St Mary's Collegiate Church, Youghal, one of the oldest
churches in Ireland, is a building of great beauty, a place of worship
and prayer, a church whose life has been closely identified with the history
of Ireland for nearly 1000 years. Standing on a site devoted to religious
worship from early Christian times, the church is likely to have been
founded by St. Declan c. 450, rebuilt in Irish Romanesque style c. 750,
and its great Norman nave erected c. 1220.
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St.Marys Collegiate Church
Medieval map of Youghal
By 1350 Youghal was a fine walled town,
trading with ports all over Europe.The town
walls date from at least the 13th century.As early as 1275 King Edward
I granted a charter to raise taxes for their repair and extension.In 1462
Youghal was created one of the Irish 'cinque ports' granting the town
special priveleges.It was a suitable port to provision vessels of all
types.
A beacon tower was constructed in the late 12th century to the south of
the town and the light was tended by the nearby Franciscan convent of
St.Anne.
Sir Walter
Raleigh was one of Queen Elizabeth's favourites.He was sent to Youghal
to govern the town and the surrounding area.He was the Mayor of Youghal
in 1588 and also in 1589.He had a fine manor in Myrtle Grove which still
stands today.It is said that he planted the first potatoes in Ireland
in the 18th century.An incident which is related locally tells of Raleigh
smoking in his garden, when a servant, never seeing tobacco before, threw
water over his masters head fearing that he had been set alight.
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