Ireland - Page 3 - Cruise Line Fans: Cruise Forum, Reviews and Chat From Real Cruisers

PagodaSwan · 11-13-2005, 09:18 AM

Bantry

This is a major town at the head of Bantry Bay and is the principal coastal town in this part of West Cork. It is delightfully situated with a spectacular back-drop of mountains. This is an old town with many historical connections. Chief amongst these is that Bantry was the destination of two French Invasions - 1689 and 1796. In the former, the French landed some 2,500 troops and supplies before engaging the British fleet in the famous battle of Bantry Bay.

In 1796, under Wolfe Tone, the French were destined to failure due to the atrocious weather conditions encountered by the fleet. Being unseaworthy, the vessel "La Surveillante" was scuttled by her crew and was re-located some years ago. It is now a National Monument. The story of the 1796 invasion is graphically told in the Bantry 1796 French Armada Centre located in the grounds of Bantry House. Golf is among the activities available.

PagodaSwan · 11-13-2005, 09:19 AM

Kinsale

The very attractive town of Kinsale is just 29km directly south of Cork City on the R.600 route. Kinsale has many popular attractions which include heritage, gourmet restaurants, sailing, deep sea angling and golf.

Kinsale has been designated an Irish Heritage Town and is working with Cork Kerry Tourism and Fáilte Ireland on major plans for significant heritage projects in the town. These plans will further enhance the town’s important place in Irish tourism.

Early settlers in Ireland came to live in the area which we now know as Kinsale. Indeed the Old Head of Kinsale has been attributed as the site for some of the earliest settlers in Ireland. Later a number of Christian settlements were established in the surrounding countryside.

Kinsale also has an important place in Irish history. It was near here in 1601 that the Battle of Kinsale was fought. At this battle the Irish forces with their Spanish allies challenged the power of the English troops. In December of that year the English proved to be victorious.

It is believed that Kinsale town was founded by the Anglo Normans in about the year 1177, in a small walled area which was close to the water. Kinsale received its first of several Charters in 1334 from Edward III by which time it was a well established town. Prosperity in Kinsale continued in the 15th and 16th centuries, and in 1666 it was described as “One of the most important harbours in Europe”, with a substantial trade in wine and salt. The town was a significant naval base in the 17th and 18th centuries. Indeed in the 18th century Kinsale seems to have enjoyed a degree of prosperity not otherwise common in Ireland. In 1966 it became the first town in Ireland to be awarded the Flag of the Council of Europe.

In this century the great liner “Lusitania” en route from New York to Liverpool was lost 11.5 miles off the Old Head of Kinsale. On 7 May 1915 the vessel was hit by a German submarine torpedo. Of a total of 1,959 passengers on board 1,195 perished. For many years the exact cause of the disaster has been debated. One theory is that there was a major explosion on board the Lusitania. Three of the victims of the disaster are buried in the Churchyard of St. Multose Church in Kinsale.

Even the casual visitor to Kinsale will be captivated by its beautiful setting, with the long waterfront, narrow winding streets, and Compass Hill rising sharply behind the town. The River Bandon rises in West Cork and flows east through Bandon to Innishannon, and turns south to enter the sea at Kinsale. The old fortifications of Charles Fort and James Fort guard the narrow entrance to Kinsale from the sea.

Kinsale owes its unique character to the fact that it was a garrison town and port of consequence for over 300 years, hence its magnificent Georgian houses and the Dutch influence of its architecture. It was also in the days of sail, the natural landfall for all ships from the continent and the Americas. The flat of the town, from the Coal Quay at the Trident, Denis Quay, the gardens of Actons, the Short Quay behind the Temperance Hall and the Long Quay running up to the White House, were all filled in later, and the Pier road built. The original town market and focal centre was on the level of St. Multose Church, Desmond Castle, and the Courthouse with narrow streets and quays radiating from it.

Kinsale was the national winner of the Irish Tourist Board Tidy Towns Competition in 1986. They followed this success in 1986, by being placed third in the prestigious European competition Entente Florale. This competition is designed to select the towns and villages in Europe who make the best use of trees and planting in the urban environment. Kinsale has continued to be very successful in the Tidy Towns Competition and frequently is judged to be the best small town in Ireland. The development of Kinsale’s keen interest in the environment has been marked by an unusual ability of the people of the town to work closely together to improve their local area. Environmental quality has been one of the reasons why Kinsale has such a long visitor season each year, stretching from Easter to the end of October.

PagodaSwan · 11-13-2005, 09:20 AM

Dingle

Dingle (An Daingean), the most westerly town in Europe, is the chief town of the peninsula and an excellent centre for the visitor.

Lying partly at the foot of a steep slope on the north side of Dingle Harbour, it is bounded on three sides by hills which, towards the north, culminate to Mount Brandon (950 m/3,127 ft). Through the progressive town, it still retains much of its old-world atmosphere.

North of Dingle town is the mighty rampart of Brandon and on its western side lies a coastal plain, studded with typical Irish hamlets and villages. This western end of the peninsula offers magnificent coastal scenery. The Dingle Sea Life Centre - Mara Beo Teo, displays the sealife of the peninsula and further afield.

There are numerous activities in Dingle for visitors, including boat trips, equestrian and cycling.

PagodaSwan · 11-13-2005, 09:21 AM

Tralee

Tralee is the administrative capital of County Kerry. Famed for its Rose of Tralee Festival, it also has one of the finest ranges of all-weather visitor attractions in Ireland.

The Rose of Tralee, has been one of the most popular songs about Ireland ever since it was written in the 19th century - by a local merchant William Mulchinock to celebrate his love for his maidservant Mary O’Connor. As befits the administrative capital of the kingdom of Kerry, Tralee is a lovely town with wide streets surrounded by narrow streets giving a pleasant village feeling.

In 1921 the beautiful park was laid out. It contains, most appropriately, an outstanding rose garden. Nearby, in the form of the ‘Kerry the Kingdom Museum’ and the Siamsa Tire, national folk theatre, is a hub of traditional culture. And, as befits the centre for the Rose festival, Tralee is packed with song and dance and fun from The Aqua Dome, to innumerable pubs and the seaside in also within easy reach. While Tralee itself offers recreation for all tastes, it is also an ideal base for exploring the wonderland of mountains and ocean that is Kerry.

Tralee grew up around a castle built by the Anglo-Norman warlord John Fitzthomas Fitzgerald early in the 13th century. His descendants, the ‘Munster Geraldines’ held the castle for four hundred years and it was the centre of their rule over a large region of the southwest of Ireland. The castle and town were conquered by the forces of Queen Elizabeth in 1580 and, a few years later, were granted to an English settler Sir Edward Denny. In spite of further upheavals in Cromwellian times, the Dennys remained as the leading family for more than two centuries.

The Dominican order of monks dominated the religious life of Tralee for centuries. Their order survived the official suppression of the monasteries in the 16th century and they continued to educate the people until the 1650s when martyrdom and exile suspended their mission – until they established a new church in 1871 on the foundations of their ancient monastery.

The 18th century saw the beginning of the development of the town, with the building of splendid residences for the wealthy merchants, in the region of the town hall and the Denny estate. The town hall was burned down in 1920 and replaced soon afterwards by the Thomas Ashe Memorial Hall which now houses the museum.

The greatest of Tralee’s offerings is the The Festival of Kerry, lasting for a week at the end of August and which is the occasion of the selection of the Rose of Tralee from contestants from around the world. Free open-air concerts and non-stop family entertainment keep the town swinging day and night. Dog show and horse races take place during the week.

Siamsa Tíre,is the national folk theatre of Ireland and gives performances most evenings. During the summer season (May to October) it offers a special programme of theatre entertainment with 4 separate shows recapturing on stage, through music and dance, the spirit of life and times when the thatching of a cottage and the flailing of corn was part of everyday life. During the rest of the year entertainment is varied and includes entertainment by visiting musicians and theatre companies.

Samhlaoícht Ciarraí continually promotes the arts and organises an annual week-long arts festival in April.

KISS - The Kerry International Summer school , a forum of writing and poetry is hosted annually in the town.

Things to see & do:
Greyhound racing: The Kingdom Greyhound Stadium in Tralee offers a really great racing night out in a stadium which has been developed to the highest standards. Racing is every Tuesday and Friday night year-round and also Saturday nights in the summer season. You can make it a dinner evening and enjoy a lovely meal as you have a small wager on the races. The restaurant overlooks the track, so you can view how well your dog is performing, as you dine or enjoy a drink. Also a great family evening.

PagodaSwan · 11-13-2005, 09:25 AM

Shannon

PagodaSwan · 11-13-2005, 09:26 AM

County Kerry

PagodaSwan · 11-13-2005, 09:27 AM

Dingle

blazerboy · 04-12-2006, 06:28 PM

hey, thanks for all the leg work! Leaving for Dublin in a few weeks...will try to report back any additions...

Andrew