Day 6: Kinsale Part Two

The first person I met in Kinsale yesterday was Dermot Ryan. Dermot gave me a great tour this morning walking around this charming and friendly little town. He has a wealth of local and Irish history.

Last evening I enjoyed time with some very colorful local characters who took turns entertaining the crowd gathered at Kitty O'Se's Pub by trying to outdo each other doing obscene things with my "stick!" Everyone in the pub had a crack at a comedy routine with my cane. I was relieved when Seamus, the pub owner, finally returned it to me in one piece! Lisa and Dennis won the impromptu contest and had

me in tears laughing but I could not understand a word they said because their brogue was so heavy and speech so fast!

This afternoon, I drove up to the Kinsale Garden of Remembrance which is dedicated to the memory of Fr. Mychal Judge, a Franciscan friar and Catholic priest, as well as Chaplain in the New York Fire Department, and to the 343 brave fire fighters, who so courageously lost their lives in New York on September 11th 2001.

The Kinsale Garden of Remembrance was initiated by Kathleen Murphy, a nurse in New York City. She was born in Ringfinnan, Kinsale and her family continue to reside here.

The first tree planting ceremony took place in November 2001.

The dedication ceremony was attended by Irish relatives of the deceased New York fire fighters. Many of the fire fighters were of Irish descent and the garden has been visited on a regular basis by United States visitors to Ireland.

Attached to each tree is the name of each individual fireman.

Kinsale is as much a place as a state of mind. That's the received wisdom, anyway. With a population of just few thousand, it boasts a food scene claimed to rival Dublin, Galway, or even (whisper it) a certain city 30 minutes up the road that the locals in Kinsale simply refer to as the City when they have to.

Kinsale has evolved as a world class gourmand’s delight, aided by the proliferation of many high class restaurants and eateries in the town.

Some of the best Indian food I’ve ever had was in London and San Franciso. But, the VERY best I’ve had is right next door to my B&B in little Kinsale!

Tomorrow I begin the coastal drive along the Wild Atlantic Way. I will leave Kinsale and spend a night in Bantry. Bantry is a busy market town situated at head of Bantry Bay.