Pops’ Ireland Travel Guide, Kinsale

On a drive around Ireland we stopped at the Waterford Crystal factory in Waterford. We toured the factory and ended up in the retail store where we bought a lot of items. That day they were offering free engraving on anything you bought so we had a lot of time to talk to the engraver while he was working. The conversation came up to where we were staying that night. Sometimes I like to go on the fly and we had no idea where we were going to be that night. This was one of those times where it worked out to our advantage. The engraver recommended that we go to a fishing village by Cork called Kinsale. I am really glad we did.

 

 

Kinsale is a fishing village on a protected harbor close to Cork. The entrance to the harbor is narrow and protected by two forts, Charles Fort and James Fort. At one time it was a major port for importing wine into the isles and there is a wine museum there that you can visit. In 1601, Kinsale was the site of a battle in which English forces defeated an Irish/Spanish force, led by the princes Hugh Roe O’Donnell and Hugh O’Neill.  Following this battle the Flight of the Earls occurred in which a number of the native Irish aristocrats, including the Earls of Tyrone and Tir Conaill, abandoned their lands and fled to mainland Europe. There is a mast of a sailing ship in the harbor to commemorate that. In the mornings I would go down to the harbor and feed the swans that live in the harbor.

 

 

 During the days we spent our time touring the forts and walking around the quaint city. Kinsale is a very beautiful quiet city. There are many cafes and pubs lining the streets and alleys. Some with very interesting names like “Fishy Fishy”. It has been hailed as the Gourmet Capital of Ireland, with no shortage of cafes, pubs and restaurants to suit every taste and budget. The town is known for its restaurants, and holds an annual "Gourmet Festival". The town also holds an annual “Jazz Festival” in October.

I always recommend Kinsale as a place to visit to my friends going to Ireland. They always come back saying it was one of the highlights of their vacation. To see their website visit http://kinsale.ie/ .