Kinsale (Irish: Cionn tSáile), Co. Cork is steeped in history, great
food, and fun things to do
Originally a medieval fishing port, historic Kinsale in County
Cork, Ireland is one of the most picturesque, popular and
historic towns on the south west coast of Ireland. It has been hailed as
the Gourmet Capital of Ireland, with no shortage of pubs, cafes, and
restaurants to suit every taste and budget.
Kinsale is still a fishing village. Located some 25 km (18 m) south
of Cork City on the coast near the Old Head of Kinsale, it sits
at the mouth of the River Bandon and has a population of more than
2000, which increases substantially during the summer months with tourism and
boating at their peaks. Kinsale is a popular holiday resort for Irish and
foreign tourists. The April 2006 census recorded that British nationals made up
9% of the town's population. |
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The Harbour
The anchorage is quite protected, except from the tax
collector. Harbour dues are payable on all vessels entering Kinsale Harbour.
Harbour fees when we were there were €6.50 per day regardless of whether you
were at anchor or in a slip at one of the marinas. There are a limited number
of visitors swing moorings available. |
As a pleasure port, Kinsale boasts three full service marinas
and is also home to a thriving fishing fleet. The Kinsale Yacht Club Marina http://www.kyc.ie/ is the best location in town,
but the amenities were not top notch. The docks are fine with water and
electricity but the prices are out of line. It cost us €49 per day for the slip
plus the €6.50 per day for harbour fees. Our total for 3 days was a whopping
€160, more than any other marina in the past year of cruising all over the
Atlantic and Caribbean. But there’s more.
The toilets and showers, as well as the rubbish bins, are
quite a walk away at the KYC clubhouse across the road. And they charge €2 for
5 min for showers after which the water shuts off automatically. Don’t let that
happen because the only place to get tokens is in the bar which is two flights
up! I was still washing the soap out of my hair when the water stopped.
Thankfully I could finish at the sink. But they didn’t have any doors on the women’s
showers and the toilets were the only ones in the clubhouse so there was a
steady procession of lunch patrons coming in to watch me shower. And I had to
pay for the privilege!!! Suffice it to say, I am not a fan of the Kinsale YC
for their shower facilities! There are plans for a major upgrade to the
facilities which was to begin in December 2012. http://www.kyc.ie/index.cfm/page/illd |
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The clubhouse itself has a nice restaurant and bar that
serves light fare on race days. It also has wifi. The marina itself is
accessed through a single gate which is locked. The key code for the gate and
wifi are available at the marina check in at the clubhouse.
Fuel is available at the Castlepark Marina across the river
from KYC. |
History
Kinsale was the site of a battle in 1601 that was a turning
point in Irish history. English forces defeated an Irish/Spanish force, led by
the princes Hugh Roe O'Donnell and Hugh O'Neill. Forced
into exile in January 1602 by the victorious English government of
Ireland under the leadership of the Lord Mountjoy, a number of the
native Irish aristocrats, including the Earls of Tyrone and Tir Conaill,
abandoned their lands and fled to mainland Europe in what became known as the Flight
of the Earls. For over 300 years, Kinsale remained a garrison town and port of
consequence.
Kinsale has two major forts. James's
Fort is located on the Castlepark peninsula. Before James
fort was constructed, an earlier medieval fortification existed on the site named Castle
Ny-Parke. Construction of James Fort, which is named after James I of
England and VI of Scotland, started in 1602 immediately after the Siege of
Kinsale. The new fort was completed in 1607. Charles Fort, dating from 1677, is an
imposing star fort located at Summer Cove directly across from
James’s Fort. It was built to guard the entrance to Kinsale harbour and
specifically to protect the harbour from use by the French and Spanish in the
event of a landing in Ireland. An underwater chain would be strung
between the two forts across the harbour mouth during times of war to scuttle
enemy ships by ripping the bottom out of incoming vessels.
In 1690, James II, landed in Kinsale in an attempt to
regain his throne, but withdrew to France following his defeat at the Battle
of the Boyne. He was the last Roman Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms
of England, Scotland, and Ireland. Both forts were occupied by
Jacobite forces in 1690 during the Williamite War in Ireland.
When the RMS Lusitania was sunk by a
German U-boat on 7 May 1915 off the Old Head of Kinsale, some of the
bodies and survivors were brought to Kinsale and a subsequent inquest was held
in the town's courthouse. A verdict
of murder against the Kaiser and the German forces was a
major factor in bringing the US into WW I. A statue in the
harbour commemorates the effort. |
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Things to do
Kinsale is a delightful town and it is a pleasure to roam
its ancient streets. It is compact with a quaint air of antiquity in the narrow
streets. It is possible to walk the entire central village in 20 minutes. The
walk along the harbour is particularly pleasant and a favourite of tourists. The
town also has several art galleries and many shops and a very good book store. |
Leisure activities include sailing, sea angling, and golf. Whale
watching tours leave from the harbour. Ghost walking tours prowl the streets
every evening.
Kinsale is
designated a Heritage Town. Prominent buildings in the town include the
800-year old Norman St. Multose's Church (Church of Ireland), St. John the
Baptist (Catholic), the Market House and the so-called French Prison (or
Desmond Castle, now a wine museum). |
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The town has had a number of famous residents,
Alexander Selkirk (the real Robinson Crusoe), Patrick Cotter O'Brien
(The Irish Giant), writers Lennox Robinson and Robert Gibbings, Arctic explorers Mortimer and Timothy McCarthy who sailed with Scott and Shackleton,
and politicians Tom Johnson, first leader of the Irish
Labour Party, and Tommy Mullins, founder of Fianna Fail. |
Like many towns in Ireland, Kinsale has a rich brewing
tradition. Kinsale's dates back to the seventeenth century, when European
explorers headed to the New World would stop in for a pint at what used to be
Lander's Malt House. Legendary sailors and privateers including Sir Walter
Raleigh passed through its quarters. The Kinsale Brewery Company acquired the
space in 1997, and in 2001 Kinsale Brewery opened. There is some indication
that the Kinsale Brewery is closed now but we have not been able to confirm
that information.
For 101 suggestions of things to do, view this handy
brochure. |
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Places to eat
The town is known for its restaurants, and holds an annual
"Gourmet Festival". Chef Keith Floyd was previously a
resident of Kinsale. There are too many restaurants in town to cover all of
them. So we’ll just mention the ones we experienced first-hand.
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Fishy Fishy is perhaps the best known restaurant in town and
one of the best seafood restaurants in Ireland, but definitely pricey. Scoring
a reservation mid-summer can be difficult. The food is exceptional, but we
found the service somewhat elitist and brusque. Their retail outlet (see
Services) is another story and well worth the trip. |
Jola, owned by a young Polish woman, was fabuous. In an old
restored stone building, the main room is downstairs with open air right up to
the rafters. A huge mirror stands above the fireplace. The menu is limited but
inventive – Mo-Po or modern Polish. We had pierogy stuffed with black pudding
and beef rouladen with wild mushroom sauce. It was divine. A list of flavoured
vodkas includes one with garlic. Ugh! It is otherwise fun to pick something
unusual to refresh the palate. The staff was very pleasant and efficient and we
enjoyed our meal thoroughly. Jola is on a residential street directly up the
hill and to the right from the marina gate. 18/19 Lower O’Connel Street. +353(0)21
477 3322 www.jolasrestaurant.com Read a review at The Taste of Ireland. http://www.tasteofireland.com/restaurants/318-Jola-s-Restaurant-Kinsale-Co-Cork |
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The pub food and atmosphere is delightful at Jim Edwards at
Market Quay. Seafood is their specialty. The meals we had at the Kinsale Yacht
Club were very pleasant and reasonably priced. As we said, there is no shortage
of restaurants in Kinsale. There are 49 listed in Kinsale on Trip Advisor.
Services
Despite yachting being such a predominant activity, there
are actually few services available for visiting yachtsmen. There are no
chandleries, the closest being in Cork. There are no hardware stores that we
found. We arrived after a transatlantic crossing with two dinghy engines that
wouldn’t start. It took several days to find a dinghy mechanic only to learn
that he had gone off to a wedding and no one knew when he would return. We
ended up servicing our own engines, and that turned out to be a very useful
skill. We did not find any sailmakers either. There are two supermarkets and a produce shop. There’s a
SuperValu on Long Quay and Smith’s Supervalu on Pearse Street which has a
respectable off license. There is a great bakery just down the street from
Fishy Fishy. Best of all Fishy Fishy has a retail outlet across from the Church
of Ireland. They serve lunch as a scaled down version of the main restaurant’s
dinner menu. They also have fresh fish as well as their private label wines and
food products for sale. That was a great find. Highly recommended.
There are several internet cafés and the KYC clubhouse also
has wifi.
There is a dry cleaner and launderette in town called Goods
Dry Cleaning on Market Street (right from Pearce Street). They are not
inexpensive. We understand that the renovations planned by KYC include addition
of laundry facilities. |
Useful Links:
- Kinsale http://kinsale.ie/
- Harbour Master Capt. Phil Devitt, Tel (++) 353 (0)21
4772503
- Kinsale Yacht Club Marina Tel: (++) 353 (0)21 4772196. VHF
Ch 37
- Castlepark Marina Tel: (++) 353 (0)21 4774959. VHF Ch 6
- Trident Marina Tel: (++) 353 (0)21 4774145 . VHF Ch 9
- www.allaboardkinsale.com
Some useful Kinsale contact numbers
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353 21 4774959 |
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(353) (0)21 4772157 |
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021-4274331 |
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021-4313131 |
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021-4774080 |
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(353) (0)21 4772521 |
- Castlepark Marina (VHF Ch.6)
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021-4774959 |
- C.H.Marine (Chandlery in Cork)
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021-4315700 |
- Crane Hire (Derry Murphy)
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021-4772674 |
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021-4315422 |
- Diesel (Ross Oil) Road Tanker
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023-39383 / 021-4318542 |
- Diesel....available @ Castlepark Marina
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021-4774959 |
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(353) (0)21 4772788 |
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021-4962317 |
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Mobile: 087-9594595 |
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(353) (0)21 4772253 |
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999 (free) |
- Fishing Gear (Rods etc.) Mylie Murphy
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021-4772703 |
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021-4772059 |
- Gardai (Police) Emergency
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999 (free) |
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(353) (0)21 4772302 |
- Internet Services (Finishing Services)
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021-4774727 |
- Kinsale Boatyard (Boat Repairs)
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021-4774774 |
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021-4772642 |
- Kinsale Outdoor Education Centre (Sailing etc.)
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021-4772896 |
- KYC Marina Manager (VHF Ch.37)
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Mobile: 087 6787377 |
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021-4772196 |
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021-4772205 |
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Mobile: 087 2603086 |
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021 4323234 |
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Mobile: 087-9919918 |
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021- 4772829 |
- Union Chandlery ( in Cork )
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021-4271643 |
- Valencia Coastguard Station
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066-9476109 |
- (Rescue Centre for South of Ireland)
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Fax: 066-9476289 |
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