The only town in Ireland to be awarded three Blue Flags for 2011, Youghal was celebrating last night (Thursday 9th June 2011) and hoping that the announcement by Environment Minister Phil Hogan will draw much-needed additional tourism into the area. The east Cork town gained an extra flag for its Front Strand while retaining the standard for both Redbarn and Claycastle – much to the delight of the Town Council.

“We had an inkling of the news last week but we now have three Blue Flag beaches that stretch across all areas of our strand. This is a very rare achievement and we are absolutely thrilled,” Helen Mulcahy, acting Town Clerk, told the Cork News.

“We were very disappointed when we lost the Blue Flag for Front Strand. There was a problem with the water quality but it really was borderline and could be attributed to bad weather at the time. Readings are taken at certain times of the year though, and they don’t always do justice to the quality of the water.

“However, this year we ticked all the boxes. We’ve been working very hard cleaning the beaches and putting various facilities in place like wheelchair ramps and litter bins. We’ve been going around the clock trying to meet all the criteria and thankfully we have managed to do just that. This is a great achievement for the Town Council, the local Tidy Town group and for Cork County Council.”

There are high hopes the news will result in more tourists coming in to visit the town, which has suffered badly from factory closures and job losses over the last number of years. “Youghal has been very badly hit recently, especially by the amount of unemployment we’re seen. One of the few assets the town has left is its beaches and we have to do everything we can to exploit that,” Ms. Mulcahy added.

“Youghal has beautiful strands and it’s a wonderful place to come and visit or spend some time on holiday. If visitors come, it could well generate more employment in the locality and hopefully start something positive. People come from far and wide to use Blue Flag beaches and tend to avoid ones that aren’t designated with the award. So we do expect a good response from the public and for them to come in their droves, especially if the sun starts to shine.”

Cork received 11 Blue Flags in total for criteria such as water quality, information provision and beach management and the national total of 82 is an increase of eight from 2010. The other beaches in Cork are Garryvoe, Garretstown, Garrylucas, Inchydoney, Owenahincha, the Warren, Tragumna and Barleycove.

Source: thecorknews.ie

Sinn Féin’s spokesperson on Tourism, Sandra McLellan, has welcomed the awarding of an unprecedented three Blue Flags to Youghal, with the Front Strand beach now joining Claycastle and Redbarn beaches on the prestigious list.

Speaking at the announcement of this year’s winners Deputy McLellan said: “I want to congratulate all of this year’s winners. The result for Youghal, in particular, is an absolutely outstanding achievement. To be awarded three Blue Flags surely confirms Youghal as the finest coastal resort in the country. The awards reflect a dedication to excellence and are a result of a huge effort from the local authority, staff and community. Their commitment to the campaign, including beach clean-ups organised by a range of voluntary groups, has been rewarded with this fantastic news.”

“It is important to remember that the Blue Flag stands for more than just excellent bathing water quality, but also reflects a beach’s compliance with a range of international standards covering areas such litter management, provision of lifeguards, toilet facilities, animal control and more. As such, the three Blue Flags which Youghal can now boast conveys, to potential visitors at home and abroad, that this area is dedicated to providing a first class experience in a first class environment.”

Prior to November’s town council meeting,  Youghal Tidy Towns chairman Ned Brennan made a brief presentation to the chamber. He began by explaining where Youghal stood in a national and regional context. For the first time ever the town finished a bronze-medalled fourth in Category E (population 5,000-10,000) with 279 points, behind Dungarvan( 287), Trim (286) and Dalkey (281). Mr. Brennan reasoned that Youghal could close the gap on the three leaders by virtue that its showing a greater rate of improvement than they are showing. This momentum was reflected in a two mark improvement in 2006/7, by 10 marks in 2007/8, five marks in 2008/9 and by seven marks in 2009/10. “Third place in 2010/11 is achievable,” he proclaimed.

Regionally, within the South Cork division, Youghal’s 279 marks also held fourth place this year, behind Kinsale (297),Macroom (287) and Ballincollig (283). Again improvement to third place at least to third place was achievable here, he said.

Other 2009/10 achievements included winning the Co. Cork County Council Litter League B1 Category. “It’s significant that there were only 18 national medals awarded in the Cork/Kerry region and only five bronze awards,” he explained, adding that, “at last we’re starting to get into the medal winning areas. ”

Tidy plans

The past may be tidy but the chairman was keen to focus on a future littered, so to speak, with aspiration. He pinpointed six areas of prominence:

Approach Roads:

“We have prioritised for the coming year the approach roads to the town,” he stated.  He proceeded that eastern side from the Rhincrew roundabout to Greencloyne has issues that need addressing such as dead trees, truck-mangled grass verges, footpaths at Foxhole and general grass cutting requirements.

On the western approach, he said the flower beds at Kilcoran Place on the Killeagh Road would be cleared this month and new shrubs installed. He hoped the flower beds near the new boat on the left on the approach to Summerfield would be extended, with a three large flower boxes installed to engineer a stronger visual impact. Grass cutting, he proceeded, was the biggest challenge in that area and he hoped the town and county councils could assist with that aspect. .

Dereliction:

Derelict sites, unsurprisingly, came in for unavoidable mention. If they couldn’t or wouldn’t be abolished in some way, perhaps their effect could be hidden, with painted or embellished adorned hoardings of some sort erected to make the areas more eye-pleasing.  Perhaps the owners of the Mill Road site might be prevailed upon to do this, he suggested, displaying an optimism that only the holder of a bronze medal, at least, could apply to a firm heading into liquidation.

Equally optimistic, he wondered whether the CIE site at McCurtainstown could be similarly treated, although it would emerge later that the State body has promised to clean up the place in the coming months. The view of the old Hilltop hotel reflected graffiti, he said, while “derelict buildings on the quayside also need attention,” if not a downright tidal wave!

Landscaping:

The committee hope to hang more baskets than previous on the Lighthouse Hill, with plans for extra flower beds also.

Wildlife and Natural Amenities:

Mr. Brennan said the committee was working with another voluntary group to promote this agenda through the distribution of information pamphlets. Sign boards, such as those used to inform on local marine life some years ago, were also being considered.

Waste Minimisation:

The chairman said they were working and progressing with schools towards attaining a green flag award.

Tidiness:

The word itself reflected ambitions to eradicate dog fouling, conduct kerbside weeding, and promote signage cleaning. He again hoped that the town council and other associated bodies such as tenants associations could contribute towards improvement in these areas.

Cllr Barbara Murray said the imminent liquidation of Galvin Brothers, proprietors of the Mill Road site, compromised efforts to combat dereliction at the site. However, she added, the Hilltop graffiti and associated issues were being addressed by the owners. She felt the town clerk was doing “very well in regards to town issues” but that the county council had a long ways to go to catch up. “The county areas are the ones that always need the most attention,” she attested, before advocating “more cooperation between the county council and the tidy towns committee, with the county council pulling their weight and working more closely in coordinating with the town council and the committee.”

Cllr Murray wondered how Cork County Council could deploy two extra workers to the landfill at a time when tonnage at that site was at an all-time low and town’s approach roads were dilapidated.  Yet they are “screaming out for more workmen,” she said incredulously.

Addressing the town manager Patricia Power, the councillor asked whether she could initiate a move to re-deploy workers to tend to the periphery areas of Youghal and indeed other towns if need be. Ms Power began that “each area has its own budget…” but Cllr Murray interceded that the budget was there, but the workforce was not. One worker in Youghal had been deceased and not replaced due to the recruitment embargo, while an opportunity to replace him through deployment had been lost.

The town manager then suggested that a spring meeting be arranged between the tidy towns committee and Cork County Council, which she would attend. She believed if specific areas were to be targeted and “a confluence of effort,” applied, then ways might be found to bring significant improvement.