'I've always loved Youghal... the town means a lot to us,' says developer

Christy Parker talks to a developer whose investments are inspired by childhood memories of the Cork seaside town

Redbarn (Youghal) Construction lodged a  planning application to convert the 4.2-acre former Seafield Textiles plant at Upper Strand to mixed housing and commercial development. 

In a landscape where the race for urban development is routinely defined by stimulus packages and fiscal imperatives it is heartening to find that emotions can still sometimes help trigger the starting gun.

Of course sentiment does not define Redbarn (Youghal) Construction buying up a ghost estate, building luxury apartments, demolishing a derelict factory for homes and business units, or even restoring a local cinema. However, it remains a large part of a story that details investments estimated to exceed €16m in the East Cork town.