Kinsale, Ireland

In the past I very rarely used to get any postcards from Ireland so I always saw it as a "rare" country, which is a bit strange as it's UK's neighbour... Well, now there are some lovely Irish members on the postcrossing forum, and thanks to them my collection of Irish postcards has grown. It's such a beautiful country, too, I always love receiving postcards from there.



This card came from a RR on the forum. It shows Summer Cove in Kinsale, a town in County Cork, southern Ireland. Located some 25 km south of Cork City on the coast near the Old Head of Kinsale, it sits at the mouth of the River Bandon and has a population of 2,257 which increases substantially during the summer months when the tourist season is at its peak and when the boating fraternity arrive in large numbers.

Kinsale is a popular holiday resort for Irish and foreign tourists which is known for its many gourmet restaurants and leisure activities - including yachting, sea angling, and golf. The town also has several art galleries and a noted school of English. The town is compact with a quaint air of antiquity in the narrow intersecting streets. There is a large yachting marina close to the town centre which attracts sailing enthusiasts. A number of hotels cater for the tourists. The town is noted for its eating establishments, and holds a "Gourmet Festival" annually. The celebrity chef Keith Floyd was previously a resident of Kinsale.



The stamp was issued only a few days ago, at the end of July! It's from a set of four stamps featuring Ireland’s birds of prey (raptors) as part of the Fauna and Flora series. This one here is the Peregrine Falcon.