Entertainment has come a long way with in the last 40 years, but Mick Hackett remembers the stellar showmen and women that used to perform on Claycastle Green four times a night without ever repeating a song or a gag. (less) Entertainment has come a long way with in the last 40 years, but Mick Hackett remembe...(more)
Category: Youghal hidden gems
Boardwalk
2015 note: Youghal's Eco Boardwalk at Claycastle was severely damaged by storm in January 2014. It is hugely missed by local walkers, however, it is in the process of being repaired and reinstated and we can look forward to the new and improved facility in mid-2015.
Youghal's boardwalk and fine stretch of sand would be the envy of many places. Mick Hackett recalls some fond memories of the Claycastle area. (less) 2015 note: Youghal's Eco Boardwalk at Claycastle was severely damaged by storm in Jan...(more)
Category: Youghal hidden gems
The Train to Youghal
Up until 1976, trains ran from Cork to Youghal. Mick Hackett recreates the bustle and excitement of those halcyon days in his own inimitable fashion. (less) Up until 1976, trains ran from Cork to Youghal. Mick Hackett recreates the bustle and...(more)
Category: Youghal hidden gems
Periwinkles
Periwinkles were in abundance along this stretch and made for a delicious and nutritious meal - Mick Hackett has fond memories of devouring them in the 1950s. (less) Periwinkles were in abundance along this stretch and made for a delicious and nutriti...(more)
Category: Youghal hidden gems
Youghal Lighthouse
The iconic lighthouse of the town has a long and interesting history. did you know that the nuns had been charged with the task of running the earlier lighthouses in Youghal? Mick Hackett explains why. (less) The iconic lighthouse of the town has a long and interesting history. did you know th...(more)
Category: Youghal hidden gems
Lookout for Dinner
Mick Hackett tells us how the wives of the fishermen would have been watching how many hands went up from their husbands on the boat to let them know what to prepare for dinner. (less) Mick Hackett tells us how the wives of the fishermen would have been watching how man...(more)
Category: Youghal hidden gems
Danny 'Duis' McCarthy Memorial
Down Quay Lane, is a memorial on the wall to a wily local called Danny 'Duis' McCarthy. Danny's ingenuity allowed him to create the town's first pipe band by an unorthodox method - Kieran tells us more in the audio piece. (less) Down Quay Lane, is a memorial on the wall to a wily local called Danny 'Duis' McCarth...(more)
Category: Youghal hidden gems
Merrick's
In the audio piece, Kieran tells us about Mr. Merrick's long wait.
In the 19th and 20th centuries, this was one of the finest stores in Munster. The facade shows it was founded in 1580 and so it was a store of much enterprise over hundreds of years which sadly closed in 2011.
One notable feature of the shop mentioned in Mick Hackett's excellent book 'discover Youghal' was the railway system of rolling balls on overhead rails used to send money to and from counter positions to a central office. For most of the period, the employees lived and worked overhead the store in separate male and female sections - a sort of inverted 'Upstairs Downstairs' arrangement. (less) In the audio piece, Kieran tells us about Mr. Merrick's long wait. In the 19th and ...(more)
Category: Youghal hidden gems
Field Printing Works
Three generations have the printing tradition of hand typesetting at this premises. The establishment goes back to the 19th century and has produced many important works. The books of historian, Rev. Samuel Hayman were printed here. It's well worth a visit for its ornamentation and their attention to detail. (less) Three generations have the printing tradition of hand typesetting at this premises. T...(more)
Category: Youghal hidden gems
Moby Dick
1954 saw the town transformed into New Bedford, Massachusetts, with the making of the John Huston film, Moby Dick. Market Square became the hub for the movie with the Moby Dick pub being the headquarters for the production team where you might see the likes of Gregory Peck or Orson Wells. It was a boon to the local economy with many locals being used as extras. (less) 1954 saw the town transformed into New Bedford, Massachusetts, with the making of the...(more)
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Category: Youghal hidden gems
Shakespeare was here
Shakespeares lived in Youghal up until the 1960s and it is the contention of local guide, Kieran Groeger, that the Bard himself came to visit the town performing at the site of what is now the Exchange. With Youghal's close links with Bristol, it would have been very easy for his theatre company to get over to the town as they did on three occasions.
(less) Shakespeares lived in Youghal up until the 1960s and it is the contention of local gu...(more)
Category: Youghal hidden gems
Ferrypoint
Nearby Ferrypoint may be across the water in County Waterford, but it served as the meeting point for a gruesome business in days gone by as Kieran tells us. (less) Nearby Ferrypoint may be across the water in County Waterford, but it served as the m...(more)
Category: Youghal hidden gems
Joe Green's pub
Back in the day, the Dubliners wouldn't leave Youghal without a visit to Joe Green's pub. Long gone and now a pub called The Central Star, Mick recalls the eccentricities of Joe as he towered over his patrons. (less) Back in the day, the Dubliners wouldn't leave Youghal without a visit to Joe Green's ...(more)
Category: Youghal hidden gems
Meatshambles Lane
In these days of strict health and safety, it's hard to imagine the goings on of Meat Shambles Lane where animals were slaughtered. Between the blood and the guts, the dung and the scavengers, it must have been quite a sight, not to mention smell to behold! Kieran tells us more and reveals that there were other strange sights to be seen hundreds of years ago. (less) In these days of strict health and safety, it's hard to imagine the goings on of Meat...(more)
Category: Youghal hidden gems
The Red House Ghost
You'll have heard about The Red House on our Heritage Trail, but did you know it has a discerning ghost that has strict sartorial standards? Kieran Groeger tells us more on the audio piece. (less) You'll have heard about The Red House on our Heritage Trail, but did you know it has ...(more)
Category: Youghal hidden gems
Claud Cockburn's Grave
At the front right of St. Mary's Collegiate Church lie the remains of Francis Claud Cockburn of Brook Lodge in Youghal (12 April 1904 – 15 December 1981). A British journalist, he was a well known proponent of communism. His saying, "believe nothing until it has been officially denied" is widely quoted in journalistic studies.
In 1947, Cockburn moved to Ireland and lived at Ardmore, County Waterford, and continued to contribute to newspapers and journals, including a weekly column for The Irish Times. In the Irish Times he famously stated that "Wherever there is a stink in international affairs, you will find that Henry Kissinger has recently visited."
Among his novels were The Horses, Ballantyne's Folly, Jericho Road, and Beat the Devil (originally under the pseudonym James Helvick), which was made into a film directed by another man with Youghal connections, Moby Dick's John Huston with script credit to Truman Capote (the title was later used by Cockburn's son Alexander for his regular column in The Nation).
Read the great article by Cockburn's son, Alexander, about how 'Beat the Devil' kept the wolves from the door. (less) At the front right of St. Mary's Collegiate Church lie the remains of Francis Claud C...(more)
Category: Youghal hidden gems
The Ballynatray Princess
Many a young girl grows up wanting to become a princess - here's the real life story of a local girl from Ballynatray who did just that. There's a plaque on the wall of St. Mary's Collegiate to commemorate her and her husband. Kieran Groeger tells us more in the audio piece. (less) Many a young girl grows up wanting to become a princess - here's the real life story ...(more)
Category: Youghal hidden gems
Aherne's Seafood Restaurant
The fine selection of fresh seafood at Aherne's Restaurant has made the place rightly famous. This award-winning restaurant was recently voted one of "Irelands most Romantic Restaurants" by the Bridgestone Guide and is a real gem in the town. Enjoy a gastronomic treat at the end of our Hidden Gems Trail - we've hoped you've enjoyed yourself and if so, spread a discerning word . (less) The fine selection of fresh seafood at Aherne's Restaurant has made the place rightly...(more)
Category: Youghal hidden gems
The Boyle Chapel
The South Transept of the Collegiate Church, also known as The Boyle Chapel, is a spartan Tudor chantry chapel, which houses the impressive monument of Sir Richard Boyle, Earl of Cork.
The tomb shows him with his first and second wives and their children, including the infant Robert Boyle, the establisher of 'Boyles Law'. Here also one can find the tomb capped with the effigies of the original founder of the chapel, Richard Benett and his wife Ellis Barry. The Villiers Heraldic Banner overhangs the tomb of Sir Edward Villiers, Lord President of Munster and half-Brother to the Duke of Buckingham. Evidence of the chapel's earlier use can be seen from the stoup at the entrance, which dates from the thirteenth century.
(less) The South Transept of the Collegiate Church, also known as The Boyle Chapel, is a spa...(more)
Category: Youghal hidden gems
Medieval Pop-Up Museum
Featuring the Medieval Characters of Youghal, an innovative and free ‘family friendly' exhibition of Medieval Characters who made an impact on Youghal's history has opened in St. Mary's Collegiate Church, in the heart of the Raleigh Quarter, Youghal. The six characters selected for this pop-up are: • Katherine, the Old Countess of Desmond – who lived to a great age and died,reputedly having fallen from a cherry tree. • Sir Walter Raleigh – world renowned Elizabethan adventurer, soldier, poet, courtesan and one time Mayor of Youghal who lived not far from St. Mary's Collegiate Church. • Oliver Cromwell – the ‘infamous' Lord Protector of Ireland, who wintered his army in Youghal during his campaign in Ireland. • Sir Richard Boyle – Elizabethan adventurer, entrepreneur and First Earl of Cork, boasted to be the richest man in the Kingdom and resident of Youghal • Blessed Dominic Collins - a Jesuit Brother from Youghal who was executed as a martyr at the North Gate of the town in 1602 • Florence Newton – an unfortunate who was tried as the ‘Witch of Youghal' in 1661 St. Mary's Collegiate Church is open to the public for visitors 7 days a week, from 10.00 am – 4.30 pm. Visitors are encouraged to wander freely through the upstanding exhibit panels. (less) Featuring the Medieval Characters of Youghal, an innovative and free ‘family friendly...(more)