Things to do in Western Cork
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Jola's
With double-height ceilings, exposed brick walls and a stunning chandelier, Jola Wojtowicz's restaurant brings a dash of metropolitan style to Kinsale. The food is equally adept, confidently marrying Eastern European and Irish cuisine. The pierogi (dumplings) made with Clonakilty black pudding are divine, but are merely preparation for the mouth-watering mains, which include a particularly lovely dish of lamb cutlets with basil and walnut pesto.
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An Teach Beag
This intriguing pub, out back from O'Donovan's Hotel, has all the atmosphere necessary for good traditional music sessions. You might even catch a scríocht (a session by storytellers and poets) in full flow. There's music nightly during July and August, and on weekends for the rest of the year. Check out the historical plaque at the start of the alley – times have changed…
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Glebe Gardens & Café
The beautiful gardens here are an attraction in themselves; lavender and herbs add fragrant aromas that waft over the tables inside and out. Food is simple and fresh, sourced from the gardens and a list of local purveyors.
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De Barra's
A marvellous atmosphere, walls splattered with photos, press cuttings, masks and musical instruments, plus the cream of live music every night of the week (starting around 9.30pm) make this a busy pub.
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Charles Fort
One of the best-preserved 17th-century star-shaped forts in Europe, this wonderful fortress would be worth a visit for its spectacular views alone. But there's much more here: ruins inside the vast site date from the 18th and 19th centuries and make for some fascinating wandering. Displays explain the typically tough lives led by the soldiers who served here and the comparatively comfortable lives of the officers. Built in the 1670s to guard Kinsale Harbour, the fort was in use until 1921, when much of it was destroyed as the British withdrew. The best way to get here is to walk – follow the signs on the lovely walk around the bay from Scilly to Summercove, 3km east of Ki…
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Church of Ireland Church
St Multose is the patron saint of Kinsale, and the Church of Ireland church is one of Ireland’s oldest, built around 1190 by the Normans on the site of a 6th-century church. Not much of the interior is original but the exterior is preserved beautifully. The graveyard has some interesting large family tombs, and several victims of the Lusitania sinking are also buried there. Inside, a flat stone carved with a round-handed figure was traditionally rubbed by fishermen’s wives to bring their husbands home safe from the sea.
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Desmond Castle
Kinsale's roots with the old wine trade are on display at this early 16th-century fortified house that was occupied by the Spanish in 1601. Since then it has served as a customs house, as a prison for French and American captives and as a workhouse during the Famine. There are lively exhibits detailing its history and a small wine museumthat tells the story of the Irish wine-trading families, including names like Hennessy (of brandy fame), who fled to France because of British rule.
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Otto's Creative Cooking
You have to book at this remote spot at a stunning location near Butlerstown. There's plenty of choice on the set menus, with all the produce locally sourced and much of it organic and coming from Otto's itself. A four-course lunch is available for around €35, a five-course dinner for around €55. Why not make a night of it and stay in one of the individually decorated guestrooms (around €110/€130 for a single/double) reserved for diners?
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Fishy Fishy Cafe
Arguably the best seafood restaurant in the country has a wonderful setting, with stark white walls splashed with bright artwork and a terrific decked terrace at the front. All the fish is caught locally; have the cold seafood platter, a tasty spectacle that's a concert of what's fresh. Scallops are dollops of goodness. Front-of-house staff are charmers, but waitstaff can look tired. The Fishy Fishy empire also includes a superb fish 'n' chip shop.
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Skibbereen Heritage Centre
Constructed on the site of the town’s old gasworks, the Skibbereen Heritage Centre houses a haunting exhibition about the Famine, with actors reading heartbreaking contemporary accounts. A visit here puts Irish history into harrowing perspective. There’s also a smaller exhibition about nearby Lough Hyne, the first marine nature reserve in Ireland, and a genealogical centre.
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Jim Edwards
Like many places in Kinsale, this much-frequented eatery has bar food of a restaurant standard. A steady Irish touch is nicely frothed with European influences. In the bar you may need to fight for attention amid the clamour, but once served you'll want to stay all night. The restaurant specialises in steaks and fish, and does an excellent seafood platter for around €30.90.
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E Kirby 66
An old neighbourhood pub has been reborn and has a welcoming dinner menu of Italian classics. It’s great for when you want to say no to mussels and say yes to spaghetti and meatballs. There’s excellent pizza and, in a nod to local tradition, fine seafood ravioli. By day this charmer is good for a coffee and a pause along the gentrifying street.
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An Súgán
A traditional bar with a national reputation for excellent seafood. You dine in a room crammed with knick-knacks – jugs dangle from the ceiling, patrons' business cards are stuffed beneath the rafters, and lanterns and even ancient fire-extinguishers dot the walls. But there's nothing idiosyncratic about the food – the seafood chowder is great for a light meal, the crab cakes are memorable and there's a choice of around 10 different kinds of fish, depending on the daily catch.
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Aquaventures Dive Centre
Aquaventures Dive Centre charges €65 for a full day’s diving, and also offers diving and accommodation packages in the attached B&B; contact the centre for prices. There’s some excellent diving to be had on the reefs around Fastnet Rock; the waters are warmed by the Gulf Stream and a number of shipwrecks lie nearby.
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Regional Museum
This nifty museum is based in the 17th-century courthouse that was used for the inquest into the sinking of the Lusitania in 1915. The museum contains information on the disaster, as well as curiosities as diverse as Michael Collins' hurley and shoes belonging to the eight-foot-tall Kinsale Giant.
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Bulman
This is seaside eating at its best. Escape from central Kinsale to this gastro pub in an unspoilt harbourside venue, where salty informality is a style in its own right. Seafood excels here, whether swimming in chowder or laid out seductively on a platter. Much of everything is sourced locally; herbs are right from the kitchen garden.
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Malt House Granary
You'll be able to check out the Clonakilty black pudding, Boilie goat's cheese, Gubbeen chorizo and Bantry Bay mussels among other ingredients on the menu at the Malt House, as everything on your plate originates from West Cork. The interior design is a hotchpotch of stylish and kitsch. The seafood platter is a classic.
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Vintage Restaurant
The décor may be a little fusty these days but the Vintage is one of the reasons that Kinsale deserves its gourmet label, with prices that are truly justifiable. Unbeatable dishes range from oyster starters to mains of lobster in brandy or sea bass in white port crème; fish that demand a magic touch - and get it.
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Kalbo's Bistro
This local favourite recently downsized to give the owners a slight break for their well-deserved popularity. But the simply prepared classic meals continue. Locally sourced produce and a deft hand in the kitchen mean that pancakes in the morning and bacon sandwiches at lunch are tops. Dinners are creative.
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Kinsale Harbour Cruises
For sailings to Charles Fort, James Cove and up the Bandon River phone Kinsale Harbour Cruises. Departure times vary through the year and are weather dependent - check the website or with the tourist office for details. The boats leave from Denis Quay on Pier Rd, at the southern end of town.
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Bushe's Bar
Seafaring paraphernalia literally drips from the ceiling at this genuinely character-filled old bar. The benches outside on the main square are the best spots in town for a sundowner and you can watch sailors get misty at the nautical views. Famous crab sandwiches are served at times.
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Betty Brosnan
A prime place for lunch, this historic cafe offers lots of breakfast choices (including a 14-inch cooked Irish feast for the ‘very hungry’), sandwiches, lasagne, smoothies and puddings. The upstairs gallery displays black-and-white travel photography by owner Dermot Brosnan.
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Chez Youen
This Breton-inspired restaurant was the town's gourmet pioneer and it's still as good as ever. The luscious shellfish platter (€50), containing lobster, prawns, brown crab, velvet crab, shrimps and oysters, offers the chance to sample shellfish at its unadorned best.
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Dillons
Bright, inviting Dillons serves interesting variations on Irish staples in its bistro-style dining room. The emphasis is on meat (for example, Skeaglianore duck breast and roast quail), but there are interesting fish and veggie options too. Credit cards are not accepted.
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