spirit of kinsale harbour cruise

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Kinsale Harbour Cruises in Kinsale, County Cork, provide a scenic cruise on a licensed boat with historical commentary and music. It is the perfect opportunity to see Kinsale from the water.

The cruise is a combination of culture, information, relaxation and magnificent coastal scenery. Kinsale has a wealth of historical sites including Charles Fort, Block House and James Fort. Enjoy striking views of the Old Head of Kinsale and Old Head Lighthouse. On leaving the quay, the boat passes the yacht marina and the former fishing village of Scilly. Before returning to the quay, the boat cruises up the Bandon River passing three marinas, a private marina, fisherman’s marina and the yacht marina.

Passengers may get a glimpse of seals, otters, dolphins, herons, shags cormorants, terns and a variety of coastal flora and fauna along the way.

Private charter cruises are available to groups from April to October and in the evening times for the months of June, July and August only.

Kinsale Harbour Cruises are fully certified by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

• Jump aboard the 'The Spirit of Kinsale' and see all the sights of one of the most beautiful natural harbours in Europe.
• Kinsale Harbour Cruises offer historical commentary, culture, education and enjoyment for families.
• See from the water local sights including, Charles Fort, the Block House and the spectacular Old Head of Kinsale.
• Look out for seals, otters, dolphins and a wealth of coastal flora and fauna.

We recommend planning to spend 1 to 1.5 hours here.

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'Spirit of Kinsale': Jump aboard Kinsale Harbour Cruises, County Cork

The Kinsale Harbour Cruises will give you a very different view of Kinsale and its beautiful natural harbor. 

Located at the start of the Wild Atlantic Way, Kinsale town is famous for its colorful streetscapes and rich history, fuelled by great people, food, boutiques and events.   

Hop on the 'Spirit of Kinsale' for a spectacular tour of Kinsale harbor, a perfect combination of culture, information, relaxation, and stunning scenery.

Enjoy commentary from your tour guide on a brief history of Kinsale with anecdotal legends and an insight into how the town has developed over the centuries.

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• Enibas: Unique Irish language jewelry, Kinsale and Schull, Cork

The boat even goes close to the shore to allow passengers a chance to glimpse seals, otters, herons, shags cormorants, terns, and other flora and fauna.

Further on you will pass by Charles Fort, which was built in the late 1600s to reinforce the defenses of the harbor, and also catch a glimpse of The Old Head of Kinsale. 

Before returning to the quay, the boat cruises up the Bandon River, passing three marinas. Peaceful images of a wide variety of boats and yachts bobbing in the water with the backdrop of this picturesque town will complete the trip.

Jump aboard the 'The Spirit of Kinsale' and see all the sights of one of the most beautiful natural harbors in Europe.

Find out more about Kinsale Harbour Cruises here.

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Kinsale Harbour Cruises

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We encourage you to come on board the 'Spirit of Kinsale' for a spectacular tour of Kinsaleharbour. The KinsaleHarbour Cruise will give you a very different view of Kinsale and its beautiful natural harbour.

Kinsale is located in the south of Ireland approximately 18 miles South of Cork City. Our unique trip is an opportunity to view the Kinsale town from the water.

About the Cruise

Leaving the quay, the boat passes the yacht marina and on by the picturesque former fishing village of Scilly. The boat goes close to the shore to allow passengers a chance to glimpse seals, otters, herons, shags cormorants, terns and other flora and fauna.

Further on the boat passes by Charles Fort, which was built in the late 1600’s to reinforce the defences of the harbour.

There are clear views of The Old Head of Kinsale before we turn at the mouth of the harbour.

On the opposite side of the harbour mouth is James Fort, built in 1603 as a consequence of the Battle of Kinsale to prevent any further invasion.

Further along is the Block House built in 1549. Used to store gun powder and ammunitions.

Before returning to the quay, the boat cruises up the Bandon River, passing three marinas; private marina, fisherman’s marina and the yacht marina.

Harbour Cruise Prices

• Adult : €12.50
• Children (Under 14) : €6.00
• Children (Under 2) : Free
• Family Rate (2A + 2C) : €32.00
• Group Rate (10 or More) : €10.50
• Kids free (1 per adult - Mon - Fri)

Special Offers on The Spirit of Kinsale

• Children free (1 free child per adult Monday to Friday)
• Group Rate : €10.50 (6 people or more)

Private Hire Prices

• Maximum of 50 passengers
• Up to 20 : €250
• 21 - 30 : €300
• 31-50 : €350

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Call us or check our website link below for details on opening times

Latitude: 51.703041

Longitude: -8.519296

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Spirit of Kinsale Cruise was lovely! - Kinsale Harbour Cruises

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• Kinsale Harbour Cruises

This 50+ minute trip around the coast of this large natural inlet of a harbour viewing the shore... read more

Went on a Kinsale Harbour Cruise as part of my hen party this weekend. As a group of 25 we had... read more

Spirit of Kinsale Cruise was lovely!

A beautiful way to see Kinsale and Fort Charles. It was informative and the classical music was a nice touch! I highly recommend this!

Was in Kinsale last week the weather was fantastic went on the boat trip loved it The scenery the history lesson the music and especially the other travellers had a great time then went to Dinos Restaurant had a lovely meal the staff were very nice couldn't do enough for us especially my 6 year old niece then onto the children's amusements where my niece had an wonderful time Then walked around the town I love all the back lane ways etc visited the craft market had a lovely day

Again the weather did not cooperate but this boat has enclosed seating and outdoor seating. They also offered free tea and coffee which helped to warm us up. Even in bad weather the trip offered lovely views. We had a "hen party" on board so it was difficult to hear the narration.

This is a cheap way to spend an hour, coasting along just admiring Kinsale from a different perspective, even though the wind was cold, you are provided with a blanket to keep you warm, we enjoyed the commentary and all in all a worthwhile tour

Best possibility to see Kinsale town and port, exit to Irish sea in short time period. The nature rocks, and cliffs is very amazing there. The little ships goes directly from Kinsale port. Good option to see Kinsale surroundings in short time period.

Interesting and good commentary and not too long. Kinsale is steeped in history. The boat leaves within walking distance of Actons Hotel.

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Kinsale Harbour Cruises

• Pier Road, Kinsale, Co. Cork
• +353862505456
• kinsaleharbourcruises.com/
• [email protected]

Hop on board the Spirit of Kinsale for a spectacular tour of the harbour including amazing views of the imposing Charles Fort and James Fort.

• 21.7 km from Cork Airport
•   24.7 km from Cork City centre

Explore Kinsale

Places to stay, perryville house, curragh farm lodges, the old presbytery, the white house, kinsale equestrian centre, kinsale pottery and arts centre, kinsale mead co., garretstown beach, kinsale deep sea angling, atlantic offshore adventures, the gallery kinsale, g town surf school, sovereign sailing cork, oysterhaven activity centre, kinsale heritage town walks, don & barry's kinsale historic stroll, footgolf cork, lusitania museum and old head signal tower, kinsale food tours, wild atlantic sports, coolcorron equestrian centre, charles fort, kinsale boat hire, kinsale wellness on water, kinsale ghost tour, ocean addicts, old head golf links, kinsale wellness on water boat tours, garrettstown trails, desmond castle, garrylucas beach, giles norman gallery, kinsale golf club, kinsale regional museum, kinsale culinary tour, oysterhaven beach, man friday's, lemon leaf cafe, weird worlds. fantasy illustrations by filip dippel, kinsale library.

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KINSALE HARBOUR CRUISES - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

Kinsale Boat trip | Kinsale Travel & Tourism

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Kinsale Boat trip

Boat trip in kinsale, south-west region, ireland.

Kinsale Harbour Cruises welcomes you aboard the Spirit of Kinsale where you can enjoy spectacular views and a special tour of Kinsales natural harbour, and view the town from the water. The boat trips offer a unique tour of Kinsale and highlights include the harbour mouth, Charles Fort and James Fort, Scilly Sailing Village, Ring Roan Castle, Four Marinas and Dock Beach, and view the sea life, birds and wildlife while on board. Kinsale Harbour Cruises also offers private hire of the boat for private events and functions, and has a full bar service and food can be arranged buffet style only, the boat can cater for up to 50 passengers, book today for the time of your life.

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'It’s time to retire': Cruise boat owner Jerome selling Spirit of Kinsale

Jerome Lordan, who has operated Kinsale Harbour Cruises for over 20 years, is selling the Spirit of Kinsale boat and has decided to retire.

His family has, for generations, lived at the Old Head of Kinsale and he has published two books about that coastal area: No Flowers on a Sailor’s Grave, about the shipwrecks of Kinsale and Courtmacsherry; and Peninsula People, a visual genealogy and social history.

Jerome started his maritime career at the National Fisheries College in Greencastle, Co Donegal, in 1976, and fished for 28 years, in Ireland and overseas, in Australia, New Zealand, and in the UK, from Cornwall. He has owned several fishing boats.

In 2003, he left that industry to “look for a business” based on his experience. Kinsale Harbour Cruises was the result, now an established part of harbour activities: “An opportunity to combine maritime experience and my interest in heritage, culture, and wildlife,” Jerome said.

“I’m 66 now and it’s time to retire. Seeing Kinsale from the water is spectacular. Its history as a maritime location is massive.”

Jerome has recorded a lot of that history. After studying heritage management at Coláiste Stiofáin Naofa, Cork, he did a BA in archaeology and Celtic civilisation at University College Cork and a masters degree in local history. That MA, in 2012, was awarded for his thesis on local place names of the Old Head.

“Local topography, folklore, and oral tradition are fascinating,” Jerome said. “The native inhabitants had different names for various places. There is the sadness of emigration and abandoned homesteads, the determination of the people, their struggles, disappointments, successes...”

Peninsula People has 450 photographs, one of the earliest of which shows Jerome’s great grandmother in 1890. Others date from the 1920s and 1930s. It was the effort of a ‘trio’: Jerome; Padraig Begley, who was involved in the restoration of the Old Head signal tower; and Eugene Dennis, whose father came from the Old Head.

They collected 600 photographs of which 450 were published. There was great support from the local community, who “searched through personal belongings for glimpses into the past”. After Eugene’s passing in August 2018, Padraig and Jerome completed the work.

“It is time to sell Spirit of Kinsale,” Jerome told me. “I’m retiring and, as boat owners know, it is a wrench selling a vessel, but it is time.”

Dominic Daly, whose auctioneering firm has experience in maritime sales — he has previously worked with state agencies, including the admiralty marshall of the High Court, the Department of the Marine, and other institutions, on the disposal of vessels and marine assets — is handling the sale of the steel vessel.

Jerome’s passion for the maritime sector, local history, and tradition will continue after the sale of Spirit of Kinsale. “We’ll see what happens,” he told me this week.

FISHING – USE IT OR LOSE IT SUGGESTION

43,000 tonnes of fish are uncaught by EU member states in Irish waters, an amount that could benefit the struggling Irish fishing industry, but it is prevented from catching the fish by the EU’s common fisheries policy, which favours other nations, giving them bigger catching rights in Irish waters than our own fleet.

That has been challenged by Cork MEP Billy Kelleher, who says a “use it, or lose it” principle should be imposed on those nations.

“Member states, such as France, have a habit of not catching their full quota,” he says. “There is 43,000 tonnes of fish, worth an estimated €177m per annum, left uncaught by other member states, which would support existing jobs and create new jobs in coastal communities in Ireland.”

Access to unused quota has been sought by Ireland, but rejected by the EU Commission, because member states that don’t catch their quotas wouldn’t permit extra catches for Ireland.

EU Fisheries Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius has ordered a “full evaluation” of the CFP, but there is suspicion on the Cork coastline.

“A smoke screen,” says Patrick Murphy, chief executive of the Irish South and West Fish Producers’ Organisation in Castletownbere. “There is no intention to review the CFP or to change it, absolute rubbish, total dishonesty. Our fishermen only want a fair share of fish in our waters, but we are not getting it.”

For years, the Irish industry, backed by a government report, has sought a full review of the CFP. Sinkevičius rejected that and suggests an “evaluation”, which means ‘the process of judging or calculating’. The meaning of ‘review’ is ‘a formal assessment with the intention of instituting change.’

Assessing words, particularly when the user is leaving his post, can be revealing.

Sinkevičius will end his commissioner role when the European elections take place.

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• Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Best of Moscow by high speed train

By shuguley , February 15, 2014 in Regent Seven Seas Cruises

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Sure would appreciate someone who has taken "Best of Moscow by high speed train" from St. Petersburg could please share their impressions of this shore excursion. From the description this sounds like a very long day.

Wondering how the 4 hour train trip was in terms of accommodations, etc. Also what time did you leave the ship and what time at night did you return? Were both legs of the trip on the high speed rail (I read that slower trains also travel the same tracks)?

My wife and I are considering this excursion. We thought that if we are making all the effort to go to Russia then how could we pass up going to Moscow, walking in Red Square, seeing St. Basil, etc.

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If you are considering this on the 2015 June Baltic cruise on Voyager; my suggestion is don't. There is so much to do in St. Petersburg and although a train is one of my favorite ways to travel the time would be far better spent in St. P.

Thanks for the advice. Yes, this would be on the Voyager during the 2015 season but not yet sure exactly which cruise.

We did the Moscow excursion "on a different luxury line", but from your brief description it sounds very much like the same trip, so I will operate on that assumption. It is a VERY long day! We left the ship at 5:30 AM and returned at 12:30 AM. The highspeed train trip is comfortable, and while they call it "Business Class" it does not compare well to the equivalent class on say Rail Europe. When we did it in 2011, we did have highspeed both ways, and the trip back seemed much longer as the adrenaline and excitement had worn off!:D

Moscow itself is not that terribly different from any other big city in the world, but this Cold War kid never thought he would ever stand in Red Square, never mind walk the grounds of The Kremlin, or tour The Kremlin Palace, or see (but not visit) Lenin's Tomb, or visit The Armoury. But he did, and he loved every minute of it! Yes, it is a long day, and you barely scratch a scratch on the surface, but it is worth it. There is a tremendous amount to see in St. Petersburg, but every Baltic cruise goes to St. Petersburg, so you can go back if you choose to. Not every cruiseline offers you the chance to see Moscow.

I have not personally done this tour, but our last time in St Petersburg, the private guide that we hired for a day was leading the regent tour to Moscow on the high speed train the next day. He said it was way better than the previous alternative, which was flying to Moscow and back. He said that you actually got to Moscow faster because you didn't have to deal with airline checkin etc. it did seem like a very long day to me, and there is so much to see and do in st. Petersburg that I didn't consider doing it.

countflorida

We toured to Moscow from St. Petersburg via the hi-speed SAPSAN train last September, from a Baltic cruise on the Oceania Marina. You need to have a two-night, three day port call in St. Petersburg to take this tour because the tour typically leaves the ship around 5:00 - 5:30 AM and doesn't return until after midnight the next day. We didn't take the ship's tour; we made private arrangements with TravelAllRussia for three days of touring, the first and third days in St. Petersburg and the second day the tour to Moscow by train. Our cost for the private tour for three days was about the same as what the ship charged for the excursion to Moscow alone. There are a number of private tour agencies that operate in St. Petersburg and offer the Moscow train tours; we would strongly recommend them over the ship's tours.

All three days had private guides with car and driver. The second day, the driver picked us up at the ship and took us to the train, but we were alone on the train, and met in Moscow by the guide on the station platform. After our tour and dinner, we were brought back to the train and after the return train trip met by the driver and taken back to the ship. Because you are alone on the train you must have your own Russian visas.

If this is your first visit to St. Petersburg, I would agree there is much more to see there. We found Moscow somewhat a disappointment, particularly Red Square. The Kremlin and the cathedral in Red Square were also worth seeing. But the best thing we saw was the Moscow subway! I worked for the Washington Metro system back in the 1980s as it grew from 40 to 80 miles and although I was in the computer area, I learned a lot about the challenges of running a subway system. We used the Moscow system to get across the city from where we had dinner to the train station, and I was amazed at the cleanliness', speed of operation, the short headways maintained, and the courtesy of everyone involved. A very impressive experience!

We had been to St. Petersburg before, and so had the time to take a day and go to Moscow. Also, I really like trains, and the SAPSAN is a German train set running on Russian rails. Seats are like first class domestic air, spacious but not too plush or comfortable, but with enough room. Not too much recline, and almost 8 hours on the train in two shots is a lot for an old man. They come through and sell drinks, candy, etc. but the sellers don't speak English and no one around us helped, so we had just poor coffee once coming, and brought stuff with us for the trip back. Not too much to see from the train either, particularly on the return when it is night the whole way.

If you decide to go, take a private tour and avoid the overly expensive ship's tour. I'm glad we did it, but wouldn't bother to repeat the tour; we've seen Moscow.

Thanks so much to all of you for the thorough and thought insight. Yhe information you have provided is most helpful.

countflorida: Your detailed post is very helpful. We are not quite ready for a Baltic cruise but should do so within a year. Time enough to do our pre travel research, bookings and visa gathering.:) Thank you!

Emperor Norton

Sure would appreciate someone who has taken "Best of Moscow by high speed train" from St. Petersburg could please share their impressions of this shore excursion. From the description this sounds like a very long day.   Wondering how the 4 hour train trip was in terms of accommodations, etc. Also what time did you leave the ship and what time at night did you return? Were both legs of the trip on the high speed rail (I read that slower trains also travel the same tracks)?   My wife and I are considering this excursion. We thought that if we are making all the effort to go to Russia then how could we pass up going to Moscow, walking in Red Square, seeing St. Basil, etc.

I did this on Seabourn. IMO DONT. Take Aeroflop (er Aeroflot). The train has non folding seats where you are literally knee to knee with your fellow passenger (facing each other). Further they don't believe in air conditioning. It's also the worlds slowed bullet train. I think I would have found more enjoyment wandering around the St. Petersburg and Moscow airports.

Countflorida,

This is a little off topic,, however we had planned a river cruise in Russia but decided we would rather stay on land and have booked about two weeks with Travel-All-Russia using the private guide and driver. I'm curious as to how you found them as a tour company.

The guides they provided were fine. We had a different guide each of the days in St. Petersburg, but both were flexible, pleasant, knowledgeable and spoke English very well, as did the guide in Moscow, incidentally. She was a bit aloof, distant, not too friendly, but otherwise fine. In fact, she was the one who suggested taking the Metro, which unexpectedly became one of the highlights of the Moscow excursion. If I have a complaint with AllTravelRussia, it is with their plan and its execution (more later).

I had requested emphasis on World War II (in Russia, the Great Patriotic War) sites and info. In scheduling us, they weren't careful about dates and a couple of the sites we wanted to see were scheduled on the third day, after we'd been to Moscow. But both sites were closed that day of the week, and that info was readily available, right on web sites describing them. Also, the included meals (lunches in St. Pete, dinner in Moscow) were not what we asked for: light meals with some choices, so we could avoid things we didn't like and choose things we did like. My request was ignored; we were given full Russian meals with a fixed menu, no choice. On the first day, a fish dish was the entre, but I am allergic to fish. Fortunately, I had the e-mail I'd sent with me and showed it to the guide, and she was able to change my entre to chicken, which was very good actually. But we didn't want a 3-4 course lunches or dinner (in Moscow). We had the guide drop the lunch the third day, although we never got any credit or refund. But, particularly in contrast to the ship's tours, the prices were so reasonable we didn't worry too much about it.

The people who were on the ship's tour to Moscow saw us boarding the same train for which they were forced to queue up and wait on the way back, and asked us what we had done. I was candid and open so they were not happy when I explained what we had arranged and particularly what it had cost. Also, when we returned to the ship, we found they had laid on a late supper for those who had gone to Moscow, so up we went and had something. Well, it turns out the late supper was supposed to be just for those on the ship's tour, but we and others on 'independent' tours, there were a dozen or more of us, crashed the party, actually got there first, and they didn't realize it until the larger group arrived and there weren't enough tables/places set. By that time, the 'independents' had all gotten served and were eating; what could they do?

A couple from the larger group sat down with us and asked us about our tour, and they were the ones I told about our arrangement and its cost. They turned to others who’d been with them and announced the details, loudly enough so the whole room heard, which started a lot of bitching and complaining. I gathered they weren't very happy with the ship's tour to begin with, and this was the straw that broke the camel's back. We finished up and beat it out of there, but overheard later that one of the excursion staff came to check on something and ran into a real mess. I caught a cold on the trip, which forced me to bed the second day following in Tallinn, so by the time we reappeared we heard about the contretemps' but apparently no one recalled who started it, thankfully.

Because of what happened to us, I would probably not use AllTravelRussia if I were to go again, or if I did, I would be sure to get confirmation of every detail of the tour. They do have good reviews generally, and we were certainly helped by their visa department and liked the guides and drivers. Their weakness, I say now with full 20:20 hindsight, is that once the sales person who plans the tour, sells it to you and collects your money, he (or she) transfers the plan to their Russia office for implementation; there is no follow-up to make sure it gets done right. And that is where our problems arose; we paid for a custom tour but got a standard package with a few destinations switched, and no one checked them out, even to see when they were open the day we were scheduled to go. If you check every detail that’s important to you, it should be OK, but that’s a hell of a way to have to do business, in my opinion.

Thank you for the 20/20 hindsight observation on your Russian tour operator, and better priced than the ship's excursion cost.

Thanks very much for the feedback.

We had the same experience as you so far as price. We originally booked a Viking Cruise but, hearing some things about the river cruises that made us unhappy, looked into other options. T-A-R cost the same or less than a cruise and had us in hotels for 11 days. We opted for the private tour. They have three tour levels, based on hotels. We originally opted for the four star as it did not cost much more than the three star hotels. Finally we decided to throw it all in and upgraded to five star. In Moscow we will be at the newly opened Kempinsky which is two blocks from Red Square. In St. Petersburg it is the Grand Hotel Europe, one of the most vaunted luxury hotels in Russia. Location is important for us as the tours use up only part of the day so being in the center of everything for our independent touring is important. As with many other cities, the less you pay, the farther out of the center of town you are.

We have been working with our salesman in D.C. and he seems to get back to us with the changes we want. He recently returned from Russia so is up on everything. When I asked they said they paid the full TA commission if I wanted so I got my usual TA on board so he is watching our back and giving us that extra level of comfort. He also set up our air, which I know pays him little or nothing, and got us business class for much less than T-A-R wanted for economy, though it took working for a while with a consolidator. He's happy to get his 10 percent on this trip without having booked it. He also took care of the trip insurance. We've been doing a lot of research on the CC sister site Trip Advisor and will write a report there. We will, I guess, become a source of info for CC members after having spent 5 days in Moscow and 6 in SP.

• 4 months later...

scubacruiserx2

Anybody considering a day trip to Moscow from St. Petersburg on the Sapsan may want to look at our travelogue filled with pictures.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1927687

Very informative. Thanks dor sharing. Jeff

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