Over the first weekend in July, Eochaill Óg hosted a venue for the 2011 Féile (All-Ireland U14 Football Championship). This was a huge undertaking by many Clubs across the county with 186 teams taking part. Youghal hosted 2 teams, St. Bridgets (Roscommon) & Sean O’Heslins (Leitrim), while over the 2 days 5 other visting clubs (Killeagh/Itas, Kiltha Óg, Carrickmacross Emmetts (Monaghan), Newmarket & Ballyphehane) all descened upon Club Aras. The action commenced on Thursday with the local boys taking on near neighbours Killeagh/Itas and Kiltha Óg taking on Carrickmacross Emmetts from Co. Monaghan. The Youghal boys quickly found themselves 0-6 to no score down after 10 minutes but were given a lifeline 5 minutes to half time when they scored a goal after their first attack. This settled the team and they tacked on another 2 pts before the short whistle. The second half was a very competitive affair with the Youghal boys eventually winning on a scoreline 1-6 to 0-8.

Our girls took the field against Sean O’Heslins the Leitrim champions. Youghal got a terrific start by scoring a goal just after Heslins opened their account. The more experienced and physically stronger Leitrim girls eventually took control to run out convincing winners 2-11 to 2-0. In other games the visiting teams proved to be too strong for all local teams and Friday’s first boy’s game between St. Bridgets (Roscommon) & Carrickmacross Emmetts (Monaghan) decided who progressed to the semi-final stages. This was a cracker of a game with the Roscommon boys eventually winning after withholding a strong 2nd half comeback from Carrickmacross.
The girls group proved to be a more tighter affair with all 3 visiting teams ending up on 6 points each, the ababcus’ in the county board was called for and our host team, Sean O’Heslins were declared winners on a scoring difference of 1 point. Unfortunately both winners from Youghal were beaten in the semi-final stages on the Friday evening.

The highlight of the weekend was the participation in the parade from the Mardike to Grand Parade in South Mall. With over 4000 pkayers marching with their Club & County flags there was a real carnival atmosphere to throughout the evening. All the boys & girls were in full voice with “Up the Youghal Girls”, “Everywhere we Go” and “Up the Youghal Boys” and then we marched on to meet our own Clubman and President of the GAA Christy Cooney where each captain received a momento pennant. After the parade, on our return to Club Aras the host families picked up their visiting players and brought them home for a well earned rest and the start of friendships between players for years to come. On the Friday night Eochaill Óg held a social event in the Walter Raleigh with a disco for all the teams and a traditional music session in the bar with Ceoltais entertaining the parents, supporters and Club members. At the end of the evening both visting teams and Eochaill Óg made presentations to each other as a momento of the weekend.
Overall this was a fantastic weekend for our Club and also the town with over 200 visitors staying for the weekend. With fabulous weather over the 2 days Youghal was shown in a very positive light and hopefully some of these Féile visitors will return and revisit our historic town.

Eochaill Óg would like to take this opportunity to thank all members who helped in anyway in organising the weekend under the leadership of Féile Officer, Kieran Cliffe, our sponsors Shane Keohane Scaffolding, The Coffee Pot, O’Neills Oil, Galvins Cost Cutters, Twomeys Butchers, The Red Store & Noel Cronin. For entertainment over the weekend many thanks to The Walter Raleigh Hotel for the hall and to Ceoltais and to DJ Andrew for musical entetainment.

For photos of the weekend please check out – http://www.youghal.cork.gaa.ie/home/club-photos

 

A beautiful sunset last evening (Sunday 29th August 2010) over Youghal Bay finally drew a fitting curtain over an exciting day of powerboat racing in the East Cork town. Returning to Cork waters for the first time in many years this year’s ISA National Powerboat Championship is proving to be a huge success with intense competition across all classes and superb excitement for spectators.
Photos: Ger Leahy

With the waters directly off the quays in Youghal roaring to the sound of 14 race engines, the quays were equally buzzing with the chatter of keen spectators enjoying this unique blend of water, noise, bravery and spectacle.

Although only in it’s first year, this was Youghal Bay Boat Club’s second hosting of a round of the National Championships – the first being in Ardmore back in July. In Ardmore it was the P750 (Thundercat) classes that provided the excitement, this time out the entire national powerboat racing fleet came to party.

The weekend of maritime activities had begun the previous day with local marine training centre Aquatrek hosting the Munster Final of the Yachtsman Euromarine Rib Challenge and Youghal Bay Boat Club hosting their Commodore’s Cup and a thrilling aerobatics display by Gerry Humphries (and his wonderfully daft flying cow!) in the skies above Youghal. With two new ribs up for grabs in the national finals of the Rib Challenge, competition was naturally keen. Challenges were spread across land-based skills, questions and tasks – while on the water crews were tasked with a variety of tests. When the dust settled, the teams going through to the national final were announced as:

Seniors:
1st – Aquatrek Training Centre
2nd – Youghal Bay Boat Club
3rd – Tralee Bay Sailing Club

Juniors:
1st – Aquatrek Training Centre
2nd – Wexford Harbour Boat & Tennis Club
3rd – Wexford Harbour Boat & Tennis Club

Sunday morning arrived with a car-park full of very strange machines for the people of Youghal to wonder about – it’s not every day you see a van with what looks like a little jet plane parked on its roof. With crews and boats from the four corners of Ireland filling out the car park the excitement grew from early morning until the first boats hit the water just after noon to begin a long day of hot action. Under blue skies and mostly clear water the afternoon was filled with twelve races in total. Community Radio Youghal were on hand to provide informative commentary and fill the time between races with music and banter. With this being the penultimate round of the national championships the racing was always expected to be intense, and the crews didn’t disappoint. Turn after turn, race after race, the crowds were treated to top-notch racing directly in front of the town’s quays. The big F2′s rocketing past at 100 miles an hour throwing huge plumes of water into the skies, the little P750 (Thundercats) throwing their boats and crews into impossible turns just inches apart from one another, and the T850 monohulls buzzing, skimming and often flying across the water.

For Youghal Bay Boat Club this was the first year in the build towards a major annual Maritime Festival, and it proved to be a satisfying success. For the spectators it was another opportunity to enjoy the wonderful spectacle which the waters of Youghal can provide. For the competitors it was an opportunity to showcase their sport and battle hard for championship points.

At the end of a long and exciting day the honours went to the following:

T850 Class
1st: Oliver Haire (North East Powerboat & Racing Club)
2nd: Megan Anderson (North East Powerboat & Racing Club)
3rd: Philip Haire (North East Powerboat & Racing Club)

Formula 2 Class
1st: Will Chambers (Lisnaskea Boat Club)
2nd: Liam Ralph (East Coast Powerboat Racing Club)
3rd: Oliver Haire (North East Powerboat & Racing Club)

Formula 4 Class
1st: Will Chambers (Lisnaskea Boat Club)
2nd: Phil Boyle (Irish Powerboat Club)

P750 (Thundercats)
1st: Sean Dillon & Gary Hogg (Irish Offshore Powerboat Racing Club)
2nd: Colin Snow & Conor Mullally (East Coast Powerboat Racing Club)
3rd: Ronan O’Connor & Fionn Little (Youghal Bay Boat Club)

For further information please contact Aidan Foley (Club PRO) on 086 0401368