Like many towns, the building boom of recent years has altered Youghal in instantly recognisable ways.

Most noticeable is the long list of new residential estates which have sprung up including ones such as Ard Callagh, Ard na Mara, Ardán na Mara, Bayview Grove, Chestnut Drive, Copperalley Close, Crestfield, Dun Coran, Gleann Tuarigh, Gort Aoibhinn, Kenny’s Lane, Larchfield Rise, Millfield Abbey, Meadow Valley, Mistletoe Grove, Oakhill, Na Prapoga, Radharc na Mara, Shanavine, Srutháin na Saili, Springfield Court and The Estuary. So too have apartment complexes mushroomed such as Carlton Village, Carlton Wharf, the Strand Palace, The Old Monastery, Pier Head, Fisherman’s Dock and Brown’s Court. It is hard to believe that just twenty years ago, none of these developments existed.

But changes over recent years also abound when it comes to Youghal’s public buildings, sporting facilities and amenities for example.

For the new Millennium for instance, the Town Hall received a facelift with the addition of a two storey glass atrium to the rear which provides stunning waterfront views. An arts and cultural venue for the East Cork area was also incorporated into the renovation works which were completed in 2004.

Adjacent to the Town Hall, the nearby Lifeboat Station was also rebuilt in September 2002 which instantly added to the architectural character of the Mall. If the ‘temporary’ tin hut that serves as Youghal’s fire brigade station could be rebuilt, Youghal could end up with an eye pleasing trio of buildings in this prime area.

The town’s medieval streets have also undergone sympathetic change over recent years. As you now walk down Quay Lane towards Cromwell’s arch for example, the completion of the new District Court Offices in 2009 married the old with the new. Other laneways to have been redeveloped include the Mall Lane and Church Street, which after a €600,000 resurfacing project during 2008 reopened in 2009 for example.

Of course, the Cork Hill side of the town has witnessed massive change over the last two decades. Actually predating the ‘boom’ years was the construction of the ‘New’ Church at Magner’s Hill in 1992. Now nineteen years old, the Holy Family Church was built at a time when many of the surrounding residential estates were still agricultural fields.

Another landmark for this area was the opening of the new Pobalscoil Na Tríonóide in 2006 which has altered both the infrastructural and educational landscape of the town. Not far away, the new cultural Brú na Sí centre has provided a permanent home and performance venue for Ceoltas Ceolteoiri Eireann.

The GAA has also rejuvenated its facilities on this side of the town. Following the club’s foundation in 1891, it located a suitable pitch in 1899 at Copperalley which it still retains to this day. But in 1985 and with some foresight, it paid £75,000 Irish punts for some land from St. Raphael’s Hospital which in 2009 was redeveloped to provide a magnificent clubhouse and facilities at Magner’s Hill.

The Strand area of the town has also undergone a similar transformation. Although the GAA originated as part of a proud riposte to the importation of ‘foreign’ sports in the late Victorian era, these sports still cater to the sporting diversity of the town today. In 1893, Youghal Lawn Tennis Club was founded and after renovation works carried out over the last decade, now boasts magnificent flood lit courts which are a credit to the club’s patrons. Also of note was the founding of Youghal Golf Club in 1898 and whose manicured lawns and fairways have remained a distinctive feature at the summit of the town for over a hundred years since.

One significant change in the Strand area has also been the relocation of Perks funfair. Having held fairs at one stage during the 1930’s on the site of the present Strand Church, it found a home for decades on the site of the current Strand Palace apartments which were built in 1999. Now Perks has moved further out, relocating to the former Seafield fabrics factory which has allowed it to expand its long list of attractions.

Another significant change in the Strand area was the opening of the swimming pool at Claycastle in 2006. After a long campaign to acquire such an amenity, the swimming pool has emerged as a star attraction amongst the many tourist and leisure facilities in the area.

But although the Strand may possess miles of sandy beaches, a swimming pool, golf course, pitch n putt course, caravan parks, greyhound track, funfair, hotel, tennis courts, B&Bs and bars all within easy walking distance of each other, the continuing closure of the railway track remains a sore point for the area as for the town and hinterland itself.

However to see one of the biggest changes that has occurred to Youghal over the last few years, it is necessary to leave the town itself. On 31st March, 2003, Youghal bypass was officially opened at a cost of €44 million, instantly alleviating the chronic traffic congestion which had afflicted Youghal’s medieval streets for years. Taking 10,000 vehicles daily away from the town centre or 65% of the through traffic, the mammoth project took three years to build and is the biggest change in Youghal’s infrastructure since the unfortunate demise of the railway connection.

Along with these, many other projects have been proposed for Youghal in the future- the eco boardwalk from the Front Strand to Claycastle, a marina, a new library building, the closure of the landfill, the repair of the town walls, the opening of the Clock Gate and a graveyard trail in St. Mary’s, whilst calls to restore the railway continue to be heard. Given the extent of the economic slowdown however, it will be interesting to see in a few years time what the exact pace of public and private regeneration has been.