Would you stay in Kinsale or Cashel?

I definitely recommend seeing the Rock of Cashel and the adjacent ruins of Hore Abbey but would stay in Kinsale. Kinsale seems considerably larger with more to do. It's also known as the "Gourmet Capital of Ireland". The restaurants are great! My favorite was Jola's. I didn't drive directly between the two, so I can't comment on on that.

I would agree - definitely see the Rock of Cashel, but stay in Kinsale. I haven't driven directly between them, but Cashel is a tiny town in the middle of the plain. Kinsale is a cute little coastal town.

We just stayed in Cashel in May. We had one night to spare. Stayed at Joys Rock House which was right next door to the Rock. Had a fabulous dinner at Chez Han (right across the street from Joys). Joys was a little formal but she was a really lovely lady and her B&B was impecable. It was a good stop if you are limited in time.

We ate at Chez Hans too. It is a very unique place to eat at in Cashel and an excellent change from pub food. It looks like an old church that has been converted into a restaurant. If you decide to eat there, be sure to get a reservation. We did not and had a bit of a wait. We did not get to Kinsale on our trip, since we were heading north after Cashel, so can't say anything about that town. From Cashel we toured to Cahir and some of the surrounding area there.

Hi Sherry - We were in Kinsale in October and loved it.
Great food, great music, fun walk around the town.
Many charming places to stay. We then drove to Cashel
on our way to Dublin. I don't remember it being a
long drive.

I vote for Kinsale-stayed at Habour View Farm-Siobhan and Nigel were great host and hostesses.Neat little town.

I've stayed a couple of nights in Kinsale over the years.

Always good craic there and it's a very beautiful spot. Love the White House Inn

I would also agree with the other poster's on visiting the Rock of Cashel, but staying in Kinsale. Kinsale is absolutely gorgeous and there is a lot more options there for restaurants/pubs/cafe's, etc.

The drive is about an 1-1.5 hours from Cashel to Kinsale and the majority of it is on the M-8.

The drive from Cork to Kinsale is lovely

Where will you be coming from?

My vote is for Kinsale as well. We had some of the best fish and lamb in Kinsale last year - I believe RS says it is the gourmet capitol of Ireland or something like that. We stayed at Rivermount House which was not IN town, but about 1-2 miles from town. It was a small, cute house, but the landscape around the house was stunning. Agree with other posts though - do NOT miss the Rock of Cashel.