Pirates of Kinsale

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Sunday and Monday, June 28-29 - Pirates of Kinsale

Next on the Rick Steves itinerary was the town of Kinsale, just below Cork in southern Ireland. One of the reasons I was excited to visit County Cork was because I had another Irish ancestor connection here. After my great grandfather (the one from Sligo) immigrated to the United States, he met and married Elizabeth Collins who was from Cork. So after this trip I could say that I had visited the home towns of both my great grandparents..

Sausalito, Not.

Kinsale was a more upscale town than other places we had visited. The Rick Steves book said it was like Sausalito (the little town on the other side of the Golden Gate bridge from San Francisco), but it reminded me more of Bar Harbor, Maine with its fancy restaurants and marina. Our bed and breakfast was just a few kilometers outside of town and away from the tourist mobs. It had beautiful views of the countryside and the Bandon River which flowed into Kinsale harbor.

Michael Jackson Goes Irish

When we first arrived in Kinsale the news about Michael Jackson’s death was still very fresh. The town was buzzing over the news as you might expect, but here in Kinsale there was an added dimension to the story. Apparently Michael Jackson had recently visited Kinsale and was so impressed with the town that he had shopped for a home there. I couldn’t imagine the King of Pop taking a leisurely vacation in the Irish countryside. True or not, it just goes to prove that no matter how small your town, everyone wants a connection to the bigger world.

At first glance Kinsale doesn’t seem like there is much to see besides the marina and pubs. But look out into the harbor and you will see the remains of two huge forts that once protected the town. These forts hinted at the long history of the Kinsale and the pivotal role it played between England and Spain. A walking tour of the town quickly put the pieces together for us.

Robinson Crusoe Lived Here

Several hundred years ago Kinsale was a major port for Great Britain, sending ships all across the world. As we walked around town, our guide pointed out interesting facts like the place where Alexander Selkirk loaded barrels onto waiting ship. Who is Alexander Selkirk you ask? He was the real life person behind the fictional character of Robinson Crusoe.

Johnny Depp and Kinsale

Remember that little Disney movie called Pirates of the Caribbean? Many of the pirate characters were loosely based on former residents of Kinsale like Anne Bonnie. Have you ever aspired to be the chairman of a company? In Kinsale the original job of chairman required you to carry the captains of arriving ships in a chair uphill to the tax office. So be careful if anyone offers you the job of chairman!!

Why We Speak English

When Spain was a super power with its colonies in the New World, the only threat came from England. The Spanish actually landed in Ireland and took over Kinsale because it was a strategic location that would allow them to sail to England in just 2 days for a bigger invasion. Long story made short - the English defeated the Spanish at Kinsale and also the Irish chieftains who came to help. As a result, many of the Irish chieftains fled Ireland leaving a power vacuum. That vacuum was filled by English settlers in what is today Northern Ireland. Who knows, if history had turned out differently in Kinsale we might all have been hablo-ing Espanol instead of English !

The French Prison

One of the interesting sights in Kinsale is an old Norman tower house called the French Prison. As the name implies, it was used for many purposes over the years including as a prison and developed quite a story. We used our national museum pass to get a guided tour.

One example of the history behind the French Prison occurred during the American Revolution. Sailors from the United States were often captured offshore and imprisoned here in terrible conditions. The local clergy and church goers complained to the British government about the poor treatment and gave donations of clothes and food to the prisoners. George Washington was so thankful, he wrote a letter to the town commending their charity. Just goes to show you that even back then, governments can disagree but the people can still be nice.

Tourist-itis at Charles Fort

Out of the two forts guarding the harbor, only Charles Fort was worth visiting. The fort has grand views of the harbor and the ocean, with plenty of places to explore. There were plenty of sailboats making good use of the wind that day and putting on a show for tourists at the fort. Tiffany and her Mom had tourist-itis by now (too much sightseeing) so only the girls and I went on the guided tour of the fort.

Contrary to my first impression, the fort was not destroyed by some invasion; rather it was burned down during the Irish civil war right after the country gained independence from England. Ironically the Irish civil war was fought because the two sides disagreed over splitting out Northern Ireland from the new country. See what I mean about history !! Those wimpy Spanish.

Old Mother Hubbard

So you might be wondering how the food tasted in those fancy, upscale restaurants I mentioned. To be honest, we didn’t set foot in a single one!! One look at the price of an entrée was enough to make my wallet cringe with pain. Instead we stuck to the usual pub grub consisting of toasted sandwiches and soup. We did have fun eating at a little restaurant called Mother Hubbard’s. It was just like a Mom and Pop style Waffle House, serving breakfast food and lunch all day. The novelty factor was high too. Where else could you say you ate at Mother Hubbard’s ??

One side benefit of the upscale cuisine in Kinsale was that the supermarkets had better to-go food. You could actually get decent sandwiches or a gourmet plate to heat up at your bed and breakfast if you wanted. But be careful crossing the street!! The Super Valu was in an extraordinarily bad location on a busy corner with a lot of traffic.

Monty Python’s Tour of Kinsale

Kinsale had one more piece of entertainment for us and that was the evening “Ghost Tour”. This was no ordinary ghost tour. Instead, it was ghost stories served up with a Monty Python like twist of humor and comedy. Given my penchant for terrible humor, this was very fun for me. Alyssa and I had a good laugh at the corny jokes and acting while we walked around town. Everyone else was too tired to come with us, or maybe they just couldn’t take any more bad jokes.

Observations - The Ugly American

Alyssa had one of the most insightful comments of the trip when she said, “I love my fellow Americans, but take them out of their country and they become like idiots !!”. Fanny pack notwithstanding, we try to blend in as much as possible when traveling. We do it not just for safety, but it is considered polite to learn as much about the country you are visiting and respect the local people while you interact with them. It’s really hard to appreciate the diversity of cultures when you eat at McDonald’s and hang out in large tour buses.

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Photos

The French Prison
Alyssa and Erin wonder if they serve French Fries or French Toast in the French Prison.

Rick Steves Jr.
Alyssa studies the Rick Steves book.

Ruins of Charles Fort
Alyssa goes on the tour of the ruins with me at Charles Fort.

Charles Fort
Artsy photo of the walls of Charles Fort.

Charles Fort
Another cool view at Charles Fort in Kinsale.

Kitties of Ireland
The friendly cat at our bed and breakfast.

Views of Cork
The view of the Bandon River from our Bed and Breakfast.

Comments

[Alyssa]

my quote
I don't speak like a proper British kid. I speak like an American. “I love my fellow Americans, but take them out of their country and they become like idiots !!” DOESN'T SOUND LIKE ME! This is the quote in MY OWN WORDS! : "Ya know, Americans are perfectly fine when we're IN America. The second you take them out of the country, they're clueless and annoying." kthxbai :]