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The 'Jewel of Ireland', Kinsale, is a picturesque fishing village with a colorful history. Situated close to the mouth of the river Bandon and sixteen miles south of Cork city in Ireland it is a magnet for food lovers everywhere. The town has a continental atmosphere, with its pastel-painted house fronts, its harbor full of yachts from all over the world and the smell of coffee, garlic and seafood broiling, added to the over-brimming flower boxes, you would almost think that you had been transported to St. Tropez. It is interesting to note that Antibes, in the South of France, is Kinsale's twin town.
The quaint shop fronts, winding cobblestone streets and, as night falls, the lights painting the seawater provide a wonderful atmosphere for dining. Kinsale has the well-deserved name of the Gourmet Capital of Ireland; many of the wonderful restaurants here belong to the Good Food Circle. The friendly service, extensive menus and the superior quality of the food attract discerning diners from all over the world.
The sheer variety of food on offer is astounding - from local specialties, vegetarian, seafood (including lobster and oysters), steaks to unusual fare (including zebra, wild boar, crocodile, kangaroo and ostrich), coupled with extensive wine lists, the diner is spoiled for choice. The restaurants themselves are all unique - ranging from the traditional to the modern they all nevertheless have one thing in common - quality. Only the best ingredients are used and international chefs have, over the years, made Kinsale their home.
Affluence is very obvious in this town, but it has not always been this way. Historically, Kinsale was unusual, in that it was, quite possibly, the only Irish town to prosper under British rule. It was a center of trade and fishing, mainly due to the fact that Bandon River is tidal as far as Innishannon and, before the eighteenth century water was the main mode of transport. When the British withdrew in 1922, the prosperity and good fortune, which Kinsale had always enjoyed, began to crumble. The town rapidly sank into a depression - unemployment soared, poverty was commonplace and the once-majestic buildings fell into decline. The harbor which had once played host to traders from all corners of the globe now saw the towns young people leaving in droves, forced to search for work elsewhere. Kinsale was facing a very gloomy future.
The locals credit a local man, Peter Barry (referred to affectionately as 'Mr. Kinsale') as the person who turned the town's fortune around. He himself had worked abroad but returned to his hometown in 1963. He discovered that there was only one restaurant (in Acton's Hotel) and eleven rooms to rent in the whole of the town. He despaired at the poor quality of the food available and decided that he would like to change that.
For 2,500 pounds he bought the Spaniard Inn and his policy was to provide good, plentiful food to his customers. When word got out they traveled from far and wide to sample his offerings. Business soared, and with the profits he opened 'The Man Friday' and so began the gourmet revolution. Man Fridays, Spaniard Inn and Acton's Hotel are still to be found serving wonderful food in the town. Others began to open similar businesses and the fortunes of Kinsale began to change for the better. Today, it is a very wealthy place to live, and house prices have soared accordingly. More and more women are also running successful businesses and Kinsale has once more become an affluent town.
Now, there are many gourmet restaurants including; The Captains Table, the Blue Haven Hotel, Chez Jean Marc, the Cottage Loft, Max's Wine Bar, the White House and more. New establishments open all the time, and Kinsales main event every year is the Gourmet Festival, typically running from 12-15th October, when diners can sample food to suit every budget. Accommodation prices range from ten to well over one hundred Irish pounds per night.
Kinsale has more to offer the tourist than eating wonderful food however! The visitor can take a boat to Garinish Island, which lies just off the coast of Glengarriff. There is wonderful scenery in this part of the world, the chief among which is the 'Old Head', a cliff point, off which the Lusitania (Titanic's sister ship) sank in 1915, with the loss of over 1500 lives.
There is also Desmond Castle (referred to locally as the 'French Prison' due to a fire in 1747 when 54 prisoners, mostly French seamen, died), in the town. It was built by the Earl of Desmond in AD 1500, occupied by the Spanish in 1601 and was used as a prison for the captured American sailors during the American War of Independence. Desmond Castle was also used as a county jail (from 1791-1845), and when the Great Potato Famine broke out it was used as a workhouse to shelter the starving people. It's solid structure and interesting architecture make it well worth a visit.
Charles Fort can also be visited. It is one of two star-shaped fortresses which have guarded the harbor since the seventeenth century (the other is named James Fort). Other tourist attractions include the Courthouse, St. Multose Church (built in the thirteenth century but still in use) and the Almshouse. Outside the town there is Blarney Castle (where you can kiss the Blarney Stone and so, the legend goes, be given the 'gift of the gab'), the picturesque Ring of Kerry including the Kilarney Lakes, and the medieval city of Cork can be easily reached.
Alternatively, you could simply wander around the quaint, winding streets of Kinsale itself, soaking up the atmosphere and history obvious all around. Shops sell local produce, Irish crafts, linen, foods, and, the internationally known Kinsale Crystal.
Gerry Daly, a Waterford Master-Cutter started the Kinsale Crystal business because he wanted to revive the extinct method of Deep Cutting. This involves cutting the crystal on high angled wheels by hand - a slow, intricate process, but one that produces the most perfect, clear, crisp crystal.
There are also many beaches and coves around where you can lazily while away the days before returning to Kinsale and the multitude of blackboards 'shouting' their menus, the smells enticing you closer. Many of the gourmet restaurants are open from seven until ten thirty at night, and prior booking is usually recommended. However, food is available in Kinsale round the clock. The only problem? Choosing where to eat - they are all of the highest possible standard. Kinsale was not given the title 'Gourmet Capital of Ireland' for nothing; it is truly the best place to dine in Ireland!
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