This Sunday I went to another town nearby Cork, a place mostly know by its restaurants and gourmet food, also by its history and the Flight of the Earls. As usually, I should had read about the town before going there, but sometimes the surprise its kinda of nice. Kinsale is quite close to Cork, perfect for a day escape from the city.
The first visit to Kinsale
I went with my flatmate there for a photo-shooting trip, I heard about the food, I knew that’s a town by the sea so it only could be a nice place for some photos, and it is! My surprise was reading everywhere spanish names, restaurants, streets, etc.
Not knowing anything about Kinsale, it was like a surprise and feeling that something really important happened there, my curiosity made me google for it and learn somethings about the Spanish and Irish history.
The town is definitely a place to return, next time for dinner at a good restaurant and to visit the town itself, this time we tried to find the Charles Fort and we spent some precious time doing it, but it worth it!
We were 5 minutes late, the doors for the last visitors closed minutes before we arrived at the fort but we managed to shoot some photos from outside, which is really great as well! I don’t believe we missed that much from inside, but I still want to visit it someday soon.
Something that I truly recommend is walking from the town to the Fort through the coastal path, part of that path is just for pedestrians and it is really nice.
However, now I am a little bit sick due the strong wind we got there…, I heard that the hurricane passed through Ireland (way weaker) during this weekend, which explains the strong wind on both days…, and thanks to that, I am now like a snail…, though, I am already planning my next trips.
Back to Kinsale to visit the Marina area
Among the Portuguese who live in Ireland it isn’t the first time I hear that Kinsale is like the Irish Cascais. I completely disagree with this statement, both towns have their unique charm, and honestly I don’t think there’s much in common between them. Maybe just because they are both cute and by the sea.
Something that it is also common to hear, is that the Summer in Ireland just lasts for two days, and with a bit of luck it doesn’t rain in none of them… Of course this is an exaggeration, but sadly it is far from being the 90 consecutive days without rain as we have in Portugal… But sometimes we have days like this, gorgeous that make us go out, or even getting away from the city and go to the beach…, ok, maybe not that much, the water is really cold around here…
I didn’t go to the beach, but I went quite close. Kinsale is known as being Ireland’s Gastronomic Capital, and for a good reason. There are several restaurants throughout the town, with really good food and fresh fish! I went there for dinner with a friend, and I took advantage of that gorgeous sunny day to explore the town a bit, then we stayed for dinner. Really close to Cork, and perfect for a quick escape.
A bit more about Kinsale
Besides the picturesque towns and stores that are so unique to this town, and even almost as a model of the colorful Irish towns, a walk around the bay should be mandatory, if the weather allows. The bay is protected by Charles Fort, a star shaped fort right at the entrance of the bay. To get there I recommend a walk through the trail by the bay, and pay attention to the name of the streets. This detail caught my attention the first time I visited Kinsale, and I learnt that that this town was stage for a battle when one of the last Spanish Armadas tried to help the Irish in a revolution against the English.
If you have a car, a few kilometers away you can visit the nearby beach, a small beach named Sandycove. Or a bit futher, passing by the Old Head of Kinsale, you can visit the more popular Garrettstown. But keep in mind, this is in Ireland…, and island kissed by the North Atlantic…, yep, the water is cold! But still, every now and then I go to the beach, better than nothing!
Another detail about Kinsale, which I already mentioned in another article, is that Kinsale is the first (or last) stop of the Wild Atlantic Way. Either passing by or to stop, the town deserves a visit, a lot to discover and to eat.
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