Green Party Councillor Liam Burke delivered a comprehensive Municipal Heritage Policy Committee Report to the December Town Council meeting. Dealing with the period from July 2010, the update included the following:

Town Walls:

Works completed, with the aid of €200,000 grant aid from the Heritage Council/Irish Walled Towns, involved removal of vegetation, cleaning, repointing, strengthening and repair works to sections of the walls and tower nearest lower end of Sarsfield’s Terrace.

Click on related video:
Video Reporter: Shane Supple – Camera: Kieran McCarthy

Emmet Place:

The continuation of heritage footpaths from St. Mary’s College gates to the top of De Valera Street will commence in the New Year.

Architectural Appraisal of the Historic Quartet of Youghal Town:

Project completed and a draft will be presented to the town council early in 2011.

Clock Gate:

A Draft Conservation and Management Plan, funded by SECAD and prepared by Margaret Gowen, will come before the council for adoption in January. A Structural Report has been conducted and a Business Plan is being prepared.

Graveyard Wall:

It is expected that the collapsed section between St. Mary’s Collegiate Church and St. Mary’s College gardens will be repaired by early 2011.

Graveyard Trail of St. Mary’s Collegiate Church:

The project has been completed and this has facilitated guided tours of the graveyard, the first of which last Medieval Day, saw 150 people participate.

Linkage with Waterford Institute of Technology:

A partnership has been established with the Architectural Department of WIT, whose students are conducting projects in Youghal. Last September 150 students spent a number of days studying various aspects of the town. It is hoped to involve other third level institutions in 2011.

Medieval Day:

An outstanding success was recorded on the 2010 Medieval day, Sunday August 22nd. The estimated 8,000 attendance marked the highest of any participating town in Ireland. Local traders deserve praise and thanks for sponsoring raffle prizes as do the the hard-working voluntary committee, including Mayor Mary Linehan-Foley and Cllrs Barbara Murray and Eoin Coyne. Gratitude is expressed to all who participated, along with media outlets.

Projects in 2011:

Difficulty in accessing funding is expected but it is hoped that some money can be accessed for further work on the Town Walls. It is also hoped that an application for a Conservation and Management Plan for St. Mary’s Collegiate Church graveyard will succeed and that the year see completion of the proposed Historical Towns Atlas for Youghal.

Conclusion:

Cllr Burke extended thanks and a happy Christmas and New Year to all Heritage Committee members, to the mayor and Youghal town councillors, for funding provision and other assistance, to the town manager Patricia Power,   town clerk Liam Ryan, council staff, the Heritage Council of Ireland and the Irish Walled Towns Network for their continuing support financial and otherwise.

Click on image to see the recent work done on Youghal Town Walls

By Christy Parker
Aluminium levels in Youghal’s drinking water have been persistently above safety limits for over seven years. Youghal Town Councillor Liam Burke described the situation as “depressing and appalling” when he informed the October Town Council meeting of the finding.

The Green Party representative said the town’s water had surpassed the permitted levels in three out of six samples taken in 2008, with one sample twice the legal limit. “But the situation has been ongoing since 2001, when 12 out of 17 samples, or 71%, failed,” he said.

The councillor said that despite interim efforts to address the problem the water had failed aluminium tests every subsequent year, with failure rates varying from 37% to 89%. “There is obviously a health hazard here,” persisted Cllr. Burke. “Why has it been allowed to continue for over seven years?”

Town Engineer Paul Murray said the County Council is about to implement the recommendations of a report arising from a “comprehensive review” at the town water plant at Bula.

Aluminium compounds help to remove impurities in water, as well as reducing its colour, cloudiness and bacteria. Studies into possible links to degenerative brain diseases like Alzheimer’s remain inconclusive and largely dependent on mitigating factors.

Mr. Murray said the water is presently “safe” to drink, prompting FF Cllr Dave Savage to suggest issuing a letter to reassure the Read more