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After a wonderful breakfast at Davitts, (we’re talking about FRUIT + the usual cereals and Irish Breakfast offerings) we mosied out of Kenmare. The original plan was to cut across the Bearas Peninsula, but several considerations made us change our minds:
1. We had seen enough mountain passes for the moment;
2. It was extremely blustery and wet;
3. Sandy’s tolerance of narrow roads and blind corners had been severally tested.

We opted, instead to head towards Cork, and then to Kinsale, on the coast south of Cork. Great choice! We were both much more relaxed, and both enjoying the marvelous country-side scenery – until we hit a “Diversion” (i.e. detour) south of Cork. The diversion took us on a windy, twisted and narrow road to Kinsale. I loved the drive! (Not all of the two of us did!)

Kinsale is a spectacularly beautiful little seaside town with twisty streets, and some wonderful little cafes and bakeshops. Just as I had predicted, when we arrived, the showers ended and the sun came out.

After a masterful (if I do say so myself) parking job (on the left, of course, though it seems to make little difference in Ireland – park on either side, facing whichever way you want!) in a tiny little space equal to the length of the Skoda plus a bit, we headed off walking around town for an hour watching for more showers. We lunched in a tiny cafe – while joining into an engaging conversation with Fiona, a bank manager from a mining town in the Outback of Australia. Then, just as showers found us again, we headed off for our destination of Cahir (pronounced “Care”). No particular reason for this choice except that it was on the road towards Dublin which we could easily reach by noon on Tuesday, and it had an intact castle which looked interesting.

After hitting a Tourism office in the late afternoon, we headed across the moat, er river and into the castle. What a surprise! It was, indeed an intact castle – with no required guides, and fully self-exploratory! (Did I just make up that word?) We wandered into dining halls, down into dungeon areas, up to the ramparts, into castle keeps, and so on. Amazing! A video presentation showed us the history, including a 17th century siege by the Earl of Essex. At closing, we headed off down a 2 km hike to a Swiss Cottage, where the last castle owner had opted to live instead of in the castle. (Good choice!)

Alas, it was closed, so we located a spot where I could take a photo, and we headed back to our lodgings – the Tinsley House B&B – an old house built in 1840, and now owned by Liam, a descendant of the original family. A toilet which howled was the only drawback – to other tenants!