Why You Must Visit Cobh and Kinsale
Do you want to see where the Titanic set sail for North America? Do you want to hear the youth choir practicing some hymns inside St. Colman’s Cathedral, Cobh? Do you want to photograph interesting and colourful buildings in Kinsale? This post describes our day trip around Cobh and Kinsale.
Author & Photographer: George Mitchell
Our recommendations are not influenced by affiliate links – we do not have any. Our advice is derived from our personal experience and knowledge based on living in Europe for seven years and studying its art, architecture and culture. Ireland is one of our favourite destinations.
All of our recommendations are top-rated by Google Maps Ratings, which is based on everyone, not just tourists. Each place recommended in our custom Ireland East Map is appended with a Google Maps Rating (G0 to G5).
Cobh
It’s hard to believe that quaint Cobh was once a major port. Cobh, pronounced Cove, is so named because it was the port or Cove of Cork.
Cobh was the departure point for convicts being transported to Australia and refugees fleeing the potato famine. In fact, 25% of the province of Newfoundland and 22% of the people of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick are Irish Canadian!
Titanic Memorial Garden
Who said the rain in Ireland is always gentle? This was the second day in a row of blustery downpours. We ate our lunch at the Titanic Memorial Garden — but in the car.
Cobh used to be a major office of the very infamous White Star Line shipping company, which owned the ship Titanic. Cobh was the last port of call for the Titanic before crossing the Atlantic. There are some panels with history, along with the names of the 1503 people who lost their lives in 1912.
The loss of most of the passengers sparked a major inquiry, which led to lifeboat and life jacket laws. It also led to iceberg patrols. As Newfoundland was still a colony, Great Britain was responsible for patrols.
Colourful Cobh Buildings
Cobh is built on a steep hill. After driving up to the free cathedral parking lot, I walked around trying to capture the colourfully painted houses trickling down to the harbour. Hmm, is this where Newfoundland gets its tradition of brightly coloured houses? One thing I am certain of is that Canada owes its friendliness to all these Irish immigrants.
St. Colman’s Cathedral
Then we enjoyed the youth choir practicing some hymns inside St. Colman’s Cathedral. Light streamed in through the stained glass windows as we admired the dark wood beams of the ceiling.
Harbour Front
From the cathedral we drove to the harbour front. In particular, we went to Kennedy Pier to take photos of the colourful buildings with St. Colman’s Cathedral in the background. West Beach Road was a series of commercial but unremarkable shops. There was one very colourful set of buildings opposite the Titanic Experience Museum.
Cool Kinsale
It felt more like a late fall day with a frigid 9.5°C temperature. We walked on Pier, Pearse, Market and Main streets, photographing the interesting and colourful buildings, most of which are pubs and restaurants today.
Ardkilly Ridge Road
This was the fantastic view outside our B&B window with green grass, yellow rapeseed and blue ocean. We could have just sat and stared out past the garden. Our B&B hosts, John and Myrtle, were very special people, which also made our stay so enjoyable. But unfortunately, it was time to leave. We drove down Ardkilly Ridge Road for great views along the water. This hidden gem is well worth doing, but unfortunately, there are no pull-offs to stop for photos.
Final Comments on this Itinerary
The weather did not cooperate, so Cloudy Cobh and Kool Kinsale really did live up to this post’s title. But we still enjoyed visiting these towns with their colourful buildings.
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Itinerary Map & Resources
Cloudy Cobh and Kool Kinsale are the endpoints of the Ireland East itinerary. If you only have a week, then it is time to return to Dublin or Trim.
If you have more than a week, then combine this tour with places in the Ireland East, Ireland South and the Best Places for 2 Weeks in Southwest (SW) Ireland itineraries below. Or just visit some of the nearby places listed below.
Google Maps Ratings
Google Maps provides a rating from 0 to 5 for all sights, hotels and restaurants (but not cities). All of our recommendations are appended with the rating (prefixed with a G) from Google Maps. As it is based on feedback from tourists and locals, it is much more reliable than travel booking websites. We consider a score of 4 to 4.39 to be Very Good; 4.4 to 5 to be Excellent.
Ireland FAQ
The Ireland FAQ post answers Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) like:
- Where should I go in Ireland?
- What is the best season for travel?
- What is the best clothing?
- Where should I go? What are the must-sees?
- How much time do I need for Ireland?
- Can I see everything in a week?
- How safe is Ireland?
- How much cash should you take to Ireland?
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