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Food Recommendations

  • There is a restaurant just a couple of minutes walk from the house. It is called Clancys & is a gastropub. They do lovely food & good drinks. They also have an outdoor venue called “The Shack” which opens Fri, Sat, Sunday for takeaway ( Mainly in the summer) coffees, beers & wine which you can have on the beach.
  • Ahernes is an award winning restaurant and blue book favourite and a Youghal stalwart. It recently changed hands & has a new menu, which changes regularly. They are best known for seafood, meats and open sandwiches / chowder & a pint. They have a lovely wine menu – great for lunch or dinner.
  • The old imperial is an old style bar,and has a great restaurant. They have added a courtyard with lots of outdoor seating too. They specialise in local seasonal produce and do quirky bar food and the old time favs like steak & chips, fish and chips, shepherds pie, warm chicken salad with rustics, that sort of thing. Menu here
  • Luigis – is a wonderful Italian that has been cooking up Italian favourites in Youghal for years. He does amazing pasta and pizza dishes. You can dine in ( very casual bench seating) or grab as takeaway and have back at the keepers. Check out his social media for opening hours.
  • The Quays bar has an outdoor seating area and serves up delicious pub grub – think Lasagne, Veggie curries, Fresh fish & chips, etc. A real reliable for a good meal!
  • The red store is a renovated grain store and does a lovely lunch – It is either carvery during lunch times or a bar menu. Very tasty options and great staff!
  • The Nook is a lively traditional style pub. They do great homemade lunches, soups and cakes. They have live music every Thursday and do a great pint of Guinness!
  • My dad has a truck stop beside Youghal bridge, it has won top cafe in Ireland and best brekkie in cork & Waterford! (JJ’s Truckstop) The bacon and sausage bap is a winner, but I am biased! It’s best known for breakfast, if you did fancy dining out one morning!
  • The walter raleigh hotel  is under new ownership  and a short walk from the keepers with an outdoor dining area too. They offer a great bar menu , afternoon tea  or Italian cuisine in their Bello e Buono restaurant. Great for lunch or dinner.
  • For coffee, the priory on the main street is your best bet along with Boardwalk Coffee on the mall which has lovely outdoor seating down by the mall beach. There are some coffee wagons out the beach – the galloping gourmet ( at weekends), boardwalk coffee ( in between the two boardwalks and is open every day as far as I know!) and at the end of the old boardwalk in redbarn is a coffee hut ( open in summer months)
  • Collins Bakery does delicious grab and go sandwiches if you wanted to grab something while on the move
  • Harringtons Bakery at the other side of the town is famous for their cream buns, if you fancied a treat!
  • Another lunch option is the newly opened North Main street cafe ( under the clock gate) or the adjacent North main street deli 
  • If you fancied something a little special, then the cliff hotel is about a 15/20 minute drive and they have a michelin restaurant: https://cliffhousehotel.ie/  & the whitehorses is also in ardmore & is fab! ( They dont seem to have a website: +353 24 94040)
  • Ballymaloe House is also a treat for a meal out. They offer seasonal produce, an ever changing menu and most ingredients sourced from their walled garden and farm. It never dissapoints! https://www.ballymaloe.ie/  ( About 20 minute drive)
  • Matsons off license is a six minute walk from the keepers & they have a great selection of craft beers, gins and wines ( they also do delivery!)

Things To Do

  • Massage: Vashti offers a spa experience at the Lighthouse keepers having worked in several local 5 star spas, she is wonderful! Here is her website for treatments and this is her mobile number: 085 7191222 
  • I also highly recommend, Fiona. She is a mobile masseuse who can come to the keepers and work out those knots! 087 7662571
  • Swimming: The lane beside the keepers is the oldest pathway in Youghal, originally used by seafarers & pirates. It now leads down to the diving rocks, which is a nice place to swim at high tide. The front strand is also a great place to swim ( approx 4 minute walk from the keepers) Check out high tide times here. There is a group of regular sea swimmers who meet just before 9AM every morning ( Usually near the small free library box out the front strand – first car park)
  • Walks: The Boardwalk – take a left out the front door of the keepers and head for the beach and you will see a boardwalk and a new 400m boardwalk extension has just been added. Its about 5.2k round trip & there are two coffee docks at the end of the boardwalk too.
  • Digital Detox: We have added a digital detox box at the keepers for you to use during your stay – a gentle invitation to unplug from screens and reconnect with yourself, all the beautiful nature around you and those you you are visiting with. 
  • Cycling: We have just opened a brand new Greenway that goes from Youghal to Midleton ( 23kms). It begins about a 5 minute walk from the keepers & you can rent bikes / electric bikes / kids trailers / Tandems / mobility scooters from https://youghalbikerental.com/ . The team there give any guests of the keepers 10% off your booking so be sure and mention it!
  • Knockadoon cliff walk: This is a gorgeous cliff walk about a 15 minute drive from the keepers. It can be a 1 or 2 hour loop and will definitely blow out the cobwebs! Theres a chip wagon that does fresh fish and chips at the end of the walk called the lobster pot.
  • Exploring Youghal: Sir Walter Raleigh planted the very first potato in Ireland, in the garden at the keepers. He lived in Youghal and you can visit the area known as the Raleigh quarters, along with the french gardens and St Marys collegiate church 
  • Walking tours of Youghal are led by one of three local historians & are a wonderful way to learn about the medieval past of our town. You can book a tour at a time that suits through the tourist office:
    Email: info@youghalchamber.ie or Phone: 024 20170 or 024 92447
  • Youghal clock gate tour: The clock gate brings you back to Youghals medieval past. It was renovated in 2016 and does an excellent tour & gives you great views of the town.
  • Boat cruise up the Blackwater river with Tony Gallagher: This is an amazing trip and Tony is a wealth of knowledge on the local area and history. I have done this many times and highly recommend. Tonys number is +353 (87) 9889076
  • Youghal Tourist office gives you the top 10 activities to do in Youghal & I also have a basket with lots of info for you when you arrive at the keepers
  • There is also a great website called Youghal Online with lots of information on the area and recommendations
  • There is also a basket in the house with lots of flyers on activities that are available locally or check out youghal tourist office
  • Afternoon tea or private catering at the keepers:  This can be provided by Frederika, who runs a company by Ballinger: https://byballinger.ie

Pubs

There are 12 bars in Youghal so you have plenty to choose from. Here are some of my favs:

  1. Tynans is the oldest pub in Youghal – sits just under Tynans castle. It is old in every way you can imagine. If you are after an old world experience, this is the place! 
  2. The Nook – I also recommended this place for lunch – they do delicious fresh salads, toasties, and lunch specials. Gorgeous cosy pub – great place for a quiet drink ( Especially if you are after a creamy pint of Guinness!) or if it is a Thursday for live trad music. The picture above the stairs in the keepers is a copy of the original painting in the nook – try and spot it there if you go! 🙂
  3. The anchor – plenty Gin options and often have live music ( Every Monday & some other nights). Cosy small bar
  4. The marine is just around the corner from the lighthouse keepers. It is actually a pub in a mans house and has been there for years and years. Opening hours are as and when, so take a stroll and hopefully you will be in luck and he will be open! Quaint & quirky.
  5. Clancys around the corner is a great bar too – you can get pub grub and a few drinks and walk back to the keepers very easily.They tend to do live music on Sundays & if you wanted to venture into town, they do a courtesy shuttle.
  6. Farrells Bar – This is a little out of the town ( other end of the beach), relaxed atmosphere & has a lovely beer garden for summer days. Shows all sporting events.
  7. The final addition is a newly opened business called: Brush & Barrel if you fancied a nice glass of wine and some nibbles. It is run by local artist and sommelier. They open 2PM-10PM Weds – Sunday. Check out their instagram for any changes to opening hours and any paint and sip classes that might be on during your stay.