A record 540 people turned out for this year’s Emer Casey 10 km road race in Youghal, an increase of almost 12% on 2012. Considering that last year had been up 26% on the 2011 number and that there were even more events on this week as well, it’s a remarkable number.The full results can be seen HERE

The mens race was won by Alan O’ Shea (Bantry AC) in a time of 31:35. In second place was Sean McGrath (East Cork AC) in a time of 31:54. The women’s race was won by Lizzie Lee (Leevale AC) in a new ladies course record time of 35.18. Jerry Forde (Blarney-Inniscarra AC) won the wheelchair race in a time of 48:53. The course took participants through the historic streets of Youghal and finish at the Front Strand. The prize giving ceremony took place at PobalScoil Na Trionoide immediately after the race.
Below is a video clip of the Emer Casey Memorial 10k 2013 as the athletes pass under the Clock Gate and enter North Main Street in Youghal.

Below is the Emer Casey Foundation Memorial 10K Run in Youghal (2011)

Below is a Movie Clip of the Emer Casey Memorial 10k 2010 in Youghal

Youghal man John McGrath who lived in the Clock Gate from 1939 to 1959 speaks about his memories of those day and other stories. The tower built in 1777 was part of the towns fortifications. It served the town as a gaol and a public gallows until 1837. It then became a family home until 1959 when the last family left, which was the McGrath family.

Having grown up in the Clock Gate, John left for Britain during the 1950’s as did many of his contemporaries. There he observed the post-war housing improvements in Britain, thus, on his return he urged his parents to seek more comfortable and conventional accommodation. They reluctantly left the clock gate in 1959. The McGrath home offers a glimpse into the social, political, and economic changes experienced during the twentieth century.

The Clock Gate is undergoing extensive renovations and near completion of this phase of the refurbishment & development works.

Click on the HD Video (45 mins) below to hear the extraordinary story of “The McGrath’s of the Clock Gate”.

Photos and related videos below

Come along and check this band out. The CD is available on their website www.hellforleatherband.com and in some local shops. CLICK HERE

LOCAL BAND HELL FOR LEATHER are to release their brand new album “Just add water” on the 2nd of June 2013. The album recorded at Claycastle Recording Studios took just over 2 months to record and mix down. John Burke of Claycastle Studio spent many a long hour working on it, according to singer Mike Carey, he was great, he very so often we would have to poke him with a stick to wake him up.! But he did a great job getting all our songs down onto that big silver disk recorder thing.

The album contains a mix of songs from old to some new original songs written by the band themselves. There is something for everyone on this album. The lads have had an eventful year so far. They were the main band on the crowning night for the Irish Culchie Festival held in Cloyne, The were the main headline act at the Cork Folk and Trad Festival held earlier on this year. Paddy Casey joined them at a gig recently and spent over an hour on stage with the lads. They have toured Russia, They have played at local wakes and weddings.

Take a look at the cover for the album and then you will realise the lengths this bunch of lads will go for a bit of fun.
“Well, you see all these big bands getting the hair, make up, lighting etc right and they spend a fortune doing it, I don’t know what the fuss is all about sure we just had an old wash and cleaned ourselves up a bit and hey presto we have that natural look which is so much better and didn’t cost a fortune said accordion player Richie Carey about the album cover.

Ken Landers the drummer said that the launch night would start in Carrigtwohill’s Cousins Home bar on the 2nd of June and all going well it should end up in Youghal sometime around December next year. So far the songs have received a good response to the album and are getting lots of radio play, they have even had enquiries from America about touring there after the album was heard on line by a promoter in Dallas Texas. Things are looking pretty busy said loval man Shane Supple , but the best thing is the fun and craic the lads have when playing its all about that.

Come along and check this band out. The CD is available on their website www.hellforleatherband.com and in some local shops.

Respond Celebrate National Volunteering Week 2013

The Friends of Respond! in Youghal were set up over 20 years ago as a cross community, ecumenical group to advance the renovation of the old Protestant asylum, Shalom House. Respond! Housing Association collaborated with the local group and Shalom House was converted into 24 apartments for older people. Since then a further facility for older people was developed in the early 2000’s at St. Francis Court, Cork Hill.

The Friends of Respond! in Youghal are a dedicated group of local volunteers who have managed these developments for the past three decades.

It is fitting that in National Volunteering week this group is recognised for their selfless hard work and dedication to the Youghal community.

“The Youghal volunteers epitomise the ethos of Respond! where generous people come together and provide the necessary supports for the more vulnerable members of their community. This Youghal collaboration is a model that Respond! would like to see replicated across the country”, commented Ned Brennan. Chief Operations Officer at Respond! Housing.

Housing charity Respond! chose a unique way to acknowledge the contribution of their 500 plus volunteers on the occasion of National Volunteering Week 2013, which runs from the 13th to the 19th of May 2013, by placing a mirror poster in each of their centres nationally stating ‘you’re what making a difference looks like’.

Respond! wishes to recognise the huge contribution volunteers make to their community during national volunteering week. Celebratory gatherings are being organised locally around the county with thank you cards and a small token of appreciation being distributed on estates by Resident Support Workers during their weekly visits to residents, to show Respond! gratitude for the work that is being done on the ground every day.

National Volunteering Week is a great opportunity to recognise the hundreds of men and women, who give freely of their time, day-in day-out, for the greater good of their community. Respond! believes that the success of many estates, community projects and centres nationally can be attributed to the work, dedication and vision of these remarkable people.

Respond! capacity building strategies seeks to ensure communities foster the growth of the individual resident for the continued benefit of the whole community in order to counter disadvantage and promote inclusion. Respond! community enablers and volunteers are key to the success of these endeavours.

Respond! Ned Brennan Chief Operations Officer stated:

“National Volunteers week is an occasion to showcase the power of volunteering, however Respond! specifically wished to mark this week of volunteering by celebrating and thanking each and every volunteer for their remarkable spirit of giving”.

Respond! believe that National Volunteering Week is an excellent platform for organisations to spread the word about the good works being accomplished by volunteers, and perhaps in the process encouraging more people to engage in voluntary work. If you are interested in volunteering with Respond! please visit our website www.respond.ie

 

Published on May 15, 2013

Sandra McLellan TD speaks on the lack of ambulance cover in Cork east which was highlighted following the recent tragic death of Vakaris Martinaitis (2). When he had fallen and an emergency call was made, his parents were informed that there was no ambulance available. Click on the video below.

Related Videos Below
Save Youghal Ambulance – Protest Walk – 29 July 2011

Save Youghal Ambulance On Tv3 News – August 2011

Youghal Ambulance joined by Midleton ambulance
Uploaded on May 17, 2009
ambulances and jeep parked up side by side with full blues

Youghal Emergency services – Video by Shane Supple

Uploaded on Mar 27, 2009
Youghal Emergency services in action in Youghal, An Excersise involving the RNLI, Coast Guard, The Ambulance Services, Civil Defence and Air Rescue, This excersise was carried out on Claycastle Beach area where there was a command post set up, including a decontamination area set up as well

Local Youghal man John McGrath who lived in the Clockgate Tower from 1939 to 1959 speaks about his memories of those day and other stories. The tower built in 1777 was part of the towns fortifications. It served the town as a gaol and a public gallows until 1837. It then became a family home. Video by Dan Linehan

http://www.youtube.com/user/irishexaminer?feature=watch

BoatWarden a new, Irish developed, boat security product

BoatWarden is the solution for many boat owners who worry whether their boat is secure. Secure from the damage caused by leaks, broken moorings and, yes, theft too. An Irish company has developed a product range to solve these problems.

Click on the video below to see Kevin Hennessy explain how BoatWarden work

BoatWarden is a new electronic security system fitted into your boat which you control and monitor, from anywhere, using the BoatWarden phone App. From the comfort of your armchair, or from a beach in the Med., you can click on the App. and get an up to the minute status report, a location map, the alarm status, the battery levels and more. If anything goes wrong your boat will sound an alarm and siren and you will get an instant alert by text – this text will also be sent to a list of your friends too if you wish. Using the App. you can you can control your boat from anywhere. You can control the alarm, the bilge pumps, heating, lighting or just about any other device on your boat. BoatWarden is a complete solution to Protect, Monitor and Control your boat from your phone.

BoatWarden is designed to withstand the rigours of marine environment and there are BoatWarden products for most types of boat and outboard. Prices start at just €499 inc VAT for BoatWarden Pro the expandable solution for yachts and motor cruisers and €349 inc VAT for the BoatWarden Mobile designed for smaller boats and outboard engines.

BoatWarden

BoatWarden website and online ordering system at www.boatwarden.com

BoatWarden was developed in Ireland by Kevin Hennessey who has been boating all his life. Kevin’s father lost a boat that pulled from its moorings and Kevin nearly lost his own when it’s bilge alarm failed. He looked for a solution that did not exist and so in 2009 he began developing BoatWarden. In 2010 the first BoatWarden systems were installed. The beta users then told their friends and today close to 100 BoatWarden systems have been sold by word of mouth.

So, what does BoatWarden monitor? Everything is customisable, and your own unique requirements are easy to manage, but as a starting point, here’s some of the main ones:

Low Battery Alarm
If you don’t have shore-power you’ll be keen to monitor your boat’s battery levels – if they fall below 11v you’ll get a notification.

GPS Tracking
Remotely ask the system where it is and you’ll instantly get a reply. Similarly you can set a ‘fence’ around your boat and if your boat moves out of this (ie: stolen or dragging a mooring) you’ll hear about it instantly

Bilge Levels
The cold weather last winter has sadly shown many boaters just how easy it is for water to get in and do serious damage. BoatWarden has a unique bilge sensor which you simply install above your automatic float switch. It has a 10 second delay to allow for normal wave action, but if it detects high water it’ll send you an alert and also switch on your bilge pump for 2 minutes. This monitor provides a full solution, as well as peace of mind.

Outboard Security
Our unique BoatWarden outboard security system has been driven, in part, by our customers and their insurance companies. Outboard theft is sadly becoming more and more commonplace so we’ve designed a solution that includes an IP67-rated wire-snap that triggers the onboard alarms and notifies you immediately if it’s breached in any way. Tracking options, should the thieves continue to remove your outboard, are also available.

Unwanted Entry
Hatches, doors, windows and even canvas studs can be monitored to alert you (and the unwanted visitors) to the fact that there’s been a breach.

Shore Power Monitoring
This is particularly useful if you leave your boat to its own devices for periods of time. If a breaker trips, someone disconnects you, or you run out of credit at your marina then you run a very high risk of damage being done on board. Whatever the reason, if you lose your 240v then you’ll hear about it instantly.

Passive and Reactive
Not only will all of these features respond to activation – you can also remotely manage them. You can turn lights and blowers on and off, pump the bilge, check location, switch on and off functionality all from the shoreline or thousands of miles away.

The installation is smaller than a cigarette box and works from the boat’s own power and also its own back-up battery – monitoring your boat 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Special Olympics Ireland’s annual collection day, sponsored by eircom, took place last Friday (26th April). 4,000 volunteers took to the streets of villages, towns and cities all over Ireland at over 200 collection points on the day. Special Olympics Ireland thanks the people of County Cork who supported Collection Day and the volunteers who collected in Clonakility, Cork City, Macroom, Mallow, Fermoy, Skibbereen, Kinsale, Bandon, Youghal, Cobh, Dunmanway, Charleville , Mitchelstown, Bantry and the Fermoy Toll Road.

By 7.30am on Friday, Special Olympics and Collection Day were trending on Twitter as collectors and donators across the country joined the conversation on social media about Collection Day. Newspapers and radio stations all over Ireland supported the day and their readers and listeners also came out in force to donate. Companies organised collector teams and coffee morning fundraisers and many of our Special Olympics clubs joined collection teams on various streets and other strategic locations.

Don’t worry if you didn’t get a chance to donate to an on-street collector last Friday; you can still donate by texting the word SPECIAL to 50300 to donate €2. (100% of the €2 donation will go to Special Olympics Ireland). Donations can also be made on-line at www.specialolympics.ie.

Speaking about the day, Matt English, CEO Special Olympics Ireland said “On behalf of Special Olympics Ireland, I would like to sincerely thank every single one of the 4,000 volunteers who went out to collect for us last Friday. Their dedication to Special Olympics is very much appreciated. I would also like to thank everyone who donated on the day, either by donating to an on street collector, texting to donate €2, donating at our website or by hosting a coffee morning. Every cent raised will go towards supporting our on-going programme of sports training and competition for people with an intellectual disability in their local community.”

“I would also like to extend thanks to eircom, sponsors of our Collection Day, for their continued support of Special Olympics Ireland. We are blessed to enjoy such a partnership with eircom which has already spanned almost thirty years. We thank them for delivering collection day buckets and signs across the country, hosting a breakfast event in their headquarters on the day, and we thank all the eircom staff members who volunteered to collect last Friday” he added.

For further information about Special Olympics Ireland please visit www.specialolympics.ie

A large crowd attended the Open Day at the East Cork Further Education and Youthreach Centre last Thursday, April 25th to find out more about the training options available, view the exhibitions of work by students and participate in the workshops.

The VTOS students were the guides for the day and showed people around the building and guided them to where they could find out more about what they were interested in. An Adult Guidance Counsellor was available to guide people through an online questionnaire to find out what career options might suit them. There was an open art studio where the students demonstrated their painting skills and a horticulture workshop where people could find out more about what the FETAC Level 4 course involves. The centre also launched its Face book page where the public can get up to date information on what is happening in the centre.

The Tourism students did a taste test on different products as part of a Marketing project. There was a facial, make up and manicure demonstration for those who were interested in Beauty Therapy. Refreshments were provided by the Youthreach students. One person who attended the Open Day said he had no idea how much was going on in the centre and he only lives around the corner.

A lot of people applied for courses on the day. The first round of interviews for places will take place in June and people are advised to apply early.

The brochure for 2013/2014 courses is available now. Courses are available on a full-time or part-time basis and offer accreditation from levels 1 to 5 on the National Framework of Qualifications. The range of courses include General Learning for adults who missed out on second level education, Tourism, Horticulture, Healthcare, Beauty Therapy, Art and English for Speakers of other languages.

In response to demand the centre is putting on a second Taster Course starting on May 7th for four weeks. The Taster course runs on Monday, Tuesday and Friday from 9:30 to1 and gives participants a chance to sample the courses on offer and find out what is involved without making a long term commitment.

Contact the centre on 024-92804 for further information.

 

The RNLI in Cork is counting down to Mayday, the charity’s national fundraising campaign, which recognises Irish volunteer lifeboat crews around the country and raises funds to help them continue their work saving lives at sea.

Now in its second year and running nationwide, from Wednesday the 1st May to Bank Holiday Monday the 6th of May, the RNLI is asking the public to give it some welly and help the charity in their work.

The Mayday appeal is calling on people to lend their support by either purchasing a special RNLI Mayday yellow welly key ring which will be on sale for €2 at various outlets across the country during the campaign or by organising their own welly-themed fundraising event.

The yellow welly is a well known and essential piece of the RNLI volunteer lifeboat crew member’s kit. Waterproof with steel-capped toes, the specially designed boots keep the volunteer crew’s feet warm and dry while also protecting them in dangerous conditions on deck. During gale force winds, rain and ice, keeping a sure footing can mean the difference between life and death for volunteers. Recognising the importance of this piece of kit the charity has made the crewmember’s welly a key part of the MAYDAY campaign.

Events currently scheduled that will raise funds for RNLI MAYDAY in Cork include the Skibereen Flag Day on Friday, the Mayday Swim from Sherkin Island to Baltimore, the Heineken Kinsale Rugby 7s and the Courtmacsherry Step Back in Time exhibition, which is being held over the May bank holiday weekend and includes a visit from President Higgins on the Sunday. All this activity is being supported with the sale of the RNLI yellow welly key-rings in Cork city at Mahon Point and other venues as well as surrounding towns.

Helping the RNLI launch MAYDAY was Ireland AM’s Sinéad Desmond, who was joined by Youghal RNLI volunteer crewmember Erick Brooks. Sinead commented, “I know from covering rescue and search operations how tirelessly the members of the RNLI work, and how utterly dedicated they are to a job that they do voluntarily. They are incredibly brave women and men and I respect them enormously. And as someone who lives by the coast and spends a lot of my time on and in the sea, knowing that they are there if I ever need them is very reassuring. But it is only thanks to the support of the public that they can continue to offer their specialised skills. I’d really urge everyone in Ireland to support MAYDAY, to buy a welly or hold a welly fundraiser. We have a great love of the sea in Ireland and so many of us use it for recreational purposes or for work, and when we are out there the RNLI keep us safe, if that isn’t worth putting your hand in your pocket for I don’t know what is! Get your wellies on!”

Also lending his support is Cork fisherman Kieran Sullivan, who was rescued by Castletownbere RNLI when his vessel Celtic Dawn was taking on water and he ended up in the sea clinging on to the side of a liferaft. Kieran said, “I remember starting to panic when I was in the water and I thought I was in big trouble. I couldn’t keep my head up out of the water for much longer and I was losing my grip on the rope keeping me afloat. It was then I saw the lifeboat coming into view and I knew I would be okay. I thought I was on my own but in a few minutes I was pulled onboard and was safe. As a fisherman I can’t praise the RNLI enough, they are just a call away and I feel safer knowing they are there. I would urge people to support their MAYDAY appeal.”

The RNLI MAYDAY appeal is proudly supported by John West who themselves have a long seagoing tradition. Since 1857 the company has had their own fleet of fishing boats. John West Chief Executive Brendan Murphy added, “The lifeboat crew counts 1,500 members in Ireland, men and women. These volunteers commit all this effort and time for free. Whenever their pagers go, they have to abandon their family or work and just go. At John West we know first-hand the reality of the power of the sea, and we fully appreciate and support the work that the RNLI do in saving lives everyday throughout Ireland.”

The public can also join in the social media campaign and help the RNLI raise awareness of its lifesaving work this Mayday. The charity has invited them to take a photo holding an RNLI Mayday yellow welly key ring and tweet the phrase ‘I am giving it some welly for the RNLI this Mayday’ including #RNLIMAYDAY and mentioning @RNLI. They will be joined by some well known faces who have all agreed to tweet their welly including Dermot O’Leary, Rachel Allen and Sinead Desmond and others.

People looking for more information on how to get involved or where they can purchase a key ring, they log on to rnli.org/mayday