The Drawing Room HourNotebook No 121May 2026
The harbour town when the day-trippers have driven back to Cork.
Collected by Deborah. Read her editorial perspective
Around six o’clock, Kinsale empties. The day-trippers have departed for Cork and their evening meals, leaving the harbor light to soften from a bright midday glare into something more true. This specific, quiet hour is always our preferred time to return.
Adare
We always suggest you walk the Scilly Walk before dinner. This narrow path along the water's edge offers benches facing west. The tide often recedes by this time, and you will see the boats resting on their hulls.
Dine at Fishy Fishy if you secured a reservation; Bastion also serves an excellent meal. Afterwards, trace your steps back along the water, watching the moon outline the harbor.
The Ireland Edit Way
Cut the itinerary in half, then cut it again. The letter we send before every first visit.
Every hotel change costs you half a day. Luxury, in Ireland, is staying put.
Six questions we apply before booking any room in Ireland. The November test, the dinner-twice test, the landscape-over-room test.
To understand Ireland, stop looking at the castles and start looking at the kitchen table.
From the notebook
Collected notes. A few times each season.