Youghal trio to spend 24 hours in coffins

Three members of a Co Cork Halloween festival committee will spend 24 hours confined in coffins as part of an unearthly fundraiser today.

Yvonne Lawton, Wayne Ruxton, and Nathalie Tewkesbury from Youghal are part of Youghal4All, a voluntary group that organises family-focused festivals and events in the East Cork tourist town.

They will be asking the public to dig deep in support of the town’s fourth annual Halloween Spooktacular, with the devil of all endurance tests starting tonight.

They will first be ‘tried’ in a very open court at Barry’s Lane, adjacent to the Clock Gate, for the crime of grave robbing. Following a fair trial in which their assumed guilt is confirmed, they will take their punishment lying down as they are condemned to their claustrophobic destiny on the same street. There they shall remain for what will feel like an eternity.

The trial, expected to last 15 minutes, has been scripted by Wayne, who describes it as “horror with a tinge of comedy”. He also wrote the script for the group’s successful zombie wedding ceremony during last year’s Halloween festival.

Wayne has also constructed the chipboard coffins, which are especially adapted to allow air — but not light — to permeate. The occupants will be allowed a food and toilet break every two hours “if needed”, says Wayne and can stretch their legs for 10 minutes every four hours. “I believe if you’re fundraising you should earn it, so I want to make this a genuinely difficult endurance test,” says Wayne

The trial starts at 6pm.

facebook.com/YoughalSpooktacular