Youghal memories

I took this photo of Mike at his home in Shanacoole overlooking Youghal Bay

My thanks to Mike Hackett for submitting this piece. I have added some photos which I hope you will enjoy
Eddie


The Green’s Quay commonage -- between Dolphin’s Square and the Slob Bank in Youghal -- was our wonderful playground in the 1950s. Hurling, football, soccer and rugby were all played there -- without boots or shirts -- without lines or flags -- just keen youngsters getting stuck-in -- most often in the same clothes as had been were worn in school earlier in the day. For we were poor -- by today’s standards -- and there were no school uniforms in those times. We wore the same clothes from morning ‘till night.

That bit of spare land -- Green’s Quay -- created by the dumping of the local waste there -- was getting bigger year-by-year as it filled up and crept towards the corner of the Slob Bank on one side, and the corner of the Tannery on the other. We loved it! A lot of young lads -- the future Youghal teams -- learned the artistry and craft of the games at Green’s Quay.

Lest we forget -- tribute must be paid to the mentors of the under-age G.A.A. teams. They taught us, guided us and prepared us for the East Cork championships that were usually played in Castlemartyr or Midleton. We lost some and we won some -- then on the way home -- in Paddy Lawlor’s bus we would sing ‘Up the Youghal Boys’. Johnny Coyne of O’Reilly Terrace, Billy Swayne of Browne Street and John Parker of North Main Street are particularly remembered for their keen interest and for their encouragement.

The old Bridge leading to Youghal

Then, for the winter months, we changed over to playing soccer and in this regard -- Michael Bransfield the tailor and Tommy Griffin the carpenter were the mentors. During that era, a player could be suspended for playing a ‘foreign game’ like soccer. But we knew that if we were suspended for a few months -- we would be re-instated back again before the East-Cork championships started in early summer.

John McGrath holding a replica of the Clock Gate  --  where he was reared.

It was about 1959 when the Midleton soccer team were invited to play Youghal at Green’s Quay on a Sunday morning -- but the ground had to be made a bit respectable first. With this in mind -- about twenty of us spent all day Saturday cutting the grass, lining the field and putting up soccer goalposts. When the job was finished, it looked very well. We were delighted and looked forward to Sunday morning.

However, other minds were at work to spoil our joy -- and when we woke up that Sunday morning, the goalposts had been uprooted and dumped down into the river. Luckily we discovered it about 9 am after first Mass and had two hours to restore the pitch. The uprights were again planted into the ground -- but the cross-bar posts had been broken -- and so two ropes were used for cross-bars. The game took place as planned and the crowd watching was enormous. As far as I remember Midleton won the game -- but Youghal won the battle of the grounds.

The Free State forces taking down the I.R.A. flag  --  after it had been put on the cock of the clock during the hours of darkness the previous night  --  that was in 1923.

A few weeks later, Brendan Maher of Tallow Street (now in London) won a rugby ball at Willie Roche’s shop near Jim Parker’s. It was a prize slip that he discovered in a ha’penny lucky ball and he could take his pick of three prizes. He picked the rugby ball before the doll and the harmonica. We went wild in Green’s Quay with that real rugby ball! Our ordinary clothes were all grass and mud from diving and sliding! Despite our mothers’ annoyance -- it was great fun!