Departing Rosscarbery today, drive to the important town of Clonakilty, a vital agricultural centre and boasting many tempting beaches such as Owenahincha and Inchydoney. Clonakilty has a colourful and historical feel to it with its streetscapes renowned for its colourful and meticulously maintained shop fronts, pub fronts, general advertising and directional signs and street names. Extraordinary floral displays are also synonymous with the town. The town enjoys a long-standing reputation as a culinary centre offering national and international cuisine at reasonable prices. Locally produced products, marketed under the Fuchia brand, include award-winning and well known Clonakilty black pudding and the range of Irish Yoghurt products.

In the afternoon, head south to Kinsale, which is a small fishing village situated approximately 16 miles from Cork City. It is renowned for its pubs and restaurants and is known as the ‘Gourmet Capital’ of Ireland. Every visitor to Kinsale is captivated by its beautiful setting, with the long waterfront, narrow winding streets, and Compass Hill rising sharply behind the town. The old fortifications of Charles Fort and James Fort guard the narrow entrance to Kinsale from the sea. The town has poignant memories of the sinking of the liner ‘Lusitania’ in 1915, off the Old Head of Kinsale, and it was in the courthouse the inquest into the incident took place.

Visit Charles Fort, constructed in the early 1680’s in honour of King Charles II by William Robinson, architect of the Royal Hospital in Kilmainham in Dublin, Charles Fort is a classic example of a star shaped fort. In use until 1921 the fort, which protected the trading town of Kinsale, gives a unique insight into Irish fortifications. Besieged in 1690 by the Duke of Malborough and destroyed in 1922 during the Civil War, Charles Fort reflects the turbulence of Ireland’s past. It was declared a National Monument in 1973. Across the estuary is James Fort, an earlier structure, which was designed by Paul Ivy in 1602.