Kinsale-A beautiful town
After spending a wonderful night at Friar's Lodge, we met our guide, Don Herlihy, for an historical walking tour. He described Kinsale as "a town reclaimed from the sea" and proceeded to tell us about where the original shoreline was on the waterway. Kinsale was once the most fortified port in the world due to Charles Fort and James Fort. The St. James Channel was an important waterway for commerce and for England. The Head of Kinsale had a lighthouse which was used as a landmark when traveling by sea. The colored houses and shops are a new addition to Kinsale in the last 50 years as part of the Tiny Town Competition. Interesting facts: Robinson Crusoe set sail from Kinsale in 1703, and the Lusitania sank off shore in 1915.
We traveled by bus to Charles Fort and played the name game. Yes, we stood in the circle as a group and each had to repeat our group members' names. We met our guide, Kathy Soo-O'Brien. She explained the mosaic that was on the ground which explained the layout of the fort. The fort was named in 1681 after the King of England--Charles II, who was very popular. It remained in English hands until 1922.
Kanene and I spent the rest of the day shopping in town. On our way back to the Lodge we made a stop at the Desmond Castle and Wine Museum. This was a 15th century urban house built originally as a customs house, but it also served as a prison. During the evening we ate at Crackpots with Beth and Laura from Michigan. We stopped by St. Multose Church and graveyard on our way back.