06-05-2025
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@
Web:
The Maeve Óg is also available for private hire, including longer journeys upriver, on a chartered basis.
