East Cork: All aboard for a voyage on a tide that lifts all spirits
There are few more stimulating experiences for the human spirit than the softness of a cool breeze, combined with the salty aroma of the sea, the glinting of sunshine on friendly waters and the comfort of good company.
Youghal's Blackwater River Cruises delivers all that and much more.
This summer marks the 26th year of Ardmore native Tony Gallagher ferrying passengers aboard his 28ft half-decker craft — the Maeve Óg.
Formerly a ferry to Kerry's dolphin, Fungi and licensed for twelve passengers, the boat departs Nealon's Quay (adjacent to Youghal tourist office), seven days weekly.
Departures are timed according to bookings.
As the craft inches towards the open river, the emerald hills of Monatrea across the divide contrasts magnificently with the blue of the water.
With Tony's loyal daschund-chihuahua cross Scuba (Inspired by 'Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus') on lookout, ahead lies a 90-minute round trip through a landscape tangled in coils of Anglo-Irish history.
It's a journey rich in serenity and sublime scenery, in a place deeply steeped in local, national and international history and a place that echoes Medieval royalty, swashbuckling romance and self-serving treachery.
Tony, a former thespian, lends his voice to onboard commentary.
'Our first pause is at the site of the former Youghal bridge', he begins. (A bridge where bus passengers once had to walk across and transfer to another bus, due to its instability!)
Soon afterwards, Templemichael and its ruined castle, built by the Fitzgeralds in the 16th century, rises poignantly above a church ruin and an overgrown graveyard.
It is also commonly held, however, that the castle actually dates to the 12th century and was a Knights Templar fortress during the Norman invasion.
Midway between the river banks, the mood can be one of disconnect from everyday life, as the early 6th century Molana Abbey slides into view. The Christian monks came from Ardmore after St. Declan and settled there', Tony informs.
Founded by a disciple of St. Carthage, in 1510 the abbey fell into the hands of James Fitzgerald, 14th Earl of Desmond, before being seized by the Crown and desecrated during the Desmond Rebellions 30 years later. The remains of the Strongbow knight Raymond Le Gros are reportedly buried there.
Nearby sits sumptuous Ballinatray House. Built in the late 18th century and the ancestral home of the Holroyd-Smiths, it overlooks 850 acres of stunning terrain.
Christy Moore, who enjoyed his trip on the Maeve Óg.
The stately home is presently owned by multi-millionaire business magnate James Dyson and, while undergoing prolonged renovation, is wrapped in builders' cladding.
Those whose interest is more wildlife than past life, may recognise herons, egrets, cormorants and, on lucky occasions, a white tailed eagle.
Spying on their prey from the branches of oak, larch and beech, these winged wonders feed on such fulsome fare as salmon, trout and bass. Sometimes a busy otter may be espied doing likewise.
Tony's on-board spiel invokes these surrounds and amongst past passengers to look and listen have been actor Dominic West, who, somewhat ironically, played Prince Charles in The Crown TV series.
Writer and broadcaster Fergal Keane (sometimes with a TV crew), journalist Patrick Coburn, members of the Jameson family and singers John Spillane and Christy Moore have also frequently boarded.
For some, the cruise transcends history or conservation. 'I think people find a boat trip therapeutic', Tony reflects. 'Sometimes someone is nervous or stressed going on the water. Then, 90 minutes later, you see them relaxed and smiling when they are leaving. It's like their mood changed by merging with the flow of the water. It's wonderful to see.'
Inquiries: Youghal Tourist Office (024) 20270.
Bookings: From April to late October on 087-988 9076.
e-mail: Tonygallagherardmore@gmail.com;
Web: Blackwatercruises.com
The Maeve Óg is also available for private hire, including longer journeys upriver, on a chartered basis.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
6 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Julie Jay: Give parents a break and let them take children on holiday in term time
Parents taking their children out of school to go on holiday is an issue again. Irish primary schools are reporting an astonishing 360,000 school days being used for this purpose. I can categorically say I won't be taking my children out of school for holidays anytime soon. This is less to do with missing term time and more to do with the fact I have sworn not to go abroad until the baby is older, having learned that hotels with toddlers are not exactly the relaxation the travel-agency brochures would have you believe. The truth is, I have no issue with parents taking children out of school for an annual holiday, although this hasn't always been my stance. When I first started teaching, I inwardly tut-tutted that doing so somehow diminished the importance of education. But now I know better, because I've come to realise that school isn't the be-all and end-all, and that missing a couple of weeks at primary level isn't going to cost them the points for medicine in the Leaving Cert. If the pandemic taught us anything, it is that school is not the only educator when bringing up children and helping them make sense of the world. Many young people missed huge chunks of term time, and, guess what — they are fine. They are taking the courses and pursuing careers that they would have pursued anyway. It turns out that children will learn with or without a classroom setting, and learning certainly doesn't stop and start at the school gates. I have no issue with parents taking children out of school for an annual holiday As regular readers of this column will know, I like to moonlight as a teacher during the week, just to while away the time and most certainly not motivated by my lacklustre comedy income. Just these last few weeks, I had started to fret about one of my students, whose 'H' status on the roll book I presumed indicated a prolonged hospital stay. I consulted their class teacher, who informed me, to my great relief, that this child was, in fact, on holiday. I delighted on hearing that this child was off availing of a break with her family, because as important as school is, it is hard to justify the near 100% increase in holiday costs (I am pulling this percentage out of the air, but I'm sure it's there or thereabouts) that come once summer holidays officially get under way. As the daughter of a teacher, going on holidays during term time was never an option. That said, I remember quite a few years when my mother would give me the day after the Oscars off, so I could stay up late and watch the awards live. I couldn't tell you what I learned in school on the day of the 1993 Academy Awards, but I can tell you about my glee in seeing Marisa Tomei win best supporting actress for My Cousin Vinny. This was a film I had watched with my auntie and adored, so much so that re-enacting Tomei's foot-stomping about her biological clock had become my nine-year-old's party piece at family get-togethers. My point is that holidays, days off, and time spent with family will always be more important than times tables and spelling tests. Nobody looks back on life and says, 'My biggest regret is that I didn't get to do indoor hockey in PE that day.' Children summering in Spain in May probably shouldn't also be skiing in Andorra in January Of course, there are limits to this, like anything else. Should I become minister for education in the morning (and given my inability to locate my school rollbook at any given time, the odds of this are very slim), I would allow parents the discretion to remove their children from school for two weeks to facilitate a holiday. That being said, I do think a bit of common sense has to be applied: Children summering in Spain in May, for example, probably shouldn't also be skiing in Andorra in January, if for no other reason than the number of broken arms and legs around south county Dublin in the latter weeks of the month is a clear indicator that Irish people shouldn't be going downhill on snowboards. And if they do, they shouldn't be expecting to emerge with their vitamin D-deficient bones intact. Equally, I once taught a child who was often absent due to attending Anfield to watch soccer, which was particularly worrying, given that Liverpool were performing very poorly at the time. You could nearly understand the child's regular absence if his team had been having a good run, but reliving the horror of a loss week after week was rubbing salt into a Man Utd-shaped wound. Most parents know their children and their families, and they know what is best for them. There is only a tiny window of opportunity when children are happy to join their parents on holiday, and it would be a shame to miss it. And if you can't have a holiday, perhaps just let your children snowboard down the stairs — it's probably safer than skiing.
Irish Independent
a day ago
- Irish Independent
Wicklow stately home and grounds has been reimagined and now attracts visitors from all over Ireland
Avondale has been reimagined and now attracts visitors from around the world, as reporter David Medcalf discovered Wicklow People Today at 02:00 Coillte, the State forestry company, is responsible for a million acres and for hundreds of sites around Ireland, with a presence in practically every one of the 26 counties. Their open door policy means that they have at least 250 'recreational' forests. None of the other sites, however, is quite like Avondale in County Wicklow, which has become a light-hearted showcase for Irish forestry and Irish timber. Not so long ago, the place was a handy venue for anyone in the Rathdrum area with a dog that needed walking, more a hidden gem than a national attraction. The big house, once the home of Charles Stewart Parnell, was off limits to the public while the forestry college was long since closed. This still left visitors with an enticing choice of routes to ramble around the splendidly wooded property. However, it was a low key operation as the 500 acre estate was run with a skeleton staff and it was far short of being a must-see item on any tourist agenda. Then the decision was taken to put Avondale on the visitor map in a big way.
Irish Independent
a day ago
- Irish Independent
‘The recipe has been made in our city for 100 years' – 27-nation cookbook celebrates immigrant families with a taste of home
The 44-year-old moved to Carlow in 2018 with her son Albert (18). They are from Targu Jiu in south-western Romania and made the move for better educational opportunities for Albert. Ms Panescu said: 'I had everything I needed back home, the move was his future. I had worked as a secondary school teacher for 12 years and was an authorised translator for the Ministry of Justice.' After the move, Ms Panescu retrained at Maynooth University and now works as a project co-ordinator for a telecoms company. Although relocating was challenging, Georgiana had the support of friends she knew who were based in Carlow who also have children. She also took comfort in the similarities between Ireland and Romania. 'We were occupied by the Roman Empire and Ottoman Empire. Not to mention we were under communism until 1999. So the attitudes are similar. In spite of this occupation, we are very optimistic – just like the Irish people. 'In temperament, we are truly similar. Romanians and the Irish people like to laugh and to make fun of the negative things in their lives.' The international-themed cookbook, written by Tusla senior communications officer David Lawlor, celebrates the stories and food of 27 immigrant families from all over Ireland. From Mauritian to Iraqi to Zimbabwean cuisine, the 66-page book – which will be distributed in Deis schools as a multicultural educational tool and is free to read online – was launched late last month and is an A-Z of countries around the world. Georgiana and Albert chose Romanian sarmale, which are stuffed cabbage rolls, as their recipe for the cookbook. ADVERTISEMENT Learn more In Targu Jiu it is often served with a jelly made from pork juices and vegetables, while in other areas in Romania it's served with cream cheese. 'It is an old Romanian recipe, people eat it at Christmas, Easter, weddings, and all sorts of special occasions. There is not a Romanian on earth that wouldn't recognise it.' The weather here is great, you never know what's going to happen Another contributor to the cookbook is William Saucedo and his wife Laura Ximena Justiniano. Mr Saucedo, originally from Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, came to Ireland in 2022 along with, his wife and their kids: Franco (14), Raphaella (11) and four-year-old Zamira. In their home city, William's car was hijacked while working as a taxi man and the family feared for the safety of their children in school. In search of asylum and better opportunities, the family then moved to Kilkenny, with William's daughter Adriana (13) from a previous marriage still living in Bolivia. Mr Saucedo's wife Laura and their children had no English when the family settled. But now the kids speak with a Kilkenny twang and Ms Ximena Justiniano is taking lessons. She is a homemaker while William works as a security night porter. One thing that surprisingly hasn't been an issue for the family is the weather. At times it can be difficult to sleep in their home country at night, with average temperatures of 25C. Ireland's cooler temperatures are welcomed. The couple's son Franco said: 'The weather here is great, you never know what's going to happen. It could rain one minute and then be sunny.' William describes his new-found home city as very 'welcoming to outsiders' and prides itself in its hospitality. The recipe the family chose for the cookbook is hot corn cake, similar to a tea cake but with cheese, and passed down by Mr Saucedo's grandmother. 'The recipe has been made in our city for 100 years .'
