KINSALE? I’m Kin-sold!
Picturesque, lively and with plenty to explore...
FINALLY, it’s time. It’s been five months, 21 days and 15 hours since we have stayed overnight anywhere but our own home, but here we are, packed up and ready to go on a road trip to one of the most picturesque villages in Ireland — Kinsale.
It’s been years since I visited this gem of a place, and I recall it being vibrant, beautiful and just perfect for exploring.
Oh yes, it’s holiday at home time. And although my children still can’t quite get to grips with the idea that we are not actually going to the airport and getting on a plane — they see a suitcase and lose all sense of reason — they are going to love it. I tell them where we are going has a pool, and we are going to go for dinner, and go exploring — oh, they can’t wait!
I’m excited too, but I’m also a little apprehensive. The thought of having meals served to me and taking in new surroundings fills me with joy, yet it also feels like we are entering the unknown, straying from the safety of our fortress into a strange new land. How do we even do that any more?
‘Will the virus be where we are going?’ questions my five-year-old with concern, as if reading my mind. I bloody hope not, I think, before blessing myself as we hit the road.
We arrive at Acton’s Hotel, perfectly positioned at Kinsale Harbour, and as it’s Arts Festival weekend, the town is busy.
IHAVEN’T seen this many people in months, but my fears are allayed before we even set foot in the hotel — hand sanitiser is just inside the door, and all the correct safety measures are in place. We get our key — packaged in plastic — and make our way to our family suite, which is bright and airy and overlooks the water.
The children are delighted with their fold-out beds and after a quick bounce, it’s off exploring we go. They have a great time playing at the Great Wall of Kinsale sculpture before happening upon a nearby playground, working up quite the appetite before we make our way through the pretty meandering streets to our location for dinner.
There are any amount of famous and fabulous eateries in this town, with seafood being a particular speciality, and on this bright sunny evening we dine at Hamlets, a street food and gastro garden which is part of the Blue Haven hotel.
Two food trucks are ablaze with cooking in this outdoor space which is wonderfully comfortable and rustic, and we were seated on outdoor couches with cushions and a large table — perfect for families. The kids had stonebaked pizza, I had a prawn cocktail ciabatta roll which was wonderfully moreish, while my husband had a beefburger with all the trimmings and the first pint of Guinness he’s had in months — making him a very happy man indeed.
After a hearty breakfast the next morning — all safely ordered from our table — it was time to go to our private pottery lesson, which the children were particularly excited about. Kinsale Pottery is one of Ireland’s largest craft teaching centres and we were its first visitors following its four-month lockdown closure.
Adrian Wistreich was our very talented and informative instructor, and as a publisher and author as well as an artist, had some amazing stories to tell as we worked on our clay plaques. The location of the centre is in beautiful and tranquil countryside, and there’s so many objects of art and craft to admire and explore.
The girls love arts and craft — so this was heaven for them, even if Lana-Rose went AWOL to play with the centre’s gorgeous mother and daughter Golden Retrievers.
The nearby Ballincurra House, an exclusive private estate set in beautiful grounds, is also worth a visit — and has just started its pop-up restaurant and ‘Bubble Dining’ series for those looking for an extra-special dining experience.
That afternoon, we took to the water. Well, when in Kinsale…
We got on board the Spirit of Kinsale — again, all socially distant and sanitised — and as we were on the top deck we were getting the full, windswept experience. This boat tour really is a must if you visit this town, giving a wonderful opportunity to view the place from the water, including the magnificent scenery of Charles Fort, the famous 17th century star-shaped fort at the southern end of the village of Summer Cove (and a hugely popular tourist attraction), plus you get to hear a detailed and animated version of the town’s rich history.
The cruise lasted just over half an hour so it’s ideal for families. After disembarking, taking a playful swim (in the hotel’s pool, not Kinsale Harbour) — we took a trip to Garretstown beach, about a five minute drive away on the outskirts of Ballinspittle village.
This is holiday central — a large sandy beach awash with water sports, dog walkers, food trucks, with families camping and caravanning, and we took the opportunity to dip our toes in the water before retreating to the car for a snooze.
That evening, dinner was served courtesy of Bruno’s restaurant, an Italian eatery in Kinsale which has garnered quite a reputation for serving up amazing grub — no mean feat by the way, given the local competition. Fishy Fishy and Man Friday have cult-like status, and then of course, there’s Michelin-starred Bastion. And can I tell you, the rumours are true. I had the freshest of crab meat to start, saving my calories for a deliciously decadent pizza, loaded with buffalo mozzarella and spicy pepperoni, while Owen went for crab claws in chilli, garlic and parsley (which I would happily have drank as soup) followed by a succulent steak. The kids devoured both pizza and pasta, and we all worked it off by exploring the nooks and crannies of the town on the way back to the hotel.
People were out, walking and eating and enjoying themselves, as you should on holiday.
We had been pretty lucky with the weather for our two-day stay, and had planned to visit Charles Fort on our journey home, which is probably the best-known historical attraction of the town.
We got as close to the drawbridge on entering before it started to bucket rain, leading us to abandon our plans (Layla’s wailing was also an incentive to return to the car).
I had missed days like these. It wasn’t particularly restful — holidays with young children never are — but you don’t go for that. You go to dip your feet in the water and eat ice-cream and play, creating precious family memories that, after the year we’ve had so far, simply can’t be taken for granted any more.
Towns like Kinsale are just waiting for families, and with so much to offer and so much to do, it begs the question — why would you want to go anywhere else?
TRAVEL FACTS
See actonshotelkinsale.com, kinsaleharbourcruises.com, kinsaleceramics.com, ballinacurra.com