Kinsale

The town

Kinsale is the southern end of the Wild Atlantic Way, the place where the route from Malin Head ends, at the head of a warm, sheltered bay in south-east County Cork. It is a small town, a walled one, with a harbour full of boats and a food scene that is out of proportion to its size. It is also, for a lot of people, the place they end up staying when they do the whole way, and that is fair: it is a good town, and the view over the bay, from the ramparts, is one of the best in the county.

The town walls date from the seventeenth century, and the harbour has been working for a lot longer than that. The bay is one of the warmest on the west coast of Ireland, and the light, in the late afternoon, when the sun goes down over the water, is a good one.

The food

Kinsale is a food town. The harbour brings in the day boat fish, and the town has a number of good restaurants, a few of them well known. The oysters are the best-known product, and the town is a good place for a meal in the evening. The food scene is a big part of the reason people stay, and it is worth going to for the food alone.

The walks

There are a number of good walks around the bay, and the harbour itself is a good place for a short stroll. The view from the ramparts, looking out over the bay and the islands, is the best, and the walk around the harbour wall is a good half hour.

When to go

The light is best in the late afternoon, when the sun goes down over the bay. The town is at its best in the summer, when the boats are out and the food is at its best, and the bay is calmest in a still morning.

Practical

Free to visit. The town is walkable, and the harbour is a good place to start. The nearest large town is Cork, about forty minutes by car. There is a regular bus service to Cork.