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

The Redbarn Carboot sale that ran very successfully all through last summer, is starting up again on Easter Sunday 24th April, 10am until 4pm. Redbarn carboot makes a wonderful day out for people of all ages, with its array of stalls and its suntrap seating area.You never know what kind of bargain you will find. You can relax and chat, while having a tea or coffee and why not treat yourself to a delicious cake or scone on sale in the little cafe. Or just sit and soak up the atmosphere, you can wander around all the stalls and don’t forget to visit the cafe/shop, you will find everything from wool and knitting needles to beautiful art and ceramics.
Report/Photo: Bronwen Howley | email: bronwenhowley@gmail.com

 

So clear out the attic, the garden shed or wherever your storing your unwanted items and fill your carboot, it is only €10 for the day, for a pitch or just come and take a look you never know what kind of bargain you will find, as they say ones mans trash is another mans treasure.

So have a look at the pictures from last year on their facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=100866943305600&ref=ts
and we will see you Easter Sunday for the start of another wonderful summer. More photo’s will be added to the page as the summer goes on

Click on image to enlarge – All photographs copyright to: Bronwen Howley | email: bronwenhowley@gmail.com

 

This week  I spoke with Art Supple during the week on Youghal Radio and I know Art and myself are related but when it comes to music and music connections the simple fact that Art is one of our best known musicians in Cork.

I asked Art to explain how he became involved with the music business. I started out singing in school we had a great teacher who always encouraged us to sing and be involved in music, this led us to forming the Barrony Aces, a group of young school children who would put on small plays and performances in our local hall and school. I was like any young person of that time and saw no reason why I wouldn’t become the next Oscar winner or music star. I then got involved with the Patsy Irwin band and we used to play the local halls in and around East Cork. We used to play in Redbarn before the main bands. At that time there was a showband on the scene who for me were the best band on the circuit, They entertained with a group of top class musicians they danced, they sang and had us all enthralled in the show they put on each time they came to Redbarn they were called The Clipper Carlton They were the forerunners for the showband scene as it became known.

I was working out in the field at our farm with my father one day when two gentlemen in suits arrived on the scene they explained that they were putting a band together and needed a singer Local man Murty Lucey from Redbarn had told them to get in touch with me as he had seen me performing in Redbarn Dance Hall. They spoke about many things but the one thing that caught my attention was the mention of an American tour, now this was 1963 and the thought of a tour to the USA was a big deal at that time nowadays people fly over and back to America but back then it was not as easy as it is today. I didn’t need much more convincing I accepted the offer to become the singer with the Victors Showband and we set off from there.

After a short while we had become one of the top ten showbands touring Ireland at the time and we did our American tour, I have to say looking back on it was a great time for showbands. In Ireland around then there were over 850 showbands touring the circuit, not all professional but they were all playing to huge crowds. If you think back there was no TV in a lot of places and we only had the one radio channel so entertainment was a night out to see a band in the local dance hall. It was such a busy time for bands that dances were running seven nights a week with anything from 800 to a few thousand people crammed into these large ballrooms.

I was lucky in that during this time because the scene was so strong many of the top international acts wanted to tour Ireland because the cost of travel etc was large most of the singers would arrive along and work with an established band in our case we were lucky enough to tour with the likes of Roy Orbison, Chubby Checker, Englebert Humperdink, Tom Jones, Jim Reeves, Millie, Johnny Cash to name a few. We shared the stage with The Beetles, Had tea with the rolling stones and met many of these and other famous singers on our travels.

Looking back on it was a great time and things have changed so much, I remember that we were recording a new song and we had all the band part of the Concert orchestra a group of backing singers all in one room singing into the one Microphone and because it was all recorded on very expensive tape we only had one take to get it recorded, there was no editing or adding in tracks it was basic and it worked all because of the quality of musicians who worked in these showbands.
Nowadays you can get the same sound in our bedroom at your computer but back then it was expensive we had to travel to the only studio in Ireland which was based in Dublin we had to hire all the musicians so it was like getting a small army on the move for one performance which they would have to get right.

Looking back on his career which is now in its 48th year as a professional singer Art has met so many wonderful people from Christy Ring who he had the privilege of playing hurling with to The Irish Soccer team who he entertained. He has sung to presidents from many countries, and met many wonderful people around the world. There was so much more to ask and talk about but like all good tales we will have to leave the rest for another day.

A report on Blue Flag beaches in the Youghal area indicates that Claycastle and Redbarn are likely to have their Blue Flag status restored for 2010, having had them denied due to poor water and an over prevalence of seaweed respectively, last year. By Christy Parker

However, water quality at the Front Strand has been deemed unfit for Blue Flag status for another year at least. The Strand lost its Blue Flag in 2008.  Garryvoe says the report, will retain its Blue Flag for next season.

The report is based on 2009 summer monitoring. The Blue Flag Programme for beaches and marinas is administered by An Taisce and run by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), an international non-governmental, non-profit organisation. The report was forwarded to Cork County Council with the addendum that An Taisce generally announces its Blue Flag recipients definitively come June.

By Kay Donnelly

On a recent visit to Spanish Point Beach, which does not hold a candle to YOUGHAL I saw this notice. They have passed these bylaws to protect the little bit of beach they have and the lifeguards are authorised to issue fines. Recently a visitor to Redbarn strand told me he Read more