13th December 2012
The Heritage Council and Youghal Town Council are delighted to announce the launch of an innovative and comprehensive native iPhone App complete with four separate tours. The App was launched today (13th December 2012) in Pobail Scoil na Trionoide, Youghal, by Mayor of Cork County, Cllr Barbara Murray.
The Youghal App was developed to ensure that visitors to the area can get the most out of their valuable leisure time. Aileen Murray, of the Youghal Socio-Economic Development Group (YSEDG) explains, ‘Youghal is unique, with plenty of colourful characters and interesting hidden gems. We were looking for an innovative way of allowing visitors to get a real flavour of the place, as well as enjoying the many stories Youghal has to offer. The App is the perfect solution as it lets them find out about everything at the touch of a button.’ The App was project managed by The YSEDG on behalf of Youghal Town Council.
Developed by the navigatour™ guided apps service of Headland New Media the app offers guides to four tours on what to do around Youghal and its environs. The four tours are:
1. Youghal Heritage Trail – follow the signposted trail, which takes in 17 points of interest around the town.
2. Youghal Hidden Gems – hear about 20 points of interest around the town from locals that bring to life an aspect of days gone by.
3. Blackwater Valley Guide – from Lismore to Youghal, follow the last part of the mighty Blackwater river and hear about its rich and colourful history.
4. Youghal’s Nearby Activities – get full information on other activities to do in the town and for excursions as far as Trabolgan and the Copper Coast.
Each guide consists of an on-screen map, with text, images and audio clips about all the places of interest en route. The audio clips are entertaining and informative, using local voices to tell visitors about their area; in total there are sixty audio pieces to listen to. Telephone numbers, email addresses and websites of all places mentioned are all contained with connection to them a click away.
Headland New Media M.D., John Ward, comments, ‘The App guides are a bit like mini radio documentaries about what Youghal has to offer. There’s the Heritage Trail, of course, but we wanted to include the off-beat as well so we added Youghal’s Hidden Gems. It includes one of Ireland’s quirkiest museums – the Fox Lane Museum and the place has had everyone from Walter Raleigh to Cromwell, Shakespeare to John Huston appreciating its charms, all detailed on the App’s audio pieces.
With the tours, you can take your pick from the leisurely Heritage Trail around the town to the Hidden Gems walk along the Sli Na Slainte route from the beach to Aherne’s Seafood Restaurant. Anyone wanting to enjoy the Blackwater river valley has an extensive variety of stories right up as far as Lismore. There’s also a guide to Youghal and its nearby activities showing the visitor the best activities within 30 miles of the town. Everything you’ll need to see and do in the beautiful coastal resort of Youghal is now on your iPhone.
The free App can be downloaded onto iPhone. Just look for ‘Youghal’ in the App Store. Once the App has been downloaded, it can be used offline, so that no roaming charges will be incurred. This App was produced for Youghal Town Council with the aid of funding from The Heritage Council under its Heritage Education, Community & Outreach Scheme, 2012.