Slice of the City
24 hours in
The River Lee Room Service
08:00
Pre-empt moans and groans by ordering room service. We’re yet to discover the malaise that cannot be alleviated by breakfast in bed.
The River Lee, Western Road, Cork
Ready, Steady, GO!
9:30
Rustle your family downstairs and head for the car. Don’t forget the sun cream (you never know!) – and car snacks.
The River Lee, Western Road, Cork
All Blarney
10:00
Traffic permitting, 20 minutes will take you to Blarney Castle. It’s worth doing the full tour and rising to the ramparts before lying back and kissing the stone.
Blarney, Cork, Ireland
Drive Time
11.30
Turn around and take the N71 to Kinsale. Forty minutes should see you there.
Cork
Kinsale Museum
12:15
Have a wander around town and visit The Kinsale Museum, set in a Courthouse built back in 1600 – with an idiosyncratic collection spanning the Spanish Armada to the Lusitania, by way of the boots of Patrick Cotter O’Brien, AKA the Kinsale Giant.
Emmet Place, Kinsale, Co. Cork
P17 C973
Kinsale.ie
Lunch Stop
13:30
In Kinsale, you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to food of any sort, and there are cafes aplenty. Gourmets love Saint Francis Provisions on Short Quan (all ham hock terrine and seaweed sourdough), less fancy palates prefer Main Street’s Lemon Leaf Café while, if you’re dining out, try the iconic Bulman pub by Charles Fort for a pint of the black stuff and the freshest oysters imaginable.
Summercove, Kinsale, Cork, Ireland
Charles Fort
15:00
The storied 17th-Century fortress on Kinsale harbour is star-shaped like Michelangelo’s bastion fortresses of Firenze from over a century earlier. Go! Ramble the ramparts. Take in the epic views.
Photo credit: heritageireland.ie
Summercove, Kinsale, Co. Cork
Loop the Loop
16:30
A short drive takes you to the Old Head of Kinsale. The 3.7-mile loop might be too long but do explore the ancient Celtic ruins and famous lighthouse.
Kinsale, Cork
Dinner on The River
19:00
Head home for a leisurely dinner on The River Club Terrace and a very good night’s sleep.
The River Lee, Western Road, Cork
