Quays key to Youghal’s renewal guiding €1.5m

Youghal has roots back to the ninth century and viking settlements.

In the past year, British billionaire James Dyson was the latest arrival a few miles upriver.

He bought the Ballynatray Estate on up to 800 acres for approximately €35m, and he is currently spending multi-million euro sums on his significant Munster purchase.

The town’s Green’s Quay site further along the majestic Blackwater is now being sold by Youghal Shipping and Storage, a privately owned company which is winding down operations and which has used it for export and import of bulk goods — such as felled timber — for export shipping, and for storage.

The use continued a shipping tradition dating back centuries, as Youghal was one of Munster’s chief medieval ports — rivalling Cork and Waterford — and it exported timber, wool, and agricultural produce to continental Europe.

The key, quay sale is offered via two/three lots.

Estate agent Brian Gleeson is guiding at €1.5m and noting that “it’s a jewel of a setting in Youghal’s crown”.

“It holds vast potential for someone with the vision to unlock its full potential.”

The Youghal Bay sale spans a principle lot of five acres with 2,000sq m storage building, currently zoned for port-related activities, alongside a lot of half an acre of quays held on a lease from Cork County Council.

It could suit a variety of import/export/logistics and other uses, as well as possibly serving the need for waterside sites for wind and wave energy supports into the future.

The second lot is one acre, with a storage building of 4,140sq m bounded by Green’s Quay and Store St.

It’s within Youghal’s town centre zoning objective and also has a specific zoning objective as a regeneration area.

Possible future uses could include business/apartments/hotel/tourist accommodation with a short walk to the town centre beaches.

There is also an Aldi and a Jysk close to the site.

Cork County Council’s zoning objective states that the regeneration site “is of great importance to the overall development of the town and [it] is considered essential that an overall framework masterplan is prepared for the site in its entirety, which will address its unique characteristics on the waterfront and provide for a coordinated approach to its development”.

“The overall site is of great importance to the overall development of Youghal town and is a generational opportunity to design and build a spectacular mixed scheme of commercial/residential property.

“[It] is also strategically located on the south coast to continue and further develop port-related activities,” says Mr Gleeson.

DETAILS: Brian Gleeson Property 058-44022, gleesonproperty.com