It’s on the western shores of the very wide Blackwater estuary and it has a fantastic
maritime tradition. In the 19th century, some 150 sail schooners were based in Youghal and it’s said that wherever Youghal sailors went in the world, they instantly recognised fellow townsmen because of their unique whistle.
Youghal continued its unique maritime tradition in the mid-1950s, when a film was made of the great Herman Melville novel about whaling, Moby Dick. The Irish-American film director, John Huston, who a couple of years before had made another epic, The Quiet Man, came to Youghal and converted its waterfront into a replica of New Bedford, Massachusetts, America’s premier fishing port and in the
19th century, a great whaling centre.
A fantastic cast was assembled and came to Youghal, including Gregory Peck as Captain Ahab, who in the novel, sought revenge on the whale that had wrecked his previous boat and cost him a
leg. Others in the cast included Richard Baseheart, Bernard Miles and James Robertson Justice; even Orson Welles had a cameo part. The filming in Youghal went on for the best part of six months and bystanders came from all over Ireland and beyond to see the action.
The studio scenes were shot at Elstree Studios in London and when the film was released, the nitpickers had a field day. The joins in the painted backdrops could be clearly seen and so too
were the aircraft contrails in the sky. One of the ships moored in Youghal had a Plimsoll line; this hadn’t been devised until the 1870s, although the novel was set in 1841. Despite the blips, the film went on to become an epic in the annals of the cinema and it grossed $10 million at the box office, having cost just under half that to make.
When the film was being made in Youghal, its production centre was Paddy Linehan’s pub in the Market Square, close to the harbour. After the day’s filming was done, cast and crew repaired to Linehan’s pub for some fantastic storytelling and reminiscences over copious refreshments. The pub had just one phone and everyone queued to phone home, even Gregory Peck.
Paddy Linehan was assidious about collecting memorabilia relating to the film. He died in 2004 and the pub was taken over by his son Kevin, who has kept all this material. Visitors to the pub can have a great time looking through all the press cuttings and photographs, as well as the visitors’ book.
Linehan’s pub has helped keep alive the spirit of the Moby Dick filmmaking in Youghal and now there’s an annual event which has exactly the same purpose. The Moby Dick Festival runs from Mary 31st until June 2nd and will examine all aspects of Moby Dick and its filming in Youghal. There’ll be
lots of Moby Dick memorabilia, as well as prose and poetry readings. Guests have been invited from the Melville Society in New York. But the festival is not just for Moby Dick aficionadoes; it’s for all the family and has lots of activities to appeal to all family members, regardless of age, even a teddy bears’ picnic.
By the time this festival is on, the latest Irish rebellion, against the hated new property tax, will probably be well under way, but the festival will provide a lovely haven of normality and family-filled fun. You’ll find all the details on the website: http://www.youghal4all.com/
As for Youghal itself, it’s a gem. SirWalter Raleigh, who was mayor here in the late 16th century, is reputed to have brought both the potato and tobacco to Ireland, introducing them when he
was living at Myrtle Grove, a magnificent 16th century mansion that still stands today. The house is close to the Church of Ireland Collegiate church of St Mary, which probably dates back to around AD450. Its interior is well worth exploring for all its decorative treasures.
Also in Youghal, you can see the 1777 Clock Gate, spanning the Main Street. During the 1798 rebellion, many rebels were hung from it, but these days, Youghal is far more ecumenical and
peaceful. Many interesting pieces of architecture include the Red House, designed in the 18th century in the Dutch style. Just behind the town are the magnificent walls, which are far superior to those in Derry, although they’ve managed to remain much more of a secret. Add to all this a wonderful harbour area and plentiful beaches and you’ll agree with me that Youghal is a totally delightful
seaside town.
Sadly, one thing Youghal no longer has is a railway station. The line from here to Cork city, just over 30km away, was closed down in 1963. Although some of the line, close to Cork city, has been restored to use, it’s highly unlikely the rest of it will be brought back to life. In the old days, the
line brought many packed excursion trains from Cork to Youghal.
Close by Youghal are more delights. On the far side of the Blackwater estuary is the wholly delightful seaside town of Ardmore, once home to the late Molly Keane, one of Ireland’s greatest 20th century writers. Also close to Youghal is Ballymaloe House hotel and restaurant, run by the Allen family, renowned for their culinary excellence. The cookery school here is regarded as the best in Ireland and the whole complex has lots of other delights, including a Ballymaloe shop and a grainstore where many musical gigs and exhibitions are staged. You can stay at Ballymaloe house itself as well as in self-catering cottages.
So all in all, this is a great part of Ireland to explore. I know the whole district well and can thoroughly recommend for an excellent visitor experience, topped off of course by the forthcoming Moby Dick festival.
Now its’s back to France, where President Francois Hollande is the most unpopular French leader
in recent memory. A recent political poll showed that only 30 per cent of the population trust him to find cures to France’s problems. Unemployment is close to 3.2 million, which nearly equals the record jobless levels of 1997. The government is planning to cut a further €5 billion from government spending, yet it says it’s not going to bring in an austerity programme, so there are many
very unhappy campers around.
This sense of disillusion is spreading across the Atlantic, with the news that President Obama’s ratings are sliding down the poll rating, less than two months since he was inaugurated for his second
term, because people in the US don’t believe he can fix the economy, despite all his fine words.
Add to this the comments from Jean-Claude Juncker, the prime minister of Luxembourg, who has drawn many comparisons between Europe in 2013 and Europe 100 years ago, in 1913, the year before the start of the First World War. He says that there’s so much enmity between countries in Europe now, especially anti-German feelings, that it’s not impossible for conflict to break out again.
In 1913, European countries were so intermeshed industrially and commercially that everyone thought another war would be impossible. It wasn’t and Juncker has a strong feeling that we could be in for a repeat performance.
Not that you would know this from much of the mainstream media, in Ireland, the UK and the rest of Europe. There’s so much emphasis on frivolous entertainment and celebrity news that big issues like this simply aren’t examined. But if you want to get away from all this doom and gloom in mainland Europe, all you have to do is head for Youghal at the beginning of June, the perfect antidote to the woes of a troubled continent.
And before you go, spare a thought for the 500 passengers on the Irish Ferries ship, the Oscar Wilde. Normally, the crossing from Rosslare in Ireland to Cherbourg in Normandy takes 12 hours. This week however, the journey took nearly two days, because conditions at sea were so stormy and the vessel only docked in a snow-paralysed Cherbourg on Tuesday afternoon. Much of northern France, indeed Paris itself, has been inundated with snow this week, up to 40cm in parts of northern France. The Channel Islands, normally so mild, have been blanketed with snow. The snow has made for spectacular photos and video footage, but for people on the ground, it’s been a white hell. Maybe one of these days, we may get a proper spring, even though against this snowy backdrop, the daffodils are already out.