Thursday, June 9, 2016

Sunday in Kinsale, Co. Cork. . . . . . .



We took a bus from Cork City south to Kinsale, touted as "historic harbour town and
 gourmet centre" on a very warm (for Ireland), sunny Sunday.
It was crowded, busy beyond expectations as a large cruise ship had arrived in the 
nearby port of Cobh and passengers were directed to Kinsale for their afternoon ashore.
We loved this town!

Not long off the bus and we heard the somewhat mournful sound of a 
distant bagpipe. We followed the sound only to find up a small hill toward a church
a lovely sight, children lining up in preparation for a parade to celebrate their 
First Communion.

Another church we visited was St. Multose, erected in 1190 by the Normans, 
probably on the site of an earlier 6th century Celtic foundation. It is one of
 the oldest surviving churches in Ireland and has been witness to many
 important events in history.
Situated high on a hill, we spent time in the ancient graveyard and
 lovely SEA GARDEN, a tiny walled space dedicated to the memory of Kinsale's
 sailors and fishermen.


After enjoying a wander through the colorful streets, and viewing the busy boating 
community in the harbor, we asked a local lady in a gift shop for a traditional pub
 recommendation where they served good home cooked Irish food, and we
 could grab a much-needed cool drink. 
She sent us here to the renowned Kitty O Se's for bowls of steaming seafood
 chowder - a great choice. We tried many seafood chowders all over Ireland - all
 were very good, Kitty's was excellent, definitely the best one.
 We met delightful, vivacious owner Eileen who made us
so welcome - love the wording on her card, "The place to be, the home of good
music, song and craic"
Sadly we had to hop on the bus back to the city or
 we would have stayed for the evening of music and more.
If you are ever in Kinsale, stop by Kitty O Se's - I hear they also have the 
best fish and chips, and the staff and service were great.


Oh beautiful Ireland, I'm missing you so much!




8 comments:

  1. It sounds like such a wonderful place. I am so happy you are sharing it with us!

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  2. How special to have ventured there and so glad you enjoyed. The food, the little procession, and the church yard are all candy for the eyes. Travel just creates so many unexpected adventures along the way and I am so happy you were there for the unexpected.

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  3. I think it must have been more special in that you got to spend extra time to get to know more of the land.

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  4. What an amazing visit. The sweet little children, the churches, the boats, the bagpipers - a wonderful day indeed.

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  5. What a wonderful time you must have had, I could practically hear the joy in your voice as I read this post. Stunning photos, love how you styled them.

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  6. Looks like another fun trip! Love me a good home cooked meal at the pub :) My fav is bangers and mash with onion gravy! Welcome back, Mary! xo, L

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  7. This looks a really nice town and it's always a bonus to find a good place to eat. A bonus to hear the bagpipes too as far as I'm concerned though not everyone feels that way:)

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  8. I think that is great that they still ahve such celebrations en masse! Great shots. Thank you for sharing.

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