St. Mary’s Collegiate Church, under the ownership of Cork County Council, is to receive a substantial investment of €186,000 from Fáilte Ireland’s Storytelling Interpretation Scheme. The grant has been awarded in recognition of Cork County Council’s proposals for improving the quality of physical interpretation at the site.
The Church, located in a corner of Youghal’s medieval town walls, can claim to be the oldest in Ireland with continuous worship since the 13th century
Trusses of the stunning nave roof have been carbon dated to the late 12th century.The awarding of this grant will enable Cork County Council to bring the histories and stories from this key location in Irelands Ancient East to life for visitor’s from both at home and overseas by using a variety of interpretative media.
Visitors will be able to explore the site in English, French, German, Spanish and Italian. It is expected that visitors will be able to avail of the new service by June 2019.
In welcoming the grant, Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Patrick Gerard Murphy, noted the incredible wealth of Irish Culture and Heritage to be found in Youghal “The home of Sir Walter Raleigh, the magnificent Clock Gate Tower, the Town Walls, Youghal has it all. This grant will improve our ability to share this wonderful part of County Cork with both national and international visitors. I am always happy to see investment along the Cork coastline. It is one of our greatest assets as a county. By securing this kind of investment, towns and villages all over Cork can hopefully benefit from increases in tourism numbers and ultimately revenue and jobs. This is a big win, not only for Cork County Council but for the people of County Cork”
Chief Executive of Cork County Council, Mr. Tim Lucey, also welcomed the announcement, “Cork County Council is delighted to such a significant investment from Fáilte Ireland into St. Mary’s Collegiate Church in Youghal. Since the Council took ownership of St. Mary’s Collegiate Church in 2005 a significant investment has been made into conservation and restoration works on the building. Already a great tourist attraction, we will now further our plans to create a truly novel and immersive experience. By identifying key historic and cultural locations around the county and securing grants such as this we are advancing our tourism industry, creating employment and promoting the image of our county, both nationally and internationally“