We left Dublin for Kinsale on the south coast of Ireland. On the way, we stopped at the Rock of Cashel, site of the ruins of a cathedral and monastery where Saint Patrick is said to have converted the High King of Ireland to Christianity.
In order to quickly be sure our entire troupe has boarded the bus when we leave a stop, on each Rick Steves’ tour we have “buddies” and we are supposed to report to our guide if they are not on board. We had lunch in the Rock of Cashel’s visitor’s center with our buddies in order to learn enough about them to introduce them to the rest of our tour group before dinner that evening. This worked really well and helped to create some quick friendships.
In order to quickly be sure our entire troupe has boarded the bus when we leave a stop, on each Rick Steves’ tour we have “buddies” and we are supposed to report to our guide if they are not on board. We had lunch in the Rock of Cashel’s visitor’s center with our buddies in order to learn enough about them to introduce them to the rest of our tour group before dinner that evening. This worked really well and helped to create some quick friendships.
Kinsale is an old port town with narrow, winding streets, impassible for buses, so we had a lengthy walk with our luggage, up and down hills, to our hotel, a converted monastery. After dinner together, most of us went to Kitty O’Se’s, a colorfully painted pub that featured two very talented musicians who were friends of Declan, a pattern that would repeat itself through the trip. The next morning we took a tour of the city led by an outstanding local guide and then took the bus to see the ruins of a large British fort at the entry to the harbor. Some of our group took the long walk back to town and the rest of us took the bus and found a highly recommended restaurant for outstanding fish and chips. (Go ahead and eat the mushy peas. They’re much better than what you’re expecting.) The rest of the day we were on our own.
Kinsale is a very cute, colorful town, a previous winner and annual competitor in Ireland’s Tidy Town contest. We explored every shop in town had dinner at Fishy Fishy, an outstanding seafood restaurant (obviously) near the harbor. We went on the Kinsale Ghost Tour until music started in the pubs. It was cheesy but fun. Surprisingly, we heard a lot of the town’s history that we had learned in our morning tour. After a short stop back at Kitty O’Se’s, we called it a night.
Kinsale is a very cute, colorful town, a previous winner and annual competitor in Ireland’s Tidy Town contest. We explored every shop in town had dinner at Fishy Fishy, an outstanding seafood restaurant (obviously) near the harbor. We went on the Kinsale Ghost Tour until music started in the pubs. It was cheesy but fun. Surprisingly, we heard a lot of the town’s history that we had learned in our morning tour. After a short stop back at Kitty O’Se’s, we called it a night.
This is a fun (and ribald) song that many of the musicians we heard on the trip played, and
they all seemed to really enjoy singing it.
they all seemed to really enjoy singing it.
Tommy Makem and the Clancy Brothers were contemporaries of the Dubliners and just as important in bringing Irish music to the attention of the world. They appeared frequently in folk music clubs in New York and were known for their Aran Island sweaters.
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