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Cathedral of St. Mary and St. Anne and Church of the Annunciation
Cathedral of St. Mary and St. Anne and Church of the Annunciation, Cork.
DSC_0350p1Paddywagon Tours drove us through Cork enroute from Blarney to Kinsale. We did see a fair amount of the city from the motorcoach, though we did not have the opportunity to walk it. The River Lee flows though Cork and several attractive bridges cross the river. Our guide was proud that Cork has more tall buildings than Dublin! Cork is is also famous as the home of Murphy's Brewery and its Murphy's Stout (now owned by Heineken Ireland).
South of Cork city is Kinsale, a picturesque harbour town at the mouth of the River Brandon. Our first stop was at Charles Fort for a scenic overlook of the harbour. Charles Fort was established in 1682 to defend Kinsale harbour. The companion James Fort (1607) can be seen on a promontory across the harbour. Charles Fort remained an active British military installation until Irish independence in 1921. I learned that in 1846-1847 during the Famine, soldiers at the fort established a soup kitchen to feed local residents. In the distance was the Old Head of Kinsale with its lighthouse. In 1915, the Lusitania was torpedoed 11 miles (18 km) off the Old Head of Kinsale.
Kinsale was also the lunch
Murphy's Brewery
Murphy's Brewery (Heineken Ireland Limited).
DSC_0357p1 stop on our tour. The Blue Haven looked like a likely spot for lunch in Kinsale. Other establishments nearby were crowded with visitors. This one only moderately so, and primarily with locals, including a sizable family birthday celebration. The A La Carte menu was offered for weekday luncheon. Pizza appeared to be a popular menu item. Wanting something more traditional, I selected the Classic Blue Haven Toastie. The Toastie was a toasted sandwich with Irish Cheddar, ham, lettuce and tomato. It was accompanied by a side of Potato Skins. (I would have called them thick-cut French fries.) Perfect! After enjoying the luncheon fare at the Blue Haven Restaurant (in a hotel of the same name), there was ample time to explore the town. Exploration of Kinsale began by noting that the Blue Haven's restaurant and part of the hotel is located in the restored Old Fish Market. The Old Fish Market dates to 1784.
A map of places of interest placed the town centre provided an idea of where to walk. Churches are always in our list. We saw the outside of St. Multose (Anglican, dating to 1199) and went inside the newer St. John the Baptist Church (Catholic,
Cork City Hall
Cork City Hall (1936).
DSC_0386 1832). The wooden upper galleries reminded me of many American churches of this era.
Back in the town centre, a craft show was going on at the former Temperance Hall (1885). One might easily overlook a few other interesting structures, twin townhouses that now serve as the post office and commercial space and the waterside Commercial Hall (ca. 1900) built to facilitate unloading of goods directly from boats.
Heading out from Kinsale and back to Cobh was the ruin of the Belgooly Four Mill (1832). The six story stone structure reminded me very much of contemporary stone mills in Virginia.
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