Kinsale and Cobh - Ireland 2014 - page 271

▲ Kinsale Regional Museum
In the center of the old town, traffic circles the market, which later became a courthouse
and is now the Regional Museum. Its Dutch architecture reflects the influence of Dutch-
born King William of Orange at the end of the 1600s. Drop by at least to read the fun 1788
tax code for all Kinsale commercial transactions (outside at the front door).
Cost and Hours: Free, Wed-Sat 10:30-13:30, closed Sun-Tue, staffed by volun-
teers—hours can be erratic, Market Square, tel. [phone].
Visiting the Museum: The modest museum is worth a quick visit for its fun mishmash
of domestic and maritime bygones. It also gives a good perspective on the controversial
Lusitania tragedy. Kinsale had maritime jurisdiction over the waters 10 miles offshore,
where the luxury liner was torpedoed in 1915. Hearings were held here in the courthouse
shortly afterward to investigate the causes of the disaster—which helped propel America
into World War I—and to paint the German Hun as a bloodthirsty villain. Claims by Ger-
manythatthe Lusitania wasillegallycarryingmunitions(andusinginnocentpassengersas
humanshields)seemtohavebeenborneoutbythehugeexplosionandrapidsinkingofthe
vessel. But perhaps even more interesting, in the side room, is the boot of the 8-foot-3-inch
Kinsale giant, who lived here in the late 1700s.
Sleeping in Kinsale
Kinsale is a popular place in summer for yachters and golfers (who don't flinch at paying
$200 for 18 holes out on the exotic Old Head of Kinsale Golf Course). It's wise to book
your room in advance. I've listed peak-season prices. These places are all within a five-
minute walk of the town center.
$$$ Blindgate House, high up on the fringe of town behind St. Multose Church,
offers 11 pristine rooms in fine modern comfort (Db-€100-140, Wi-Fi, tel. [phone],
www.blindgatehouse.com , [e-mail] , Maeve Coakley).
$$ The Old Presbytery is a fine, quiet house a block outside the commercial district,
with agoofyfloorplan, plushlounge, and10pleasant rooms.Listed inmost guidebooks, it
has lots of American guests. The breakfasts are a delight, the rooms are stocking-feet cozy,
and Noreen McEvoy runs the place with a passion for excellence (Db-€90-125, bigger
Db-€115-140, biggest Db-€130-160, family Qb-€140-180, 2 Qb self-catering suites with
no breakfast-€140-180, 10 percent discount with cash and this topic in 2014, guest com-
puter, free Wi-Fi, private parking, 43 Cork Street, tel. [phone], www.oldpres.com ,
[e-mail] ).
$$ Friar's Lodge is a modern, shingled hotel, perched up the hill past St. John's Cath-
olic Church. What its 18 spacious rooms lack in Old World character, they make up for in