Youghal Lighthouse Offered To Town Council – By Christy Parker

The transfer of Youghal Lighthouse into the care of Youghal Town Council was the subject of a presentation to December’s town council meeting by Tim Ryan, the Inspector of Local Aids to Navigation for the Commission of Irish Lights (CIL).

Mr Ryan began by explaining how the CIL, which dates back to 1665, remains tasked with responsibility for Irish lighthouses, north and south of the border, under the 1894 Merchant Shipping Act. The commission oversees general (outer harbour more or less) navigation across 80 lighthouses, 145 buoys, 488 beacons and several electronic aid mechanisms such as marine DGPS’s, along with 4,200 local (inner harbour) navigation aids, including sea farming.

Technological advances have now surpassed the need for many navigational aids, inclusive of lighthouses and every five years the CIL reviews its remit. Elaborating, Mr. Ryan explained that “there are two buoys south of Youghal to warn general shipping of the dangers from the Barr Rocks and the Blackball Ledge. The lighthouse in turn guides local shipping to the north or west of the dangers. Effectively, if need be, the lighthouse could be replaced by three more buoys.”

Under this criteria, a CIL review in 2010 deemed Youghal lighthouse an aid to local navigation only. Government funding, strictly audited, now only supports assistance to general navigation aids, so the commission wants to hand over the Youghal Lighthouse to the local authority. Similar arrangements continue to occur throughout the country, whereby the CIL will provide advice and assistance but will not advance monetary support.

On departing, the CIL would bequeath a large quantity of the 1,000 watt bulbs (two a year) required to flash warnings, but the remaining cost of maintaining the acquirement was estimated at about €5,000 a year. Cllr O’Connell, to general agreement, suggested that the structure could generate income towards this through tourism initiatives, as has occurred in, to similar circumstances elsewhere. She also wondered -half joking but fully serious- if the house could be handed over at a “knocked-down” price but the CIL representative pleaded that his organisation was as funds deficient as everyone else these days.

No house

Cllr Linehan-Foley reflected the widely-held sentiment that Youghal Lighthouse, in common with the Clock Gate and Town Walls is iconic to Youghal and has to be maintained. So far so good, but the discussion hit the rocks somewhat when Mr Ryan explained that the CIL is only parting with the lighthouse and its adjoining out houses. It will retain ownership of the nearby dwelling and garden that also occupy the compound. The reason for this is quite simply that this section –currently leased as a holiday home- has a market value, which the CIL is in the process of defining.

The CIL envisaged erecting a 2m high dividing fence between both aspects, while creating a separate entrance for the garden. Rejecting this notion, Cllr Liam Burke argued that, “It has been a complete site since Norman times. In fact the Norman’s brought over nuns from the Order of St. Ann in France to run the lighthouse. A dividing fence would tarnish its historical integrity and reduce its heritage value,” he argued as he asked that CIL consider providing the house as well.

Mr Ryan was not of a mind to give away houses however. He suggested two alternatives. “You could either buy it or, perhaps, lease it,” he urged. When light is thrown on the market value of the house and garden, he will inform the council.

 

Related Story: Click here to read ‘Ireland To Pay For Its Own Lighthouses’

 

The man who controls fishing rights on the river Blackwater, its estuary and in Youghal harbour has been encouraged to transfer them over to the local residents by Fianna Fáil councillor and election candidate in Cork East, Kevin O’Keeffe. The rights date back to 1753, and anyone who fishes on the river has to pay a fee to the Duke of Devonshire.

“Over the years local fishermen and tourists have contributed thousands to the Duke and his family for using the river. Given the difficult economic conditions and the effect they are having on the people of Youghal, I think that the Duke should make this concession in recognition of all that the people from the area have done for his family,” Cllr O’Keeffe said.

“The people of Youghal and the surrounding areas have been supporting the Duke and his ancestors for hundreds of years. He has access to considerable funding so there is no need for him to rely on this income stream. By giving back the fishing rights to Youghal it will not only help the people but also provide a strong source of potential funding for the town to raise much needed finances.”

The 12th Duke, Peregrine Cavendish, also claims right to the riverbed, which means that local authorities in Youghal cannot put moorings or any similar structures in place without permission. His Blackwater- related permissions were valued at €10 million alone in 2008. – www.corknews.ie

RTÉ – Documentary On One – Sunday 20th April 2008

Fishing the Blackwater-A documentary about fishing rights on the river Blackwater (44min 58sec)

[ click on icon link above to download or play the radio interview above ]

 

Related stories: Click Here Bridge Over Troubled Waters by Christy Parker and click here From The Independent.ie

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/bridge-over-troubled-blackwater-1353371.html

Bridge over troubled Blackwater By JEROME REILLY
Sunday April 20 2008

IT’S a saga with a rich cast of characters including Fred Astaire, Tiger Woods and Sir Walter Raleigh, but now Peregrine Andrew Mornington Cavendish, the 12th Duke of Devonshire, has agreed to the first discussion for 250 years of the vexed question of his family’s ownership of one of Ireland’s finest and most exclusive salmon rivers.

“I think that the issue of the ownership of the Blackwater — especially in relation to the harbour — the best thing that could happen is that we should sit down with the people of Youghal — the officials — and not deal with it through the media.” he said, breaking his silence on the controversy , which has pitted the well-liked Duke against local Irish interests.

The duke, worth more than €800m, is the largest private owner on the River Blackwater in Cork and owner of the 8,000 acre Lismore estate, which came into the family’s ownership in the early 18th century and was once owned by Sir Walter Raleigh.

The Duke’s Irish estate consists of the spectacular Lismore Castle, where his close friend Prince Charles, and his bride-to be Camilla Parker Bowles stayed before their wedding, and the fishing rights to two-thirds, or 12 miles of the tidal water of the Blackwater and a range of other fishing rights, totalling almost 20 miles of river.

It’s prime salmon fishing water and Tiger Woods, via his friend John Magnier of Coolmore, has indulged his passion for angling on the Blackwater, stalking the same banks where Fred Astaire regularly fished.

Control of the river by a generally absentee English landlord, despite the family’s popularity in the area, has been a contentious issue since the foundation of the State, but in the past few years there have been a number of disagreements of a more practical nature that has brought ownership into sharp focus.

The Duke has legally challenged the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources who ordered him to remove a weir at Clondulane on conservation grounds.

There has also been controversy about control of the mouth of the river and if local fishermen can harvest mussels in the estuary at Youghal while some local anglers also question the Duke’s rights to stop them casting a line into the river. The issue of drift net fishing in the estuary is moot at this time because the Government has banned it — though historically fishermen did pay a fee to the Duke for the right to fish for salmon returning to the Blackwater to spawn.

The Duke maintains all his historical rights including those of the harbour. These rights are contested by the local town council who would like to legally challenge the Duke but haven’t the money to do so.

The Duke leases some of his waters to a number of local salmon angling clubs who pay his estate for the privilege. However, his most prized asset on the river is the exclusive fishery lodge at Careysville where guests pay from €2,500 to €4,000 per week for accommodation and fishing.

But in an interview to be broadcast on RTE Radio One tonight at 7pm for a documentary titled Fishing the Blackwater, the Duke offers to sit down with officials from Youghal Town Council and discuss the river and its ownership.It’s the first time in 250 years that the family have agreed to discuss the issue.

“There are a number of issues which we would like to resolve and I would welcome an approach from the council to come and discuss them with us,” he says.

He added that following the Government decision to end drift-net fishing, his family had voluntarily suspended the issuing of their licences to drift net but that they still maintain the right to reinstate should the Government change its position.

He said that he regarded his estate’s ownership to be where the Blackwater reaches the sea, which is normally defined as a line across the river to the Youghal lighthouse. He added that he was aware that there are people in Youghal Council who would take issue with that.

- JEROME REILLY

Youghal Exhibition ‘The Untidy Intimacy Of Places’

A study of Youghal by 3rd Year students at Cork Centre for Architectural Education.
The Mall House (Youghal Town Hall)
19th November – 10th December 2010
Displaying students’ architectural drawings and models which examine Youghal as it exists today and how it may develop in the future

In September of this year current 3rd year Architecture students in Cork Centre for Architectural Education (a joint UCC/CIT course) were challenged as part of their technology module to take the previous years study of Youghal and turn it into an exhibition. Displayed within an installation of stacked plywood boxes are a series of drawings, models and works which examine Youghal as it exists today and how may develop in the future.

The exhibition begins with a to scale model of Youghal town which the students created to aid in their study and proceeds to a digital stand displaying social and architectural analysis work undertaken. Three further stands contain work which highlight and propose the interventions and architecture the students would envision after their years study of Youghal. Selected works are of envisioned designs for community centres, cinemas and library’s on selected sites in Youghal Town.

The exhibition is located in the glazed extension of the town hall and will run until the 10th of December and is free and open to the public during normal opening hours Monday to Friday 9am to 4.30pm

Click on image to enlarge - Photo: Michael Hussey www.youghalonline.com

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

Mariner Jim Horner sailed in to Youghal harbour last Tuesday evening (1st June 2010) after circumnavigating the globe over the past five years. A flotilla of boats, including the Youghal Lifeboat, greeted Jim on board the catamaran “Lady Jane III” as he turned round Capel Island and approached the inner harbour on a beautiful Summers evening. The Horner’s told Youghalonline.com they were delighted to be back home with family and friends and were stunned by the warm welcome when entering the harbour. The horner’s sent the following message to say thanks to everyone.
Photo: Michael Hussey www.youghalonline.com EMAIL: news@youghalonline.com

We set off from Youghal on a brisk day in May 2005, to a large crowd of our friends & neighbours wishing us well. We had spent the last 6 years building our 40′ catamaran “Lady Jane III”. We planned to sail around the world but had no timescale, & were told to sail south until the butter melts then go west!” We were a little better equipped than this & had an auto helm, GPS radar etc to help us. We have had  an amazing journey, highlights being, swimming with  6 foot Sting Rays  in the South Pacific, trekking through the Venezualan jungle for 3 days to see the Angel Falls (the highest in the world) & spending a night watching leather back turtles, some 100 years old laying eggs on a beach in Trinidad. Our “lows” included being boarded & robbed in the Caribbean & hitting bad storms, going down to New Zealand, which made us feel as if we were inside a washing machine for 4 days &  did damage to the boat.

We could tell so many more stories. I was unable to rejoin the boat when we left it in Greece to visit Children & Grandchildren, due to illness so Jim had to sail single handed for the last 2,700 miles home.
We have sailed more than 32,000 miles, stayed in 37 different countries, but nothing could compare with 8pm on Tuesday evening when a dozen or more boats from Youghal came  5 miles or more out to Lady Jane III to escort her to her mooring in Youghal, There was an even bigger welcome than when we left, & Jim was surprised & thrilled.

Having seen all these wonderful places we can honestly say, we haven’t found anywhere in the world we would rather live than Youghal. We tried to keep in touch, but only had internet when we were on land but everyone has been so supportive, we would like to thank them all for their kindness, but an especial thanks to our neighbours Bruce & Jill Bell who have taken expert care of the Boatyard in our absence, & looked after me whilst I was on my own.

The boat has done a lifetimes sailing in 5 years & now needs some serious TLC, but we hope to be sailing around Youghal bay in the not too distant future.

Click on image to see the warm welcome home as Jim and his wife Jane sail into Youghal Harbour – Photo: Michael Hussey YoughalOnline.com

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

South & East Cork Area Development (S&ECAD) has nominated two Youghal business initiatives to contest this year’s Ulster Bank Business Achievers Awards. Youghal Comhaltas (Ceolta Si) and Aquatrek sailing, cruise and power boat services were nominated for a Community Social Entrepreneurship Award and Best Business Start-up Award, respectively. They are the only two companies in the region nominated by S&ECAD.

Edel Smiddy, development officer with S&CAAD, says, the businesses are prime examples of how “innovative and sustainable success can be achieved and nurtured in a community. They certainly deserve the recognition and the positive profile that arises from being nominated.”

Ceolta Si has travelled from being a homeless organisation in the 1980′s and 90′s, to a major cultural, educational and tourism attraction. In an impeccable display of fiscal management it built its grant-assisted headquarters Bru ni Si in Read more