Youghal and Killarney to splash out on giant 'umbrellas'

It can’t be sunny all the time, but two busy tourist towns are getting ready to protect folk from the worst of the weather — with giant umbrellas.

A dozen of the eye-catching fixtures have been erected on Nealon’s Quay, a riverside car park close to Youghal town centre and Killarney Town Council is to splash out at least €50k on the devices.

The German-made umbrellas stand in two rows of six and feature dyed acrylic canvas on approximately seven-metre steel poles. They weigh 300g per sq metre and are expected to withstand wind speeds up to 60 kph.