Greetings from Kinsale, Co. Cork

Another beautiful day here in Ireland. Bright sunshine with a temperature around 60 degrees. This morning, we drove from Waterford City down to Cobh to visit that seaside town. From the 1848 through 1950, more than 6 million people emigrated from Ireland, with 2.5 million departing from Cobh (including my grandparents, aunt and father). Most went to America, with many more going to Canada, Australia, New Zealand and in some cases, South America. This exodus was largely a result of poverty, crop failures, the land system and a lack of opportunity. And the Cobh Heritage Centre, tells the sad story of this mass departure of so many Irish from their homeland.

Cobh is also known as the last stop for the fabled Titanic. The Titanic sailed from Cobh (then known as Queenstown) at 1:30 PM on April 11, 1912. As we all know, the grand ship sunk in the North Atlantic on April 15, 1912, killing 1,517 passengers and crew.

On May 7, 1915, the Cunard liner Lusitania was torpedoed by a German U-Boat. The incident took place 10 miles of the Old Head of Kinsale in Co. Cork, not too far from Cobh. A flotilla of rescue boats was launched and 761 people were saved. Of the 1,198 passengers who died, most were never recovered. the survivors were taken to Cobh after their rescue.

You can learn all about these events at the Cobh Heritage Centre, which is located in the old Cobh railroad station. In addition, there is an information desk, where, for 10 euros for 30 minutes, an individual can help you trace your Irish heritage with any information you can provide. We gave her some information about my wife's family that left Ireland in the 1850's. Though we were not able to pinpoint any specific information, we now know where to go for further information when we return home.

We also enjoyed a great bowl of soup and some good coffee and scones in the cafe' at the center. All in all, our journey to Cobh was a phenomenal experience.

Next, a short drive down to Cork and then heading due east brought us to the lovely town of Kinsale. Known as a "foodie" town, we spent the afternoon walking the narrow streets browsing in various shops. We also laid out our plan of attack for this night's dinner. Unfortunately, our first choice (and the restaurant that was most highly recommended from a number of sources) Fishy Fishy Cafe', was only open from noon to 4:00 PM. We decided to check in to our hotel and then re-strategizing.

A short drive out of town (about 2 miles) brought us to the Carlton Hotel and Spa. A modern hotel with a beautiful view of Oysterhaven Bay and the farm fields beyond, the Carlton offers a full spa, indoor pool and exercise facility. There is also a nice bar and restaurant, both offering tables that look over the stunning landscape.

After checking out the property, we made the short drive back into Kinsale (there is also a shuttle van that will take you back and forth from the hotel into Kinsale). We found our next choice for dinner, Crackpots Ceramic Restaurant on Cork Street. It was hard to find at fist because the entrance was blocked by a lift that was being used by a painter freshening up the front of the establishment. Unfortunately for us, this meant that Crackpots was closed. 0 for 2!

So, based on a recommendation from my cousin Michael, we settled into Jim Edwards place on Short Quay. There is a bar and restaurant and you can't go wrong with either menu. We grabbed a small table in a corner of the bar and ordered off that menu, which is plentiful and a lot cheaper than the restaurant menu (though you can order off that menu in the bar, as well.)

Starting out with a great pint of Guinness (it always taste better over here!), I enjoyed the broiled salmon, while my wife had the baked cod "Mornay" (a great sauce made of white wine and cheese). Our dinners came with mixed vegetables, scalloped potatoes and fries, all served family style. We finished it off with a fantastic piece of banoffi pie and Kinsale lived up to it's reputation.

Tomorrow morning it's back into Kinsale and then off to Blarney Castle to kiss the Blarney Stone.