VISITOR REVIEWS
See What They Say
112 5-Star Reviews!
Well worth a visit Very much enjoyed our visit to Youghal Gate Clock Tower. There is so much history on this building and our tour guide, Shirley, was very informative and friendly. We'll worth a visit.

A MUST, Brilliant Tour Fantastic tour of the Clockgate which we happened upon by accident when we met Shirley in the Heritage Centre close by. Shirley is an amazing tour guide. Her passion for history was so engaging as she weaved through the detail of centuries conveying the imagery and emotions of the times. We came away with a new perspective on Youghal and the richness of its history. We purchased a combo ticket which also included the St Marys Collegiate Church audio tour which was excellent and rounded off a great day in this historic town.

Shirley's really fascinating and enjoyable tour. A must-do! Shirley gave a fascinating and totally enjoyable guided tour. She used a mix of multimedia elements, well-thought out displays, amazing views (from the roof) but best of all are her great stories which bring the history to life. And there's a huge amount of history in Youghal and this building. Enjoy this must-do attraction. Tip - get a combined ticket with St Mary's Church.

Fantastic tour We visited the clockgate in October and it was fantastic. We could have talked to our tour guide, Shirley, for hours. She had so much historical information to tell and was so charismatic. My boyfriend in particular loved the view from the top and the workings of the clock. I loved the jail segment of the tour and all Shirley's historical information of the town. My being a local and my boyfriend being from Canada she did great with explaining stories from different perspectives. Thoroughly recommed this tour.

A monument stacked full of history and perfectly presented I was the first visitor to enter the clock tower after the COVID19 lockdown - whoohoo! The tour guide Shirley gave an excellent tour which must have been a challenge after such a long break. But if she forgot any facts, I could't tell; she seemed absolutely on top of her game and made it very interesting and entertaining.The video with "the last survivor" (trying not to give too much away here) was very interesting and really priceless. It's amazing to see how much history is crammed into such little floor space.And absolute must when in Youghal!

Very nice...except for. A local man, I and my wife, having inexplicably and inexcusably failed to visit since this iconic building became a museum, finally decided that today was the day. I'm sad to say that the first thing I noticed once we were inside was the damp (?) state of the walls..which continues over a lot of the surface. By the time we had seen all the floors on the way to the roof I found myself being quite appalled at the condition- especially given that the restoration was so recent.The tour and the exhibits were very interesting and very ably presented by the lady guide.In short, very enjoyable and well worth a visit, but unless those walls are sorted there won't be much to see in a few years. Pat

Beautiful town Great hospitality, clean, tidy, welcoming obliging staff Set in a pleasant part of the town. Weather perfect on the day I was there. Will go back to visit one day. Close to Cork. Haven’t been there yet. Next time a train trip would be a good way to travel.

The best tour we have ever done. The tour we had of the Clock Gate Tower in Youghal was probably the best tour we have done as a family anywhere. Shirley our guide was absolutely fabulous. She was so knowledgeable and her passion for her role was plain to be seen. On the tour was my wife and my 7 year old son and he was enthralled as were we were all from start to finish. He mentioned to her on numerous occasions that it was the best tour he had ever had and mentioned it on numerous times on the tour. I mentioned that I was from Monasterboice originally and Shirley could relate to me the history of that area. Her knowledge and passion for history is insatiable and her story telling ability had us waiting on her every word. The tour itself is so well laid out and on each floor there is new and exciting things to explore. I and we as a family would recommend it as a must for anyone visiting Youghal and Shirley is such an asset to the role and has such a passion for the tower and the role that it makes the experience so memorable. If there is one thing that any visitor should do when visiting Youghal is to do the Clock tower tour, I know we will be back again the next time we visit Cork and aYoughal.

Great morning out Amazing and very interesting tour, all thanks to Shirley an amazing guide who was very knowledgable, funny and interesting! We learned a lot about not only Youghal but Irish history as well. Would highly recommend!

A tale of time. Youghal Clock Gate TowerI had the pleasure of exploring the Clock Gate Tower on a very beautiful day in Youghal County Cork. Shirley our very passionate and entertaining guide took us on a journey through the centuries, right to present day to finish on top of the tower overlooking the town to take in the most spectacular views. The tour was a little over an 1hr and proved to be educational, without the classic schoolroom humdrum as Shirley was very witty and adapted to her audience with ease making the whole experience very relaxing and enjoyable. Now, as I pass under the arch of this iconic building, I shall ponder a little more on this extraordinary tale.

Youghal Experience Clock Tower Really good tour guide called Niall who went through the whole history of the tower. Very informative and interesting

Fascinating and unique historic attraction Shirley our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and a wonderful guide. She has a deep love for and understanding of history which only adds to the tour quality. The Tower is very well laid out with each floor depicting an era of its life. The top floor with the family history and video from John McGrath who lived in the Tower is fascinating. Well worth your time and money to visit this amazing place. Would highly recommend to anyone is this area.

Great guided tour Really enjoyed our guided tour of the clock gate Shirley our guide was great and made the tour very enjoyable. Definitely do this tour if your in the area

Brilliant We all really enjoyed the tour, great way to learn about our town Youghal and hear about the very interesting history. Special thanks to Shirley, our tour guide. She was full of fun and lots of facts and made the tour come to life. Throughly enjoyed it 🙂

Unique Must Do Tour! Absolutely loved the Clock Gate Tower tour -- lots of really interesting history and a really unique building that is worth seeing. Shirley, our storyteller, had so many fun facts and historical stories about the town and surrounding areas -- would highly recommend!!
