In the Middle Ages Youghal quickly gained power and influence in both
Ireland and Europe, second only in stature to Bristol as the busiest port in
the British Isles. "Men-at-arms, traffickers and other adventurers"
of that port colonised the town throughout the 13th century, and in
1202 Youghal received its first charter from King John. In 1275 Edward I
levied a tax for the building of stone walls to replace the Norman walls.
By 1350 Youghal was a fine walled town, trading with ports all over Europe.
The town walls and its fosse on the west side, with at least 12 towers,
surrounded the settlement, stretching up the hill behind the houses to prevent
attack from the higher ground. By the 15th century, a small
extension to the walls had been made to the south to create a 'base town' with
an adjoining quay. The three main openings in the walls were the Watergate,
which opened onto the quays, the North Gate, the principal landward entrance
to the town and the Iron gate at the southern edge. The Iron gate was later
called the Trinity Gate and is now the site of the Clock Gate.
Throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, the town rose
and fell as civil war and rebellion tore the countryside apart.
The power and possessions of the Earls of Desmond generated concern and
envy in the English administration. The Earls constantly tested the limits of
their power and independence from the English. The Earls were feudal lords who
did not take kindly to interference by monarch and administration. Inevitably,
the situation led to open rebellion, and in 1579 Gerald Fitzgerald, the 14th
Earl of Desmond, was drawn into the conflict.
The town's defences had not been maintained properly, and Youghal soon fell
to Desmond's army. The town was sacked and its fortifications broken. The
English, led by the Earl of Ormond, recaptured Youghal some weeks later. The
English forces sent to quell the rebellion then had their turn at terrorising
the town, and the Lord Mayor, Patrick Coppinger, was hanged from his own
doorway for failing to maintain the strength of the town's defences.
Elizabeth I then began to parcel out the confiscated lands to her faithful
supporters and military officers, and thus began the Munster Plantation, in
which lands were granted on condition of establishing colonies of English in
order to quell rebellion and develop resources.
42,000 acres extending from Youghal (The Inchiquin Seignory) were granted
to the Queen's favourite, Sir Walter Raleigh, and he made his home here for
short periods during the 17 years in which he held the lands. His stately
Elizabethan house, Myrtle Grove, built in the mid 16th century, was
originally the residence of the Warden of the College of Youghal.
Myrtle Grove is a rare example of a 16th century house that has
survived largely intact. Although the house was altered in the 16th,
18th and 19th centuries, it retains its original
character and contains some interior features which probably date back to the
1580s.
The first potatoes in Ireland were planted in the gardens of Myrtle Grove
in 1585, and it is possible that the house witnessed the beginning of tobacco
smoking in Ireland.
The poet Spenser was a contemporary of Raleigh's and had been granted lands
in North Cork. He is said to have been inspired to write the "Faerie
Queen" while looking out the window of Myrtle Grove.
Youghal emerged from the turbulent years of the 17th Century to
a period of growth during the 18th century. Trade expanded, with
quays and warehouses being built on reclaimed land between the medieval town
and the river, and by 1821 Youghal's population had grown from under 4000 in
1764 to over 10,000.
Youghal is now the centre of a thriving tourist industry, offering miles of
golden sands as well as reminders of its turbulent past.
Athenry I
Waterford
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Youghal
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Kilmallock
