Ireland: Driving from Cobh to Kinsale

I just noticed Rick's Ireland book mentions a ferry, but the route he describes is the other direction--from Kinsale to Cobh. It sounds quite confusing! I'm assuming I'll see signs to Kinsale after catching the ferry at Cobh.

Gail,

There is a ferry across the water, so you do not have to drive to Cork to get to Kinsale. It's just up the street from the harbor about a mile or so, but it's easy to miss as it's a very small pier. I'd ask someone in Cobh wherever you are to tell you how to get there. They were very friendly and helpful to us.

Also, a good GPS is a must! Once you're over the harbor, you can input your Kinsale address and it will take you there. You can also check out Google maps or other sites for the route. I would not attempt to reverse engineer Rick's route.

Hope this helps. Both Cobh and Kinsale are lovely towns with beautiful harbor views. I hope you enjoy them.

Gail,we were staying in Kinsale 2 years ago and went to Cobh for the day. We were following both Rick's directions and some from our B&B. We got SO lost, ended up in Cork and almost went back to Kinsale when we finally saw the hidden sign. Yes, you will take a short ferry to get there and back, and don't go to Cork. Cobh is an interesting town and worth a few hours. You'll really love Kinsale!

Hi Gail,
We drove from Kinsale to Cork and back about two years ago and did not go through Cork, nor use a ferry. We had directions from ViaMichelin or the AA but really did not need them. The road goes under the River via the Jack Lynch Tunnel. Cobh is good place for a couple of hours, and we stopped at Fota house on the way back.

Why wouldn't the route from Cobh to Kinsale be the opposite of Kinsale to Cobh? The ferry lands on both sides of the water. There shouldn't be a problem just following a map or following route directions in the opposite direction.

Sorry. I guess you want to use the ferry. It will save u 5 miles over the tunnel. Try Googling Cobh cross river ferries.

Sure, use the ferry. The reason it is difficult to follow Rick's advice in reverse is that he uses the ferry signs as directions and when you are driving from the ferry you cannot see the signs. We did it last September and at one point we had to backtrack to get on th right road. I do not think you will find signs to Kinsale when you come off the ferry, but there are signs to other towns on the map. Go left when you leave the ferry and watch for signs to the town you choose and continue to chose other places as you go. There are plenty of small towns on the way, but as someone suggested, a GPS will make it simpler.

Gail, we were in Kinsale last week and made this exact trip. We used the ferry in the morning going from Kinsale to Cobh (pronounced Cove) and returned by "land" in the evening. Either way works but I'd suggest the land route. The ferry costs 8 Euro and the route requires either a GPS or great map reading skills. The "land" route is much faster and you circle Cork on fast roads - don't worry about getting mixed into Cork city traffic. Also the signage to Kinsale is much clearer. We loved our visit to Kinsale - make sure you take the walking tour with Don Herlihy - he really knows how to make the town's story come alive.