Kinsale Diaries
Finally, after years of fomo, I’m in the Kinsale club. My first trip in Kinsale was a blast. Chris and Ed were the perfect travel companions. Everyone had a glimmer of excitement in their eyes, despite the 5am wake up call. The flight was quick, packed with Sharks. As we took to the windy roads from Cork airport, our taxi driver Flash, proceeded to rip the piss out of me (and only me) for the entire journey for my meticulous (Soho audio producer) planning. Good old Irish charm. When Flash says he'll be there, he'll be there.
We headed straight to the Made by Humans ‘A Bloody Mess’ AI talk. The audience made ridiculous and hilarious prompts to make this film on the spot - A Bloody Mess Film Pretty bonkers really. It’s an unfamiliar world for a lot of us, so this was quite the insight to see the limitations on prompts and also how many different tools and platforms are used to get the end result. And at the end of the day it is clear that there is a need for human input and craft for all angles of the production. It’s certainly not just the low budget quick fix that so many fear it to be. And damn, those bloody Mary’s were strong.
After an obligatory pint of Guinness, we headed over to The Spaniard. We didn’t manage to bag a ticket for the Drag Bingo, but we were not the only ones. The real party was on the streets. Basking in the sun, not a cloud in the sky. So many familiar faces, great vibes.
For dinner on our first night, we went to a gorgeous moody candlelit restaurant called The Black Pig. The food was out of this world, and very welcomed after the giant packet of crisps we shared on the way to The Spaniard for lunch. We weren’t quite ready to head straight to the karaoke, so we decided to check out Flash’s (our taxi driver) favourite pub - Kitty’s. We lucked out, there was fiddle and we got our helping of traditional Irish music. Tick.
Resisting the temptation to head to bed, we powered through and headed over to the karaoke. I’m not really a karaoke kinda gal, but it was a brilliant night. Chris clutched the song sheet for the entire night and edged closer and closer to the mic. But never quite plucked up the courage to get up there. Maybe next time Chris.
Feeling less than fresh, we all woke up bright and early and put on our running shoes to take on the sites. It was glorious. The sun was shining yet again, and Kinsale really is absolutely stunning. We managed a cool 5k.
I then spent my morning on the Peach harbour cruise. I must admit, I was slightly apprehensive in case I discovered I’m horrendously sea sick. But the fresh Irish Sea air was the perfect tonic. So much fun catching up with old friends and new.
Our afternoon was spent back at The Spaniard for Universal's gig and BBQ. One of my Kinsale highlights for sure. Amazing music, drinks were flowing and I didn’t actually to try the food as I was saving myself for our Fishy Fishy dinner. What a beautiful seafood restaurant it was. And just when we were getting ready to call it a night, the George Michael Tribute act at our hotel totally stole the show. Reminding us of how many bangers George Michael had. I don’t think I’ve laughed so hard in a long time.
The Kinsale running club made it out again for our last morning. Although we were a man down, not naming any names (he’s really tall and wears a hat all the time). Tried to run to the Bulman but a hill on route got the better of us. 4k will do.
I’ve heard seasoned Kinsalers go on fishing trips, horse riding and cold water swimming. I’ve only just scratched the surface of Kinsale, and I can’t wait to return. Until next time.
