A senior delegation from The Department of Arts Heritage & Gaeltacht (DAHG) The Heritage Council of Ireland and Fáilte Ireland visited Youghal on Friday 16th November 2012 as part of the roll-out of the Historic Towns Initiative. Youghal has been chosen along with other historic towns; Listowel and Westport to advance a pilot programme which will see Heritage Towns develop while maximizing their tourism potential.

Hosted by Youghal Town Council, the delegation undertook a walking tour in the morning of the historic core of the town, before meeting with senior officials from Cork County Council to discuss the draft framework document. This framework would see the roll-out of the project over 2013 and beyond which is seen as being essential to sustainable development and to encouraging cultural tourism in historic towns like Youghal.

Speaking at the afternoon session in the Mall Arts Centre, Youghal to a group of assembled community representatives about the project, Martin Colreavy, Principal Advisor, Built Heritage and Architectural Policy (DAHG) spoke in detail about what the project would mean for Youghal and the other two towns in the pilot scheme. “This project ;which is being driven by our Minister, Jimmy Deenihan TD (DAHG) will see a renewal of the existing heritage towns designation, from a tourism approach to towns based on a heritage-led regeneration approach”. Stressing that the success of the initiative would be dependent on Town Councils taking the central leadership role and committing its own resources to the project, Mr. Colreavy complimented Youghal Town Council on its visionary role in heritage-led regeneration to date. “Youghal Town Council is already extremely well advanced in this process, producing its own ‘Heritage-Led Regeneration Strategy’ back in 2005 when the idea was only being advanced in Europe. I know the Minister is determined that this initiative delivers on the ground for each of the pilot towns initially and becomes a true driver of economic growth going forward rather than just being another ‘plan’. Said the Government official.

The delegation and Community Representatives went on to hear from Town Clerk, Liam Ryan and Aileen Murray of The Youghal Socio-Economic Development Group who explained the major issues facing Youghal and set out the current set of structures, plans and strategies which are in place in the town.

 

The initiative will examine a number of areas in the process including: spatial planning, fiscal incentive – and the creation of specific incentives for heritage towns, funding; looking at alternative mechanisms for financial leverage and construction employment.

 

The timeline for the execution of the project will see the presentation by the delegation/steering group to the Minister in December of the finalized Historic Towns Initiative toolkit/pack and then to the three pilot towns for initiation over 2013. In early 2013, subject to Ministerial/Departmental agreement on the final details of the scheme, a formal announcement of the Historic Towns Initiative Pilot/Initiation will be made.

THE FIRST PHASE of a mobility-disabled access boardwalk running from Youghal Front Strand to Claycastle, (395 metres) delivered in partnership with Youghal Town Council and Failte Ireland was officially opened by Minister of State at the Department of Tourism & Sport on Tuesday 24th July 2012.  The boardwalk consists of hardwood timber deck supported on piled foundations, not requiring a railing, and once complete will span 1926 metres, eventually forming part of the National Coastal Walking Route.  The Minister also took the opportunity to officially ‘turn on’ the new 75kw wind turbine at Youghal Aura Leisure Centre.

Speaking at the launch, Minister Ring paid tribute to the vision of Youghal Town Council and its determination to undertake and complete such projects. “When I was here this time last year, I was hugely impressed with not only Youghal’s tourism offering, but the will and determination of the Council and the local community to see this town grow and succeed.  It is wonderful to see plans that were presented to me followed through and executed in full.  With over 180,000 people working  nationally in tourism, this sector is hugely significant in terms of growth in the economy and Youghal is certainly setting about playing its part in getting this country working again”, said the Minister.  The second phase of the development would see the completion of the link between Claycastle and Redbarn to the Quality Hotel and Self Catering Apartments.  The Minister agreed to review the submission to Failte Ireland, agreeing that the project would be of huge benefit to the local economy if completed in full.

Mayor of Youghal, Cllr Michelle Hennessy suggested it shouldn’t be underestimated just what the boardwalk had done for the people of Youghal.  “Not only has it become a major tourist attraction, but it has become a major social gathering for the people of the area, and has brought a new life and vibrancy to this area of the town.  The quality of the boardwalk is evident; – it consists of 395 metres of hardwood timber deck and again is wheelchair accessible.  The Mayor emphasised how important the delivery of Phase Two of the project, saying: “This will have a huge economic impact on the town once complete. The delivery of this Boardwalk shows the commitment of Youghal Town Council to improving the tourism infrastructure of the Town, in partnership with Failte Ireland and is a further step forward in maximising the potential of our natural tourism assets for the economic benefit of business in Youghal” said the Mayor.

In advance of the official opening of the Eco-Boardwalk, the Minister also commended Youghal Town Council in their efforts in securing a €400,000 grant under the Improved Energy and Enhanced Disabled Grant Scheme for Youghal Aura Leisure Centre.  The upgrade works have enabled huge energy savings – including up to a 40% saving in electricity to the Centre from the installation of a 75kw wind turbine.  Currently employing 39 staff, the grant has also facilitated an extension to the existing facility for the disabled, with the addition of a new changing area, a major upgrade of the turnstile system and automatic doors to changing areas.  All of the works completed at the centre serve to enhance the centre’s reputation as both a community resource and first class tourism facility.  Referring to Youghal’s Aura Leisure Centre, the Minister commented:

“This is a hugely substantial amount of money to be granted in this current economic climate and it can only have a positive effect on employment in the town, helping to sustain jobs and hopefully create new ones too.” Said the Minister.

THE FIRST PHASE of a mobility-disabled access boardwalk running from Youghal Front Strand to Claycastle, (395M) delivered in partnership with Youghal Town Council and Failte Ireland was officially opened by Minister of State at the Department of Tourism & Sport on Tuesday 24th July 2012.  The boardwalk consists of hardwood timber deck supported on piled foundations, not requiring a railing, and once complete will span 1926 metres, eventually forming part of the National Coastal Walking Route.  The Minister also took the opportunity to officially ‘turn on’ the new 75kw wind turbine at Youghal Aura Leisure Centre.

Speaking at the launch, Minister Ring paid tribute to the vision of Youghal Town Council and its determination to undertake and complete such projects. “When I was here this time last year, I was hugely impressed with not only Youghal’s tourism offering, but the will and determination of the Council and the local community to see this town grow and succeed.  It is wonderful to see plans that were presented to me followed through and executed in full.  With over 180,000 people working  nationally in tourism, this sector is hugely significant in terms of growth in the economy and Youghal is certainly setting about playing its part in getting this country working again”, said the Minister.  The second phase of the development would see the completion of the link between Claycastle and Redbarn to the Quality Hotel and Self Catering Apartments.  The Minister agreed to review the submission to Failte Ireland, agreeing that the project would be of huge benefit to the local economy if completed in full.

Mayor of Youghal, Cllr Michelle Hennessy suggested it shouldn’t be underestimated just what the boardwalk had done for the people of Youghal.  “Not only has it become a major tourist attraction, but it has become a major social gathering for the people of the area, and has brought a new life and vibrancy to this area of the town.  The quality of the boardwalk is evident; – it consists of 395 metres of hardwood timber deck and again is wheelchair accessible.  The Mayor emphasised how important the delivery of Phase Two of the project, saying: “This will have a huge economic impact on the town once complete. The delivery of this Boardwalk shows the commitment of Youghal Town Council to improving the tourism infrastructure of the Town, in partnership with Failte Ireland and is a further step forward in maximising the potential of our natural tourism assets for the economic benefit of business in Youghal” said the Mayor.

In advance of the official opening of the Eco-Boardwalk, the Minister also commended Youghal Town Council in their efforts in securing a €400,000 grant under the Improved Energy and Enhanced Disabled Grant Scheme for Youghal Aura Leisure Centre.  The upgrade works have enabled huge energy savings – including up to a 40% saving in electricity to the Centre from the installation of a 75kw wind turbine.  Currently employing 39 staff, the grant has also facilitated an extension to the existing facility for the disabled, with the addition of a new changing area, a major upgrade of the turnstile system and automatic doors to changing areas.  All of the works completed at the centre serve to enhance the centre’s reputation as both a community resource and first class tourism facility.  Referring to Youghal’s Aura Leisure Centre, the Minister commented:

“This is a hugely substantial amount of money to be granted in this current economic climate and it can only have a positive effect on employment in the town, helping to sustain jobs and hopefully create new ones too.” Said the Minister.

Click here to enlarge image

WRITER Diarmuid O’Riordan’s upcoming book on Youghal’s finest restaurants and bars: ‘Cooking Wit Character’ is set to become a best seller among locals and tourists to the East Cork town.  Delving into the character and history of each establishment, the guide will provide a number of trademark recipes and cooking guidelines for each respective restaurant or pub.

The book sets a challenge to its readers to test their standards of cooking against each restaurant’s recipe.  It is anticipated that readers when ‘on a night out’ – would create an interactive dynamic between customer and establishment due to the familiarity of each dish, and furthermore generate a buzz and sense of locality for people.

Speaking in advance of the publication, writer Diarmuid spoke of his sentiments surrounding the origins of the book.  “Not to sound like a broken record, or an overbearing yet unresponsive left-wing politician; times have changed, and with a shift in eras comes an abundance of diversity with respect to lifestyle.   Possibly the most important aspect of the current transition is that Ireland is drifting back to its roots which defined the character of our nation – nobility, companionship, health, family, friends, and a welcoming spirit – all of which are integrally linked through food.”

Diarmuid went onto expand on the ethos surrounding the publication: “When funds are sparse some people won’t pay ridiculous money for processed tripe. Cooking is not only cheaper and healthier; it will transform an element of life which people can individually identify with.   ‘Cooking wit Character’ is, as all cookbooks should be – simple. When people can relate to a local establishment’s recipe and then cook it for themselves, hopefully it might be the spark they need to embark on a change of lifestyle. An additional element to the book is that people can try their efforts against the recipes of each establishment, thus creating a characterizing interaction between locals, and local businesses.

Also aimed at the tourist market, the book will be a food guide with that little something extra – spawning a relationship between them, the establishment they visit and hopefully frequent, yet more importantly – the town.  For the locals, it will hopefully nurture a new passion which they will share with friends and family. The aim; eventually leading to more occupied seats in local restaurants.

Diarmuid expressed his hope that local restaurants would also amalgamate and realise that they can create a better environment for tourism and locals alike, through shared communication amongst themselves.   “Business generates business, and each establishment should attempt to create a sense of community throughout the town which transpires to incoming business in whatever form that may be.  My hope is that ‘Cooking wit Character’ might create the spark which will generate a new theme within the area, furthermore develop vested interest from outside sources and authorities.

‘Cooking wit Character’ will be officially launched in the Mall Arts Centre in the coming weeks, and will be available for sale in advance of the main tourist season.  All proceeds set to go to a local charity (yet to be announced)

 

Celebrity Chef Rachel Allen Kicks off Family Friendly Season

One of Ireland’s favourite celebrity chefs, Rachel Allen, herself a Mum of three, has officially launched Fáilte Ireland’s ‘Cool for Kids Fun for Family’ guide for Youghal, East Cork and West Waterford at Perks Entertainment Centre, Youghal.  The event was attended by a number of tourism operators from the designated family friendly zones that have joined the Fáilte Ireland project in order to make the area famous for family holidays.

A collaborative project between Fáilte Ireland and local tourism providers, this guide is part of of a wider initiative designed to put these designated areas and the wider South West region at the very top of the agenda of the family holiday market. It is hoped that the development of this new family friendly guide will develop Youghal as a key holiday destination for family holidays in the South West of Ireland and ensure visitors to the area of a memorable family experience.

Celebrity Chef, Rachel Allen commented:

“I am delighted to be part of this Fáilte Ireland initiative as Family holidays are a great occasion for each member of the family to relax.  Our modern hectic family lives are full of tensions and stresses. Going on holiday doesn’t have to be far, it doesn’t have to be long, just a time that can be called a “family holiday”.

All of the holiday providers listed in the guide, from accommodation to attractions, to activity operators, have agreed to participate in the Fáilte Ireland ‘Family Friendly Charter’.  By doing this, they have committed to providing a particularly warm welcome and friendly service to families with children, and to do all they can to make their time in the area as enjoyable and memorable as possible.

Welcoming this new Family Friendly Brochure, Fáilte Ireland’s Head of Operations for the Southwest, Fiona Buckley, commented:

“This initiative presents a great opportunity to develop the resort, increase visitor numbers and grow revenue for all.  The guiding principle behind the family fun initiative is that all participating tourism operators and their employees make it a priority to deliver a family friendly service, and understand the importance of a positive attitude and an imaginative approach to exceeding expectations of families on holidays.”

For further information contact:

Catherine Whelan, Fáilte Ireland

Tel: 01 8847181 / 087 6449572

Fáilte Ireland, the national tourism development authority, was established in 2003 to guide and promote tourism as a leading indigenous component of the Irish economy.

The tourism and hospitality industry employs over 180,000 people and generates more than €6 billion in revenue a year.

Family Friendly Charter

There is no cost implication with signing up for this initiative. To become a partner on the programme you must sign up to the ‘Family Friendly Charter’ which outlines the basic requirements to be considered a family friendly establishment.  As a signatory of the Charter, you will receive the following:

A Family Friendly Window Sticker, which must be prominently displayed at the entrance to your premises.
A Family Friendly Customer Charter, which must be prominently displayed in your premises.
Inclusion in Fáilte Ireland’s communications campaign for the Family Friendly initiative (including Printed material, Direct Mail pieces, Web, Publicity etc)
Inclusion in Fáilte Ireland’s training and development programmes for Family Fun in Youghal

There will be a quality control mechanism put in place where all programme participants will be visited to ensure the consistency of their family friendly offering and that all elements of the charters are being adhered to.

Click on thumbnail to see more pics of the ‘Cool for Kids Fun for Family’ brochure launch

Fáilte Ireland’s ‘Cool for Kids Fun for Family’ Guide launched in Youghal

One of Ireland’s favourite celebrity chefs, Rachel Allen, herself a Mum of three, has officially launched Fáilte Ireland’s ‘Cool for Kids Fun for Family’ guide for Youghal.  The event was attended by a number of tourism operators from the designated family friendly zones that have joined the Fáilte Ireland project in order to make the area famous for family holidays.

A collaborative project between Fáilte Ireland and local tourism providers, this guide is part of of a wider initiative designed to put these designated areas and the wider South West region at the very top of the agenda of the family holiday market. It is hoped that the development of this new family friendly guide will develop Youghal as a key holiday destination for family holidays in the South West of Ireland and ensure visitors to the area of a memorable family experience.

Celebrity Chef, Rachel Allen commented:
“I am delighted to be part of this Fáilte Ireland initiative as Family holidays are a great occasion for each member of the family to relax.  Our modern hectic family lives are full of tensions and stresses. Going on holiday doesn’t have to be far, it doesn’t have to be long, just a time that can be called a “family holiday”.
All of the holiday providers listed in the guide, from accommodation to attractions, to activity operators, have agreed to participate in the Fáilte Ireland ‘Family Friendly Charter’.  By doing this, they have committed to providing a particularly warm welcome and friendly service to families with children, and to do all they can to make their time in the area as enjoyable and memorable as possible.

Welcoming this new Family Friendly Brochure, Fáilte Ireland’s Head of Operations for the Southwest, Fiona Buckley, commented:

“This initiative presents a great opportunity to develop the resort, increase visitor numbers and grow revenue for all.  The guiding principle behind the family fun initiative is that all participating tourism operators and their employees make it a priority to deliver a family friendly service, and understand the importance of a positive attitude and an imaginative approach to exceeding expectations of families on holidays.”

 

Fáilte Ireland

Fáilte Ireland, the national tourism development authority, was established in 2003 to guide and promote tourism as a leading indigenous component of the Irish economy.

The tourism and hospitality industry employs over 180,000 people and generates more than €6 billion in revenue a year.

Family Friendly Charter
There is no cost implication with signing up for this initiative. To become a partner on the programme you must sign up to the ‘Family Friendly Charter’ which outlines the basic requirements to be considered a family friendly establishment.  As a signatory of the Charter, you will receive the following:
A Family Friendly Window Sticker, which must be prominently displayed at the entrance to your premises.
A Family Friendly Customer Charter, which must be prominently displayed in your premises.
Inclusion in Fáilte Ireland’s communications campaign for the Family Friendly initiative (including Printed material, Direct Mail pieces, Web, Publicity etc)
Inclusion in Fáilte Ireland’s training and development programmes for Family Fun in Youghal

There will be a quality control mechanism put in place where all programme participants will be visited to ensure the consistency of their family friendly offering and that all elements of the charters are being adhered to.

CIT Students to Focus on Youghal’s Heritage Tourism Product

Youghal’s heritage tourism product offering is set to be the subject of intense scrutiny in the coming months as a group of 3rd Year Tourism Students from Cork Institute of Technology (C.I.T) undertake a major research study on the profile of the Youghal’s independent heritage tourism visitors.  The study is set to get underway on Wednesday 29th February as the students undertake their first fact-finding mission to the town.  The project will be undertaken in association with The Youghal Socio-Economic Development Group and is a further development of the relationship which is being nurtured between the 3rd Level Institution and Youghal.

The purpose of the project is to determine how best to capitalise on and exploit the heritage product (built and natural) in Youghal to the benefit of all tourism providers in the area.  In recent years there has been a huge effort in developing and investing in Youghal’s heritage tourism product which has been led by Youghal Town Council in partnership with The Heritage Council of Ireland.  The challenge for Youghal now lies in marketing this quality product to this specific targeted market.

Speaking in advance of the commencement of the study, Dr. Aisling Ward of the Tourism and Hospitality Department of CIT commented: “Following the initial exploratory project embarked upon by a group of third year CIT tourism students last year, a new group of students are currently working on the second installment of this project.  The emphasis of the project this year relates to the enhancement, promotion and marketing of the heritage product in Youghal.  This is a great opportunity for both the students and the town itself,” said Dr. Ward.  “The students benefit through getting hands-on experience of a destination marketing project, while Youghal will benefit from the research gathered by the students, their creativity and insightfulness”.

Welcoming the upcoming research undertaking, Aileen Murray of The Youghal Socio-Economic Development Group spoke about the focus of the research.  “Over the past number of years Youghal has seen  significant investment  in its heritage product offering; including in signage, the on-going works to the town walls, the heritage painting scheme and soon to be the re-opening of The Clockgate.  These have begun to pay dividends with the securing of a number of escorted tour series like CIE Tours International to Youghal for guided tours.  However, we are aware that a significant number of visitors travel to Youghal independently to experience the town’s heritage for themselves and stay longer than many of the escorted tours. These are the higher spending visitor and we want to attract more of this type of visitor to our town.  This study will seek to develop the profile of this independent visitor, and understand  just how they are finding out about Youghal, and in turn seek to target more of them.” said Aileen. I’m sure that the tourism product providers will welcome the students and assist them as they seek to provide us with this invaluable source of information”.

Research will be conducted through liaising with all accommodation providers in the area, with a particular focus on the visitor characteristics including nationality, length of stay, holiday activities, age, travel party, method of booking etc.  The students will present their findings to the Board of Directors of The Youghal Socio-Economic Development Group and will include creative recommendations for the promotion and marketing of Youghal as a heritage tourism destination.

Issued by: The Youghal Socio-Economic Development Group

Contact: Aileen Murray, Tel: 024-81814  or 086-1703128 E: tourism@youghal.ie

Aileen Murray,

Manager, Youghal Socio-Economic Development Group,

7-10 Enterprise Youghal,

Emmet Place,

Youghal,

Co. Cork.

Tel: 00 353 24 81814

E: tourism@youghal.ie

W: www.youghal.ie

F:www.facebook.com/youghal.ie

 

RELATED VIDEOS BELOW

The Bus Stops Here! – US VISITORS TO YOUGHAL are set to dramatically increase in 2012 and 2013 following negotiations undertaken by Youghal Chamber of Tourism & Development, The Youghal Socio-Economic Development Group (YSEDG) with CIE Tours International.

A guided tour of Youghal’s Heritage Trail is set to form part of the company’s group tour itineraries in 2012 and a selection of tour series in 2013, using the Kerry to Waterford routes and vice versa. CIE Tours International is the largest tour operator in the US driving vacation business to Ireland.  Last year they handled 35,000 visitors to the island of Ireland.

In mid October, Senior Vice President of CIE Tours International, Dennis Savage, who is based in Morristown New Jersey paid a visit to Youghal on a US staff education trip and expressed a major interest in including ‘Youghal’s Heritage Trail’ on a number of routes to the region.   This was the culmination of a number of years of work undertaken by Youghal Chamber at various coach and tourism workshops selling Youghal’s tourism product offering.  Speaking about his visit and the prospect of including Youghal on their itineraries, Mr. Savage commented: “Youghal is a very photogenic town and adding a walking tour would ensure our coach tours routing from Kerry to Waterford would be compelled to slow-down, with a diversion from the local motorway and learn firsthand the local history.  I believe that walking tours enhance the coach tour experience and are an important ingredient in our continued market share growth.  I have noticed that too often historic towns are being bypassed by coach crews and in doing so an integral part of the real Ireland experience is being lost. For the Killarney/Cork/Waterford route, Youghal is the perfect mid morning or afternoon comfort or photo-stop.” Said Mr. Savage.

Following on from Mr. Savage’s familiarisation trip,  a delegation from Youghal Chamber of Tourism & Development (Eileen Quill) and The Youghal Socio-Economic Development Group (Aileen Murray) met with senior representatives from CIE Tours in Dublin to discuss the details of various package options.

Aileen Murray (YSEDG) pointed to the fact that Youghal was finally starting to be recognised for its efforts and investment in Heritage by some of the main tour operators.  “The fact that the major decision makers of CIE Tours are now including Youghal on their routes is testament to the years of investment through Youghal’s Heritage-Led Regeneration Strategy by Youghal Town Council – in the Town Walls, St.Mary’s Collegiate Church and heritage signage for example; together with the marketing efforts of The Youghal Chamber of Tourism & Development in attracting coach tour business over the years.   Once CIE Tours as the market leaders come on board, it is only a matter of time before other operators begin to take notice of Youghal too.” said Aileen.

Commenting on the opportunity, President of Youghal Chamber of Tourism and Development, Mary O’ Donnell said: “This is a great opportunity for Youghal and I am delighted with the positive outcome to last Thursdays meeting with Conor Wall and Senior representatives of CIE bus tours in Dublin.  We will work hard on completing the requirements requested to become a CIE Tour destination.

Mary went on to thank Sal Tivy-Vice President for researching contacts for the meeting with CIE Tours and also Eileen Quill – Chamber Director and Aileen Murray- YSEDG for attending the Dublin meeting and presenting our wonderful town and all it has to offer as a very attractive stop over and tourist destination.

“I welcome all prospects for potential tourism generation for our town and locality”, said Mary. “We are delighted to secure CIE tour excursions to Youghal for 2012 and being placed on a full programme for CIE tours for the 2013 season.  This will increase business and employment and bring a very welcome boost to our local economy.”

CIE Escorted Tours operate from March each year on a weekly basis through to November.  The Company is also considering various packages which the Chamber of Tourism & Development has compiled, including a number of tour and lunch options.

Issued by: Youghal Chamber of Tourism & Development &

Youghal Socio-Economic Development Group (YSEDG)

Contact:

Ø  Mary O’Donnell: (Pres. Youghal Chamber): T: 024-20200 E: mary@clearviewproperties.ie

Ø  Aileen Murray (YSEDG): T: 024-81814  E: tourism@youghal.ie

Aileen Murray,

Manager, Youghal Socio-Economic Development Group,

7-10 Enterprise Youghal,

Emmet Place,

Youghal,

Co. Cork.

Tel: 00 353 24 81814

E: tourism@youghal.ie

W: www.youghal.ie

F:www.facebook.com/youghal.ie

Sixteen members of The Enterprise Centre in Youghal, Co. Cork got a fantastic surprise when they realised they had matched five numbers plus the bonus number to win €25,000 in the Lotto draw on Saturday 20 August. The lucky syndicate, who purchased their ticket in Tesco, Youghal, have been playing together as a group for over six years. They were only one number away from winning the jackpot prize of €4.5 million.

“We all feel extremely lucky at the moment; it’s a lovely amount to win. All of the mother’s in the group were delighted with the windfall as our children are all going back to school this week and it’s an expensive time of year for every mother,” said Catherine Desmond, one of the members of the syndicate, at today’s photocall in Youghal.

The Enterprise Centre opened its doors in Youghal on Friday 28 November 2008. The state of the art enterprise centre nurtures indigenous small business in the Co. Cork area and is designed to provide a supportive environment to local enterprises, while encouraging them to innovate and grow.

While all 16 staff members expressed themselves ‘delighted’ with their win, no one has yet decided what to do with the windfall. A good staff night out is ‘definitely on the cards’, to celebrate.

Minister of State for Tourism & Sport, Michael Ring today (26th August 2011) announced a grant of €400,000  from a fund of €4.4 million to Youghal Town Council for Youghal Leisure Centre.  The grant will seek to improve access for people with disabilities, as well as a Green Swimming Pool initiative to make the pool more energy efficient.  The award was the joint highest award of 19 similar applications from local authorities around the country. 

Attracting over 158,000 visitors per annum, Youghal Leisure Centre was designed in 2004 and opened in 2005. In welcoming the grant allocation, Town Clerk Liam Ryan expressed his delight at the announcement.

“€400,000 is clearly a hugely substantial amount of money to be granted in this current economic climate and it will have a positive effect on employment in the town, helping to sustain jobs and hopefully create new ones too.”  The grant will be used to implement methods aimed at reducing the running costs of the centre and remove barriers to people with disabilities living in Youghal and the surrounding area.   “We were confident that the application met all the relevant criteria which were set out, and once again Youghal Town Council has managed to secure maximum funding for its key projects”, added Mr. Ryan.

In announcing the grants Minister Ring said: “The grants will help pools to become more efficient, and reduce their carbon footprint.  Large heating bills are the single biggest cost in running a swimming pool.  So by making them more efficient, we are also reducing the burden on taxpayers by cutting back on energy and water requirements.”

Only two weeks ago, Claycastle Leisure Company – Youghal Town Council’s Management Company behind the facility signed another four year, eleven month Management contract with Aura Sport & Leisure Management Ltd. (part of the Aura Holohan Group) for the facility. (Click here for more on that story) The premises has been maintained in an excellent condition but compared to similar swimming pools of similar size and usage, energy costs are particularly high; partly due to the high seasonality of demand.  Further sharp increases in energy costs have been widely signalled by energy providers, but the opportunity has now been created to implement initiatives aimed at saving costs by the awarding of this grant.

In 2010 Youghal Leisure Centre took top honours as the ‘Best Recreational Facility’ at the Zurich LAMA Awards (Local Authority Members Association Awards) which recognises the very best of Ireland’s talent in local projects of Construction, Engineering and Infrastructure.
(Click here for more on that story)

Click on links below for up-to-date info from Youghal Town Council

W: www.youghal.ie

Youghal.ie aims to promote Youghal & its environs in the areas of tourism & business. There is also a ‘Whats On Youghal’ section that is populated weekly.

F:www.facebook.com/youghal.ie

www.facebook.com/Youghal.ie is a facebook page, linked to the Youghal.ie website, managed by Youghal Socio Economic Development Group (YSEDG)

E: tourism@youghal.ie

Tel: 024-92926 E: liam.ryan@corkcoco.ie

Further information; Department of Transport, Tourism & Sport Press Office: Tel: 01-6041076 or 01-6041090