Youghal is a seaside town steeped in history, heritage, and coastal charm, promising a memorable experience for all who visit.
Historic Landmarks and Cultural Heritage
Youghal is rich in history, landmarks include the 13th century St. Mary’s Collegiate Church, the preserved Youghal Town Walls, the iconic Youghal Clock Gate Tower, with ties to notable figures such as Oliver Cromwell, Sir Walter Raleigh, and Richard Boyle.
Outdoor Activities and Beach Fun
Youghal is perfect for outdoor activities, explore the countryside on foot or by bike, or take advantage of 5 sandy beaches ideal for sunbathing, swimming, and water sports.
Dining and Entertainment
The town offers a diverse range of dining and entertainment options. From traditional Irish pubs to contemporary restaurants and cafes, there’s something to satisfy all tastes. Year-round events and festivals add to the lively local culture.
Accommodation in Youghal
When looking for accomodation in Youghal you can choose from a cozy bed and breakfast or guesthouse to self-catering or a luxurious hotel.
Youghal4All's Last Cheers to Moby Dicks
As the shutters fall for the final time on Youghal’s famous Moby Dicks pub, two familiar figures stand outside on the quay – Jimmy Flanagan of Youghal4All and publican Kevin Linehan, still shoulder to shoulder after years of promoting their town together.
For more than a decade, Youghal4All has flown the flag for the seaside town, with Kevin not just a member but a driving force – opening his doors, pouring the tea or the stout, and proudly pulling on the Captain Ahab costume whenever the call came.
The annual Moby Dick Festival, with its blend of literature, music and family fun, grew into a highlight of the summer, and Moby Dicks itself was always at its heart. It was through the determination of this volunteer group that the Captain Ahab sculpture was finally commissioned and installed on the quayside, watching over the very spot where Hollywood cameras rolled in 1954.
In an emotional impromptu tribute, Jimmy said: “Just to wish Bríd and Kevin a very happy retirement and to thank them for all their years helping us out in the Youghal4All group, because I’m sure we wouldn’t have got there without them. They made their premises available to us and we appreciate them very much. And it’s very important to note that Kevin is retiring from the Moby Dick pub business – but not from the Youghal4All group.”
Kevin replied with, “Thanks, Jimmy, and thanks to the Youghal4All group, because they are all very positive people that keep this town on the map. Long may Moby Dick keep afloat, and sail on.” ... See MoreSee Less
8 CommentsComment on Facebook
Well done Kevin and Bríd for maintaining the long established legacy of this much loved family business. Take a much deserved bow and a well earned rest!
Best of luck to Kevin and brid on yer retirement enjoy Moby Dicks will be a bit loss to the town and surrounding areas and all the visitors that came to see it 🥳🥳🥳🤩💙❤️
View more comments
MOBY DICKS
Poem by Tommy Byrne, professional painter and decorator in Youghal, and host of the Sunday morning Hits and Memories show on CRY104fm Community Radio Youghal. Written specially to mark the closure of the iconic pub.
Moby Dicks by Tommy Byrne
The hands on the Clock Gate have stood still at six
As they stand to attention for the great Moby Dicks.
Time is being called for the last time today
As Kevin and Bríd feel it’s time to make way.
As the curtain comes down on one of the town’s famous bars,
We look back to a time when it graced Hollywood stars.
Huston, Peck and Basehart, to name just a few,
Descended on Youghal to be part of the crew.
The movie is part of our local folklore,
And this is evident the minute you walk in the door.
Memorabilia adorn walls and shelves within,
A dream started by Paddy and Maureen Linehan.
A landmark for friendship, for craic and for song,
Locals ask what on earth will we do when it’s gone.
The end of an era as the curtain comes down,
A massive loss to our small little town.
The Linehan family have served their town well,
And what will happen to Moby’s now only time will tell.
A farewell to one of Youghal’s and Hollywood’s greatest shows,
Captain Ahab watches and shouts… “There she blows!” ... See MoreSee Less
28 CommentsComment on Facebook
Fair play Tommy 👏👏
Really. Grand. “Thar. She. Blows”
Doubtcha kid👏
View more comments
LAST ORDERS AT MOBY DICKS: YOUGHAL’S QUAYSIDE ICON CLOSES FOREVER. By Michael Hussey
Youghal, 1st January 2026 – Today marked the final trading day for the internationally famous Moby Dicks pub, a quayside landmark that has stood since 1880. Well-wishers and loyal customers poured in steadily throughout the day to share one final drink and wish proprietor Kevin Linehan, his wife Bríd, and the dedicated staff the very best in retirement.
Kevin was at the centre of a media whirlwind—photographers, filmmakers, radio interviewers from CRY104fm, and newspaper journalists all gathered to document the final pints pulled in this Hollywood-tied establishment. The pub gained international fame during the 1954 filming of John Huston’s Moby Dick starring Gregory Peck, right on its doorstep, as depicted in the huge gable-end mural celebrating its maritime heritage.
By tea-time, the house was full and alive with music for one last hurrah. Across the road, crowds captured photos of Kevin in full Captain Ahab costume—complete with harpoon—standing beside the granite sculpture of the one-legged captain. Staring directly towards Moby Dicks, it was as if Ahab himself was declaring: “I’m still standing, despite the great white whale that bit off my leg.”
In Melville’s novel and the 1954 film, Captain Ahab meets his doom, entangled in the harpoon ropes of the whale. Today felt like a somber end for the Linehan family and the town of Youghal, but the legend remains. Even nature seemed to take note; yesterday, an unusual pod of dolphins cruised upriver from Moll Goggins Corner to the inner harbour, as if to check if the rumours were true.
Like all great Hollywood stories, perhaps Moby Dicks will rise again someday.
Pictures by Michael Hussey:
The Closing of Moby Dicks, Youghal
Photo 1: A Floral Farewell
Helen Heaphy Grainge and Jimmy Flanagan of the Youghal4All group present a bouquet of flowers to proprietors Bríd and Kevin Linehan outside the iconic Moby Dicks pub on its final day of trading. (L-R: Helen Heaphy Grainge, Bríd Linehan, Jimmy Flanagan and Kevin Linehan )
Photo 2: The Two Captains
“I’m Still Standing”: Kevin Linehan, dressed as Captain Ahab, stands beside the quayside granite sculpture of the legendary sea captain. Looking back toward the pub that bears the name of his nemesis, the image captures the defiant spirit of a local landmark closing its doors after 146 years.
Photo 3: The Cinematic Mural
A Hollywood Heritage: Kevin Linehan in full costume before the famous gable-end mural of Moby Dicks. The artwork depicts the oarsmen of the Pequod in their perilous chase of the Great White Whale, reflecting the pub’s deep ties to the 1954 John Huston film.
Photo 4: End of an Era
Proprietor Bríd Linehan with staff member Ann Hunter during the final hours of service. For decades, the team at Moby Dicks has welcomed visitors from across the globe to Youghal’s historic quayside. ... See MoreSee Less
33 CommentsComment on Facebook
Wishing you both a long happy healthy retirement
Sad to see it close. Another piece of Youghal gone what a shame.
View more comments
Shadows on Lighthouse Hill, New Year's Day.
New Year’s Day 2026 on Lighthouse Hill, Youghal. The low winter sun sits over the bay, casting the palm trees’ long shadows across the pavement and grass. The railings along the famous walk throw the same pattern towards the calm sea. This quiet stretch of road leads on to Youghal’s three Blue Flag beaches, still in their off-season calm. Soon there will be a clear stretch in the evenings, and this familiar walk will take on a softer, brighter light as the days slowly lengthen into another year.
Picture: Michael Hussey ... See MoreSee Less
12 CommentsComment on Facebook
I walked by there as a kid in the 50's - early 60's coming and going to school. It sure looks different. Happy New Year from South Florida.
Beautiful photo
View more comments
... See MoreSee Less
4 CommentsComment on Facebook
Thanks everyone for the memories! Voiceover by me, Michael Hussey. More heritage clips coming up shortly. Because of the positive engagement, I'll continue doing more heritage clips with myself talking. The discussion on the Youghal fishing industry and heritage will continue on Community Radio Youghal next Tuesday, January 6th, 2026, on The Breakfast Show with Tommy Collins at 11am—where I and local fishermen will discuss the clip and the sad decline of the fishing industry in Youghal and neighbouring harbours.
Thay war the days
Shame on the politicians Remember going to Ardmore on the old bridge Remember living in the U.K. and buying a Datsun 1200 an MOT failure bought for £20 and driving it on the same day to Pembroke Rosslare Summer’s evening and stopping just b4 the new bridge Bought three salmon from great men Grilled cuts grilled with pepper and lemon at 23.00 nothing like it Bet those guys had a pint at Mobi Dicks Continual sell out in Brussels Mackerel if any to feed rotten farm salmon
When Buttimer’s Dock Was Brimming with Life – Youghal’s Fishing Heritage in the 1960s
Back in the 1960s, Buttimer’s Dock in Youghal was packed with trawlers — each one crewed by local men who earned their living from the sea. This short film below gives a glimpse of that busy scene, showing boats moored side by side before they headed out beyond the harbour to fish.
Buttimer’s was considered the smaller of the two docks, yet it was full of character. Just a few hundred yards further down the Blackwater stood the larger Market Dock, once home to dozens of well-known fishing families whose livelihoods depended on the ebb and flow of the tides.
Those days are now part of Youghal’s proud maritime past. The salmon that once made their annual run up the Blackwater have long since disappeared, and even the summer mackerel — once so plentiful along the quayside — were scarce this year.
This short clip reminds us of a time when fishing was central to life in Youghal — a living connection between the town, the river, and the sea.
Written, narrated and edited, by Michael Hussey ... See MoreSee Less
34 CommentsComment on Facebook
Thanks Michael. How times have changed. So sad to see most of the fish and fishermen gone.
Excellent great to have .put it in a museum
Beautiful piece Michael keep up your valuable work it keeps it all alive . Thank you for sharing
View more comments
🎅🏻 Dear Santa, From Youghal · A Christmas Letter by Michael Hussey.
🔊 Listen at: youtu.be/_7yrcJ87Jkg?si=J995AoSGEihU_l0U
This Christmas letter blends warmth, wit, and reflection, speaking for a town that remembers its past and still believes in better days ahead.
Written and narrated by Michael Hussey.
Recorded on Christmas Day 2025 at CRY104FM Studios, Youghal. ... See MoreSee Less
3 CommentsComment on Facebook
🔗 Listen at: youtu.be/_7yrcJ87Jkg
Great 🇮🇪
Dear Santa can we bring tourism back to the town
🎵 LIVE MUSIC🎵 Sinéad McCarthy Band live at Hennessy's Bar, Youghal - Sunday 28th December at 8:30PM. Hits from the decades + modern classics. Sinéad McCarthy (vocals) · Simon Daly (guitar) · Brian Hyland (bass) · Kieran McCarthy (drums) 🎵 ... See MoreSee Less
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
Festive Spirits Soar as Hundreds Take the Plunge in Youghal’s Christmas Day Dip 2025
Under bright blue skies, swimmers and spectators gathered at Youghal’s Front Strand for a joyful tradition supporting St. Vincent de Paul. By Michael Hussey
Hundreds of hardy swimmers and enthusiastic spectators gathered at Youghal’s Front Strand on Christmas Day for the town’s much-loved annual Christmas Day Dip. Under a blue sky (a rare sight lately), the festive spirit was high as participants—many in colourful costumes—ran to the water’s edge at exactly 12 noon, led by piper, Ex-Sgt., Irish Defence Force, Christy McCarthy of the Youghal Pipe Band, who had the honour this year of officially starting the event with a stirring tune on the bagpipes.
With his final note rising above the excited cheers, a mass of dippers charged toward the ice-cold Atlantic and plunged into the waves along Youghal’s Blue Flag beach, one of three the town proudly holds along its coast (Front Strand, Claycastle, and Redbarn). As tradition goes, most stayed in only moments before dashing back out, laughing and shivering, but full of festive joy.
The event wasn’t just about fun—it was also about community spirit. Once again, many participants used the occasion to raise funds for the local St. Vincent de Paul (SVP), with volunteers collecting donations along the promenade. The funds raised will go directly to support families and individuals in need within the local area.
The Youghal Coast Guard, RNLI, Gardaí, Ambulance, Fire Brigade, and local emergency services were all on standby throughout the event to ensure safety. The Youghal Coast Guard Unit had just returned from an earlier Christmas morning callout.
Organisers this year continued the move to call the event a “Dip” rather than a “Swim,” reflecting the reality that most participants take a quick plunge rather than swim any real distance. The new term also adds an inclusive, fun tone that invites everyone—from veterans to first-timers—to join in.
Among the many who braved the chilly waters were the Tierney family, visiting from New Zealand and proudly wearing their green “Tierney's On Tour” shirts. They shared that their ancestors go way back—lost in time—to the Redbarn/Ballymacoda area, and they included Youghal’s Christmas Dip as a special stop on their year-long journey around the world. Having recently travelled through Vietnam and Cambodia, their next destination will be South America—but they say their Christmas morning in Youghal will be a memory to treasure.
A huge congratulations to everyone who took part—from the lone piper and tireless emergency services to the SVP volunteers and, most of all, the brave dippers who turned out in support of a great local cause. Youghal’s community spirit shone bright once again this Christmas Day—warm hearts conquering cold waters.
The full picture gallery of the Christmas Dip will be in the next edition of the Youghal News which will be available on January 15th 2026
Photo: The Tierney family from New Zealand at Youghal’s 2025 Christmas Day Dip, proudly sporting their ‘Tierney's On Tour’ T‑shirts. ... See MoreSee Less
3 CommentsComment on Facebook
I lived on the Front Strand in the 50's early 60's. Once, after a storm all the sand was gone and there were black tree stumps. The next day the sand was back.
Fiona Keane Fowler Cheers Luvv 🍀💚 🍺🍻
John Ricciutti