Cork County and Youghal Town Councillor Barbara Murray has castigated the county council for its approach to beach and car park cleaning in Youghal.
Report: Christy Parker | Photos: Shane Supple and Michael Hussey www.youghalonline.com

The councillor has asked the local authority to allocate staff for one hour on Fridays and Mondays to empty bins and generally collect litter at Claycastle. It is uncertain of her request will be met as the council has claimed it doesn’t have the resources to do so. “Their priority is potholes,” counters the councillor, “and emptying bins is far behind in their thoughts. It’s not good enough.”

Not that there are too many bins to empty at present. It can be argued of course that people’s dirty habits are what puts the rubbish there in he first place. Then again that argument apply to any place, anywhere. The starker reality is that litter exists and always will. So a major contributor to filth at Claycastle –at which juncture the town council jurisdiction ends- is the county council’s refusal to deploy bins until the blue flag season commences in June.

So, regardless of unexpected heatwaves or hot spells that draw crowds to the beach in May or even April, the bins don’t go out and the beach remains more or less un-tended by the county council. Come June, a man and a trailer patrols clears beach litter, but ignores the car park. “Some days he is waiting for the tide to go out. He would be better employed emptying the car park bins,” says Cllr Murray.

The councillor’s ire is fuelled by an awareness that, “Youghal now really only has heritage and leisure to attract tourism and we simply have to protect and nurture our resources. The potholes aren’t going anywhere and can be treated afterwards.” The FG representative also believes that signage, “preferably with catchy slogans or rhymes,” would encourage people to take their litter away with them.”

By Christy Parker | Photo: Michael Hussey (YoughalOnline.com)

Ken Lavan

Ken Lavan has been added to the Fine Gael ticket to contest Youghal’s local election next year. The auctioneer and Care Trust representative was selected at a recent branch meeting and will campaign alongside two incumbent party colleagues, Town and County Councillor Barbara Murray and Michael Beecher. It will be the 39 year-old’s first election campaign, having joined the party last year.

Ken’s candidacy may bring something of a west Waterford influence to the chamber come next June. His uncle is Dungarvan solicitor Joe Lavan and his aunt is Lavinia Lavan, proprietor of Lavinia’s Boutique on Main Street. Furthermore, he recently married Kilrossanty girl Karen Walsh.

Those who remember Ken’s dad, Paddy Lavan, may be surprised to see him in the Blueshirt camp. The late and legendary Youghal solicitor was a Fine Fail stalwart. However Ken’s mother Ann, nee Crowley, is a Fine Gael girl from Read more