Bob Ross used to speak of “happy accidents”. When planning a trip to Ireland a few years back my brother suggested visiting Kinsale because a co-worker of his thought it was the best part of Ireland. The idea of trying a new city appealed to me so we set off. Kinsale is located in far Southern Ireland due south of Cork City. It is nestled in a beautiful bay with the tiny village built directly on the water. Kinsale is an idyllic Irish village full of energy, food, bars, music, and life. I enjoyed the city so much I made sure to take my parents to the city on our recent trip. When we arrived we joined a local Farmers market, visited some antique stores, walked to the castle, enjoyed some ice cream, and walked around the marina. All things that are done on a perfect day in the perfect place…
Nearby Charles Fort is a lovely way to soak up the Southern Ireland sun with a view of the Old Head and Kinsale Village. Guides are helpful in describing the history of the Fort and even Titanic history as this was its last stop before meeting the famed Iceberg.
Kinsale is a splendid place to spend several days and make day trips around the region. The roads in and around Kinsale are not for the faint of heart but are arguably some of the most beautiful vistas and scenery in all of Ireland. Take the southern road both East and West or head north to Cork and Blarney. I would highly recommend visiting Drombeg Circle and even a day trip to Clonikilty.
I am grateful to my brother’s un-named friend for introducing me to a region of Ireland that has proven to be one of my favorites. Has anyone else gotten a random tip that turned out to be a really happy accident?
Would you paint your house this color?
The harbor is so breathtaking on a clear bright day like this
The photo does not even remotely do justice to how beautiful this village is.
For more on my Irish Musings please click here…
Bulldog Travels / Photos By Jenny 
Never been to this area – it looks beautiful – but it is high on my list. Great tips of things to do as well, they all appeal to me.
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If you ever go let me know and I can give you some more detail. 🙂
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Thank you – I will definitely take you up on that!!
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Wow, what a beautiful place, nicely captured! I love those stunning colours! 🙂
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Thank you! Sadly I only wish I could capture the colors as vibrant as they really were. The sunlight and color is a spectacular thing there but I did the best I could. Thank you for stopping by and for the comment. You are very welcome anytime.
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Those bright colored houses are something else!
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Yah, I think so too. Very fun. Easy to tell people you live in the bright purple house with yellow windows!
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I actually prefer it to my neighborhood, which is one big wasteland of tan houses – soooo boring. If done right, color can be awesome!
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Me too. Every time I look at these photos or travel I want to come home and paint my front door! It’s boring and brown!
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This part of Ireland is really pretty 🙂
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Thanks. I think so too!
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This looks like a wonderful place!
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I am immediately putting this on my itinerary for next year’s Ireland visit! Thanks.
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I thought you might…I was thinking of you when i set it to post. Let me know if you have any questions. We didn’t stay in Kinsale this time around. but my husband and I did the time before bur we stayed a wee bit out of town. While that was nice because I love being in the country I would recommend staying in this small village just for proximity to food and pubs. You could easily use it as a base to travel around for several days. (I like it much better than Cork city to stay!) Have a great time. I look forward to hearing about your travels.
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Than you. I’ll consult you when we get down to some detailed planning. I think we have decided upon Cork, it is 3 to 1 at the moment unless anyone changes their mind!
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Don’t forget Drombeg Circle when you are down there. It’s pretty neat!
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Wow! The place looks really great! I’m from the Philippines and I’ve been hearing a lot of great things about Ireland. It’s one of my dreams to set foot on this Emerald Isle. Thanks for this post, you made those photos come alive with your words. Keep writing, you’re bringing people closer to their dreams!
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Thank you for the kind comment! It warms my heart when its getting cold here in winter. I have a lot of posts on Ireland if you are interested in checking out more beautiful spots. Ireland is my favorite place to travel and I love to recommend it to anyone who likes to travel.I would go back again and again.
Thank you so much for following me. I look forward to connecting with you in the future.
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Most welcome. Will definitely check out your other posts. 🙂
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Looks like a lovely little village. Brighter colours than in Brittanny. But a nice relaxed place to spend some time. The only drawback is that it probably rains 9-10 out of 12 months?
🙂
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Yah, I don’t know. I can only say I have been there twice and both times the weather was literally glorious. I am told that it is warmer and drier than the rest of Ireland but that’s NOT SAYING MUCH. 😉
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Cork county right? That in the South of Eire?
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Yes. As far south as you can get and still be dry.
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Haha!
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You have been quiet these days. Everything good down there?
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Hi Jenny, I have, haven’t I? fact is I had a relapse in my cold. Turns out to be a bad sinusitis… 😦 (Darn) Loaded with meds, I am now much better. Thanks for asking. All good your end?
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Everything is great on my end. Happy holidays!
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Merci. You too Jenny.
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Wow, those are some eye-popping colors on those houses! Is there any history behind this in Kinsale or is it just something locals like to do?
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Good question. None that I know of. Perhaps some of my Irish friends who read my posts might be able to shed some light. I have seen brightly colored houses and mostly doors throughout Ireland. But, none quite as bright as in Kinsale.
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Some say it is to offset the gloomy weather but that would be ironic since it is sunnier in the South than anywhere else…
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Such a beautiful place! I would not paint my house (If I had one) any of those colors, though I have seen a bright red one, and bright blue one in Upstate New York, where I grew up. I have a couple pictures of them that I’ll have to look up. They do appear in earlier posts of my photo blog, Pikturamma.wordpress.com if you’d like to take a peek.
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Awesome. Thanks! I will check that out. Some of them were a little bright but they added to the charm of the town I think. It seems to make more sense here than say in my home neighborhood here in California. People would think I was crazy if I painted my house purple.
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😀
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Gorgeous! And those houses certainly contradict the sneaky prejudice I find in myself now and then about Western Europeans loving bleak and somber tones. (Which is the moment when most UK-ers would remind me that the UK isn’t quite Europe, and even then, Ireland is more than just another part of the UK. But I’ll just sit and enjoy the views.)
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Love the stream of consciousness there. I’m glad I can break those stereotypes for you! 😉
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Magnificent photos…just love the colours.
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Thank you so much…
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Great post! Houses, people, nature, you got them all in these beautiful pictures. Thank you for that. It’s nice to find such hidden gems.
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Thank you! Thanks for the comment. I am glad you enjoyed it. It is a beautiful place one I love sharing with people. I can’t wait to get back there again someday.
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What a beautiful lovely setting & this area sounds just wonderful,..perfect for me too! 🙂
Cool amazing photos! x
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Oooh, I’ve never thought of visiting Kinsale before, but it looks like my kind of town! Did you get a chance to try Clonakilty pudding while you were in the area? Sooooo goooood 😋
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No. I’ve never even heard of it. Probably worth a visit just for that. Kin sale is really an awesome little town. They have a craft fair too. Maybe you could sell your beasties.
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Wooooooo hooooo! Road trip!! I’ll definitely look into that. Clonakilty puddings are the Rolls Royces of black/white pudding… An absolute must-try for your next visit! Well, unless you’re a vegetarian…
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I’m not. Il check that out. I would like to spend more time in the southwest.
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