Sunday, September 1, 2013

September 1 – Kinsale

Kinsale

The breakfast at The Old Presbytery is fantastic. I have never been to a B&B where I could order from a menu. I had a crab frittata. Ann settled for porridge. There was also a breakfast bar that included the usual fruits, cereals and breads. The scones are wonderful.

Kinsale - Don Hurlihy of Don and Barry's Kinsale Historic Stroll Being well-fortified, we wandered over to the TI and joined Don Herlihy and several tourists for Don & Barry's Kinsale Historic Stroll. We walked around the old part of town while Don related the history and stories of the area. Kinsale has a lot of important history as a major port in western Europe. Its natural port was strategic in shipping and in various conflicts. (Did you know that the Lusitania was sunk just outside of the harbor?) If you are ever in Kinsale you should take this tour.

After the tour we were hungry, so we retraced our steps and had a good lunch at Janey Mac. Sandwiches, sausage roll, tea and coffee were excellent. It was the best coffee so far in Ireland.

Kinsale - Charles Fort We made a short stop in our room. Then we took a long hike to Charles Fort. With James Fort its sister across the harbor opening, it defended Kinsale from invaders. We walked there mainly for exercise, but we discovered that the fort tour was very interesting and worth the visit.

Kinsale - Bulman Pub On our way back to town, we stopped at the Bulman Pub for a pint. We sat in comfortable stuffed chairs and were fortified with Guinness for our walk back to our room.

Dinner was at Jim Edwards. We ate in the bar area. I had a pint of Beamish Irish Stout which I like better than Guinness. I also had a half-pint of a craft Irish ale which was also good. For dinner, Ann had a chicken salad while I had pan-fried hake with a salmon butter sauce. Yummy. Our dinner was accompanied by fries, au gratin potatoes and a plate of broccoli, carrots and peas. It was a good meal.

Kinsale - At Jim Edward's

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