Youghal expects €1.4m boost as clock tower reopens

East Cork town, Youghal, expects an annual economic boost of €1.4m when an iconic monument re-opens to the public as a museum next month.

Craftsmen from 17 specialist companies are fitting out all four floors of Youghal’s Clock Gate tower. “We’re looking at specialist joinery, electrics, graphics, costumes, models, audio-visual aids, film production, etc”, says Aileen Murray, manager of the Youghal Socio-Economic Development Group (YSEDG), which is spearheading the €650,000 project.

Each floor will depict a historic period, covering the 1400s, 1700s, 1800s and 1900s, up to the building’s use as the private residence of the McGrath family in the 1950s. The project is being designed by Scroope Design, Courtmacsherry.