Dawn and Kevin

After crossing the river, we proceeded to Kinsale, a drive that took approximately 40 minutes. We were staying at Acton’s of Kinsale, a hotel located on Pier Road in a location known as World’s End, named as such because way back in the day, before exploration, people believed they were literally at the end of a flat world.

We decided it would be far more relaxing to spend two nights here instead of having to pack up our bags and move to a new hotel / b&b every night, and it looked as though Kinsale had a lot to offer.  This was one of the best decisions we made while planning our trip.  Kevin loved this village so much that he has decided that he wants to retire here. After days of exploring castles and museums, this was our first opportunity to really relax.  The fact that the folks in the pubs were friendly and we enjoyed watching World Cup matches with the locals certainly added to our delight.

Upon check in at the hotel, we were upgraded to a harbor view room at no additional cost. We were looking forward to dining at Fishy Fishy Restaurant, an establishment I’d read about in multiple tour books that received glowing reviews. The village is lovely, we found ourselves spending time shopping in specialty stores, galleries and wonderful book shops (Kevin finally was able to purchase an Irish history book that he’d wanted for months) and of course, pubs. Dalton’s was one of our favorites, we ended up going there both days we were in town, and immediately learned who the ‘regulars’ are.

We went on a harbor cruise that pointed out local sites, including Charles Fort, a 17th Century star shaped fort and James Fort, located just across the harbor from it.  We followed our cruise up with lunch at Fishy Fishy, and were not disappointed – fresh seafood and music provided by a violinist on the balcony.