YOUGHAL, county of Cork, and province of Munster, Ireland ; a sea-port, borough, market, and post-town, and the seat of a Poor-Law Union, about 31 miles E. from Cork, in 51° 57' N. lat., 7° 52' W. long.; population 7410 in 1851, besides 1801 in the Union workahire. The borough is governed by commissioners elected under the Act 9 Geo. IV. cap. 82; and returns one member to the Imperial Parliament Yougbal Poor-Law Union comprises 14 electoral divisions, with an area of 70,624 acres, and a population in 1851 of 32,583.
Youghal stands at the mouth of the Blackwater, which here separates the eastern extremity of the county of Cork from the adjacent county of Waterford. The town is built along the western shore of Youghal harbour, which is capable of receiving vessels of 400 or 500 tons at spring-tides. The harbour is safe and commodious; but though vessels drawing 12 feet water may float off the town, the entrance is obstructed by a bar, on which there are only 5 feet of water at low tides, and 13 feet at high-water of neap tides. A harbour lighthouse has been lately erected at the southern end of the town. The streets are paved, lighted with gas, and cleansed under the superintendence of the town com missioners. Youghal is much frequented for sea-bathing during the summer season, having a fine, smooth, and level strand extending nearly three miles along the bay.
The old church formerly belonged to a collegiate establishment founded in 1464 by one of the earls of Desmond. It was a magnificent structure, in the decorated style, of which the nave and aisles have been converted into a parish church. There is a small chapel of ease in a pseudo-gothic style, near the south end of the town, on the ceme tery of the ancient Dominican friary. The town also contains a hand some Roman Catholic chapel }with a spire ; a convent for nuns of the Presentation order, attached to which are a small chapel, and girls National schools; places of worship for Independents, and Wesleyan and Primitive Methodists; two or three Endowed and several other schools. The Clock Cate, a curious old structure, a remnant of the old fortifications, which stands across the principal street and divides the town into north and south, consists of an archway, above which is a square tower of four stories, surmounted by a clock turret. There
are besides a town-hall, a court-house, a savings bank, a fish-market, the Union workhouse, a prison, an infirmary, a fever hospital, a dispen sary, a lying-in hospital, and other beuevoleut institutions.
Although a dependency to Cork, the port of Yougbal has a consi derable trade, for the accommodation of which there are extensive and commodious quays, and a custom-house. The exportations consist chiefly of agricultural produce, and the importation of coal, calm, timber, Staffordshire ware, porter, and groceries. An extensive fishery is carried on along the coast. The salmon fishery of the Blackwater is important, and employs numerous hands.
The chief manufactures are of bricks, coarse pottery, ropes, and malt liquors. There are also establishments for the purchase and exportation of salmon in ice; and near the town is a quarry of good building-stone. In the town are police barracks, infantry barracks, and a coast-guard station. Quarter and petty sessions are held. The market is held twice a week, and there are fairs on the first Thursday of every month, and on Ascension day.
About a mile and a half north-east of the town, the Blackwater is crossed by a light and elegant timber bridge. The bridge is approached by a raised causeway 1500 feet in length, and is itself 1787 feet long, including a drawbridge of 40 feet ; it is 22 feet wide between the railings; and is supported by 57 sets of piers or pillars. Among the Intere.stiog objects in the town is the house called Myrtle Grove, which some say was erected, and which doubtless was for a considerable time inhabited, by Sir Walter Raleigh, in 1586. Raleigh was mayor of the town in 1588, and here, according to tradition, the first potatoes brought by him from America were planted. There are some rains of the old Dominican priory; considerable remains of the old wall, especially on the western side of the town; and there are several ancient houses in the town and neighbourhood.