briefly addressed the audience to wish the cast and background team the best of luck with the production. The proceeds from the opening night are generously going towards the recently formed Save Youghal Ambulance campaign.

The play which is one of Irish theatre’s best-loved plays is sure to thrill Youghal audiences this week. Michael Beecher of the Youghal Theatre Group said everyone is excited by the production. “Sive is a great show and even after all these years it’s still a powerful play,” he said.

Written by John B Keane, Sive is based in rural Ireland of the 1950′s. Sive is a story of greed and bitterness, of a scheming matchmaker and a resentful woman forcing a beautiful young girl to marry an old man for money.
Sive caused considerable controversy on it’s debut in February1959. Since then it has become an established part of Ireland’s theatrical canon and is also featured on this year’s Leaving Certificate syllabus.

Sive is a young and beautiful orphan who lives with her uncle Mike, his wife Mena and his mother Nanna.  A local matchmaker, Thomasheen Sean Rua, convinces Mike and Mena to organise the marriage of Sive to an old man called Sean Dota for the sum of two hundred pounds. However, Sive is in love with a young man, Liam Scuab, who is deemed unsuitable for her.

Distraught, forced to do the will of her uncle and his bitter wife, and faced with an unthinkable future, Sive takes the only choice left to her…….

 

Youghal Theatre Company proudly presents John B. Keane’s  ‘ Sive’
(by kind permission of Mercier Press)

Directed by Sean O’Neill

Venue: Youghal Community Centre

Mon 24, 25, 26, – , 28, 29, Sun 30 Oct 2011 @ 8pm sharp  (doors open 7.30pm)

(Please note: No performance Thurs 27 0ct)

Admission:  €20

Oap’s + Students:  €10

Tickets: Cree’s newsagents, Youghal or at door

Enquiries: Michael Beecher (Press Officer) 087 2349472

THE YOUGHAL RNLI LIFEBOAT was launched on Sunday 23rd October at 5.50pm, to a report of a 5 meter open boat that was adrift off Youghal Bridge.

The Youghal Lifeboat Patricia Jennings under the helm of David Slattery with crew members John Griffin Jnr and Martin Morris arrived on scene and transferred a crew member on board the boat to attach a tow line. They then towed the boat to a safe mooring near Youghal Bridge. While securing the boat to the moorings they received a second call that another boat had broken its moorings at Buttimers Dock Youghal.

The Lifeboat assisted and handed over to the Youghal Coast Guard, who secured the boat to its moorings. The weather was blowing winds of force 7 gusting to strong gale force 9, with sea levels up to 1.5 metres and heavy rain.