Youghal beach boardwalk under construction – November 22nd 2020. When complete it will be longest ocean front boardwalk in Ireland and will be a huge tourist attraction showing the panoramic views of beautiful Youghal bay and blue flag beaches. This will link up with the Claycastle boardwalk and the concrete esplanade and promenade at the strand nearer to town.
Youghal proudly boasts three beaches, Front Strand, Claycastle and Redbarn. The beach located to the west of the town is over three miles in length. Youghal was awarded blue flags for water cleanliness and availability of amenities in 2020.
The 2.4-mile swim section of the Ironman Triathlon 2021 race will take place along this coastline.
Closer to town there are smaller and just as beautiful beaches to explore and enjoy.
Pic-youghalonline
Must go and walk it sometime before I kick the bucket.!!!!!!
What length is it ?
PER VERSE VIEW OF 2020 – By Christy Parker
January:
There’s tractor fleets on Dublin streets as farmers air their beef
The Barrett boy, both keen and Roy, is the FAI’s new chief
The wards are jammed, with Harris slammed as winter brings its woe
If Vlad had ever rolled a joint, he says ‘twas years ago…
February:
Goodbye Shane Ross, you’ve lost your gloss, the electorate decrees
A verdict too in New York’s court brings Weinstein to his knees
There’s Fr Kelly on the tele, cavorting with the stars
And ‘Up the ‘Ra!’, roars Cullinane, downing a few jars
March:
Fears and tears across frontiers spread with Coronavirus
The stats pile up like toilet rolls that have become desirous
The crisis grows as Claire Byrne goes from Montrose to a shed
St Patrick’s Day will not be run, but Cheltenham goes ahead
April:
There’s no more pubs and home school hubs become the way to teach
While learned people are convinced that Trump has shares in bleach!
As time grows older every border has flashing lights of blue
But minds see red when Keeling’s greet their new fruit-picking crew
May:
Rent and bills are Jonny’s ills and could close Bewley’s down
A nod, a wink, ‘say not a word’, gets a haircut in the town
For John and Gemma there’s dilemma, when they can’t sue the State
‘Pull up a chair’, the Greens decide, ‘and we’ll negotiate’.
June:
‘I’ll lead the nation -in rotation!’, says Micheál high with pride
In America the backlash starts for the murder of George Floyd
‘Just 40 winks will do, methinks’, yawns Eamon Ryan Van Winkle
A Security Council welcome mat gives Coveney’s eyes a twinkle
July
L-plate Cowen is told stand down amidst his past drink-driving
Black Lives Matter on the streets against police conniving
Is a topless Bruton aping Putin coincidence or sinister?!
Is a €16,000 rise enough for a Super Junior Minister?!!!
August
Some 80 souls played 18 holes but then they bogey’d golfgate
Which made ‘Big Phil’ feel under par and bunkered Rourky’s start-date
‘Covid-19 is a trampoline’ comes Donnelly’s conclusion
And Russian rebel Nalvany gets a novichok infusion.
September
‘How dare you ask I wear a mask!’, Van warbles in defiance
And D’Arcy scuttles off to join his lobby chums’ alliance
‘Store receipts for drinks and eats’ leaves publicans dumbstruck
And McConalogue is put in charge of fish and cows and muck
October
Amidst the grief there comes relief in 2020’s Budget
Will Denham skin judge Woulfe alive? No, she decides to fudge it
The gloom descends as NPHET sends us back to level five
And Trump encounters Covid -but both of them survive
November/December
Year 2020 gave us plenty of misery and strife
It sabotaged our hopes and dreams with a virus running rife
But humankind is sure to find an answer to this farce
The day will come when Covid gets a vaccine up the arse!
Courtesy of www.thephoenix.ie
This poem appears in the The Phoenix Magazine Annual. Out now.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ThePhoenixMagazine
Web: www.thephoenix.ie/
Love it
Great stuff
Onlookers admiring the beauty of Youghal beach and seafront on a winter’s day. Picture taken on 14th November 2020.
Oh lovely so wish we were onlookers. ALL STAY SAFE XXX
Aaah that’s beautiful thank you for sharing this 👏
Brilliant photo 👏
Love youghae
Youghal Christmas Lights 2020: A birds eye view of North Main Street, Youghal lit up like an airport runway with the brightly coloured Christmas lights. This is the wonderful sight that will greet Santa on his way from the North Pole with the Youghal Clock Gate Tower standing tall in the far distance. What a great image by local photographer Piotr kedzierski.
The Christmas lights switched-on was earlier than usual in an effort to drum up support for local businesses and to keep people’s spirits up.
Source: www.facebook.com/peter.kedziorkedzioras
Lovely to walk under the Christmas lights in town at night when out for a walk…bright, cheerful and atmospheric.
What Santa leaving early ?? I know he has a long way to travel but it is only early Nov
Looking good as always xxx
Well done
Looking lovely, some battery candles in the windows of the clock gate might be nice
Feeling home sick looking at these photos. I wish this virus would end 🙏
Agree with Olive- it would make a big impact
Brilliant photos
Looks wonderful
Looks fab well done all
biutiful
It looks wonderful. My cousin lived for many years inYoughal. Born there, died there. Ash Street. Michael John Yellop. Happy days visiting there and going to the strand. His Mum was Fanny and she worked in The Walter Raleigh Hotel. She died very young. Sad for him….
FORMER YOUGHAL MAYOR RELAUNCHES GASWORKS APPRENTICESHIP DAYS MEMOIR
An intriguing snapshot of social and personal history has been captured with the launch by a former Youghal town councillor and mayor of a book recalling his days as an apprentice gas fitter in the town.
Oliver ‘Olly’ Casey, served his community for 43 years as an Independent councillor, but as a teenager had spent five years working at the Youghal Gas Works on Mill Road (adjacent to Tesco’s).
Mr Casey first published That’s Gas in 2011, but is reissuing it following “repeated requests for copies”, he says.
As the book relates. Olly left school in 1958, aged 15and prior to his Inter Cert. He quite the education system mainly due to disillusionment with the Christian Brothers’ approach to discipline! He opted instead for an apprenticeship at the gas works, where he would work alongside his dad John and grandad Florence in 1958, aged 15.
Delivered n story-telling fashion, his honest recollection of five subsequent years spans 77 pages and includes about 40 vintage photos and illustrations. The author has also included a few endearing self-penned poems, with such reminiscent lines from ‘The Town’ as, “Women natter, children chatter their way to school; occasionally stopping to stamp a pool to ripples…”
Opened in 1830, the Youghal plant was Ireland’s first publicly-owned gasworks and piped lighting, heating and cooking into thousands of homes.
The council imported vast amounts of coal from Wales to operate the works, with ships such as the Kathleen &May and the Nellie Fleming delivering the ferrying fuel. The gas held further benefits as it generated frurter income through side products like coke, tar and gas appliances while profits supplemented the rates.
The early pages deal in detail wit the technical side of the plant, while Olly’s story largely resonates around workers who toiled in extremely hot, testing conditions and where their rights were often seen as hot air too. The burning coal produced vapours that, were they visible, would resemble “the vilest, most toxic smoke you could imagine”, he records.
The gas was stored in gasometers, ‘sealed’ by a moat, in which Olly once found a revolver, “probably concealed during the War of Independence”.
The memoir is littered with delightful anecdotes and observations and details of work practices that, from a contemporary perspective, defy reason and in some instances, logic.
Olly recalls working alongside one Mickey Sweeney, a friend and colleague who “had a habit of smoking while doing jobs”, including while mending leaks! “Gas hissing from the hole and Mickey smoking!”, he writes, while wondering why they didn’t preceded the Yanks and the Russians into space.
The writer recalls excursions to collect the takings from the gas meters and finding “pieces of tin or a kitchen knife had sometimes been used instead of coins in places where poverty also resided.
Further references include the massive storm that decimated Youghal’s Front Strand and the local gas main in 1962 and there is reminiscence of the ‘compulsory’ daily rosary recited by the works manager and his wife; given the working conditions and some of the practices its amazing that only one rosary a day was enough!
Deemed economically unsustainable, Youghal gasworks closed in 1963, with the former mayor believing it could still have served the town today. “It was brought to its knees, in my opinion, by a lack of foresight and a failure to provide funding”, he says.
Today the gasworks is a council storage yard while Olly is the sole survivor from all featured in his book.
That’s Gas, from Flanagan Print (024-93358), is available from Cree’s and from Read and Write newsagents. Price €10.
Story by Christy Parker | Courtesy of Dungarvan Observer
Picture: Youghalonline
Never heard of this. Sounds good.
Well done ollie going to get a copy for my mam and then post it over to my uncle John in UK he would enjoy it.
I remember Leo Whelan collecting the rents also a lovely Gentleman like yourself Ollie I got the book last time out and it is a lovely read
Oliver I can remember you and Leo Whelan collecting the pennies from the gas metre in my Grans house in Cork Hill in the 50s
Ben Stone
Mary Sadlier
Welldone
Well done !!
“The Moment” is the latest release from Irish Rock band S u p e r s k u n k z – From their new Ep S u p e r s k u n k z Tracks which is due out this December 2020
Recorded & Mixed at ClayCastle Recording Studio by Warren Tivy
Mastered by Wav Mastering
Video VFX and production
by John Bermingham “All that can be “
Camera Footage by 24 films
THE-BAND
Vocals- Maressa Sheehy
Guitars-Tony Kiely
Drums- Oliver Loughnan
Bass. – Warren Tivy
Special guest on Cello – Ilse De Ziah
m.facebook.com/Superskunkzband/
www.facebook.com
SuperSkunkz are A rock quartet with a love of rock n roll through the ages .We perform songs that we have carefully chosen to recreate the exhilarating feeling of a powerful live rock experience fr…
SPINE-CHILLING HALLOWEEN FIND ON YOUGHAL BEACH!!
An eerie chill descended on visitors to Youghal’s Claycastle beach over the Halloween weekend as a creature that emerged from the nether reaches of the deep appeared on the sands.
The beast was most likely awakened by the recent storms that have pounded the east Cork/West Waterford coastline
One frightened witness, his own legs turning to jelly as he viewed the languid leviathan, muttered through trembling lips, “First coronavirus and now this! What next will hit us? Zombies?!”
Another cautious, but more learned beach walker, clutching a bulb of garlic, decreed the ‘thing’ was a so-called ‘Portuguese Man O’ War’ jellyfish.
The creatures are usually found in warmer waters but this nightmare seemingly strayed north during the recent warm spell.
Every text book on marine life advises mere mortals to steer clear of the jelly monster as the stinging cells on its tentacles can be as sharp and painful as a stake through the heart!
Take care out there…
Story by Christy Parker | Courtesy of Dungarvan Observer
Wow I wouldn't like a bite from that
RESCUED YOUGHAL SEAL RECUPERATING IN WEXFORD
A baby seal stranded on Youghal’s Redbarn beach recently is recovering its health thanks to the conscientious actions of passers-by who summoned help for the creature.
The seal was found lying beneath the new boardwalk structure on Sunday morning October 26th , following a fierce storm the night before.
It looked in some distress and someone alerted Seal Rescue Ireland (SRI) for assistance.
SRI dispatched marine biologist Killian O’Connell and his partner Michelle Leonard to the scene, who live in Youghal. Killian also works as a zoo keeper at Ardmore Open Farm.
Using towels the rescuers cautiously loaded the seal into a plastic crate before transporting it by car to the SRI’s rescue centre in Courtown, County Wexford.
The caution was well advised because, as Michelle describes. “this seal was quite feisty and didn’t at all want to be moved!”
Cuts and scrapes
The stricken seal transpired to be a two-month old female.
On examination she was found to have “flesh wounds on her on head and back”, Michelle reports. “There were puncture marks, which may have been inflicted by another seal or maybe a dog. She also had a cough which may have been caused by lung worm and she is being monitored for that still”. No mention of Covid-19 or seal colonies going into lockdown yet!
The pup was also found to be a little underweight and, while relatively healthy, “all things considered probably wouldn’t have survived”, Michelle surmises.
The seal is now enjoying the fruits of Wexford hospitality, a challenge that includes lounging under a heat lamp and hitting the bottle, which contains a mix of blended fish oils and medicine. No doubt hours are spent around the pool with the lads.; its all the kind of catering you just don’t get under boardwalks these days.
Handle with care
Killian advises “great care” around seals “because even very young one have extremely sharp teeth and can do very serious damage to anyone getting too close or trying to pick them up. I’d recommend either contacting the seal rescue centre or leaving them alone altogether if coming across one on a beach”.
The incident was seasonal as grey seals, of which here a very large number around the Irish coast, give birth in autumn. Also the ‘boardwalk baby’ was not abandoned. “New-born seals usually usually only spend a month or so with their mother and thereafter are on their own”, Killian explains.
Once restored to full health, the pup will be returned to the sea, probably but not certainly, close to where she was found. “That is likely to be in the New Year”, Michelle concludes. Meantime a postcard at least, would be welcome…
Story by Christy Parker | Courtesy of East Cork Advertiser – Youghal News
This story also appeared in the Dungarvan Observer.
Well done SRI and the person or persons who raised the alarm👍👏💕
Update on this little lady from Seal Rescue Ireland for anyone interested in her: Rhea arrived on the 25th of October from Youghal, Co. Cork. She was underweight and covered in small wounds. She is exceptionally feisty for such a little lady. She has made her presence known since day one she likes to prop herself up on the side of ICU to make sure everyone hears what she has to say. She is slowly gaining weight and has grown enough to join the kennels with Gemini although she is still on fish soup for now. Thank you to her finder Ken K and her transporters Michelle L and Saranne OR.
A lovely story, delighted this baby seal is doing well.
👏👏👏👏👏👏💕💕
Not all heroes wear capes. Well done x
Well done everyone-!!
Ah that is such lovely news.
Well done Killian, Shell Leonard and all the team. Lovely to have this update 😍
Great story.
A good news story always welcome
Cillian O Connell
Aaron Mahony
Eithne O' Sullivan😉
Great work and kindness, many thanks
Well done all
Well done
Chris Bailey well done
High tide on the prom:
High tide at the Youghal beach promenade on a windy Saturday afternoon (14th Nov 2020)
Youghal Motorcycle Club 1970. Filmed 50 years ago, on the 19th January 1970, these two film clip shows members of the Youghal Motorcycle Club as they gather outside The Strand Palace near the old Perks Funfair and follows the bikers around the front strand area of town on their way to a motorcycle competition in a field at the top of the new line.
You can see the full length clip here at these links:
(No sound)
Youghal Motorcycle Club 1970. (clip1)
youtu.be/5OpwhmheyvU
Youghal Motorcycle Club 1970. (clip2)
youtu.be/2VSl_HihpIE
