 |
Situated
on the coastline of East Cork, the bustling and picturesque town of Youghal
is regarded as one of the most popular tourist destinations in Ireland.This
historic walled seaport town adjoins a fine 5km blue flag beach and because
of the many historic buildings and monuments within its ancient town walls,
it has been designated as an Irish Heritage Port by the Irish Tourist
Board.
The name Youghal comes from the Irish word 'Eochaill' which means 'The wood of yew trees'.This is because Youghal and the surrounding areas were once covered in thousands of yew trees.It is uncertain when the town received its name but it is thought that it was around the seventh century A.D.
 |
 |
Viking Settlement
Youghal was no exception to the rest of the
Irish coastline and was raided by the Vikings from the end of the 8th
century.A Viking settlement was established at Youghal during the the
9th century.It probably was a small settlement but would have been well
fortified.In 1173 a sea battle took place at the mouth of the river Blackwater
when a fleet of Irish and Vikings were defeated by Normans returning to
their Waterford base with stolen treasure from Lismore.The Norman presence
had arrived in Youghal.