Heritage tourism and the curious tourist: the perspective of a small Irish town.

A small seaside tourist town located on the south coast of Ireland, Youghal is a town with a difference. In terms of history, stories, buildings and artefacts, it boasts connections with historical figures such as Sir Walter Raleigh [Mayor (1588-1589)], Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork, Oliver Cromwell, Queen Victoria ('Youghal Lace' for her coronation veil), Tom Thumb1, a town witch and witch trial, Viking and Anglo Normans settlers, Medieval buildings and town walls (1250 AD) that still stand. This research examines the heritage town and its current tourist offering. Empirical data was gathered using in-depth interviews and projective techniques. The qualitative element consisted of interviews with twenty-two key people drawn from local industry, the business community, residents and politicians. Additionally, 71 people were randomly picked to participate in projective techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]