Kinsale or Youghal

dedaw

We are planning on a weeks holiday in August and all looking for your opinions on which town or area would be better. We have a 4 and a 2 year old and will be staying in self catering.

Are the towns safe, good atmosphere, facilities, eateries, anything you can think of. Swimming pools, open farms, playgrounds. Especially for if the weather turns nasty!
Thanks in advance.

mordeith

Kinasle is a nicer looking town to be sure but more expensive as well. Youghal is well located though. Reasonable beach in town but Red Barn just up the road is nicer. Two open farms within 20 mins, Leahy's and Ardmore. Perks is in Youghal and has decent jungle gym. Aura swimming pool. About 20 mins from Fota.
Kinsale would have greats restaurants and nightlife but I'm not sure how kid friendly it is to be honest. Others may contribute more

CharlieCroker

Kinsale is just a nicer town. Closer to the city and west cork too for activities there.

mordeith

CharlieCroker wrote: »

Kinsale is just a nicer town. Closer to the city and west cork too for activities there.

Only about 10 mins closer. Not sure there's much in the city for kids that young really. Even the playgrounds in the park is closed.

Balmed Out

Big advantage of Youghal is your on the beach. Kinsale is a nicer town but small footpaths etc so may not be as great for small kids. Look at Clonakilty or Rosscarberry too.

SpaceTime

I don't mean to annoy people from Youghal and I think it has a lot of potential as a town, but it's like chalk and cheese!

Kinsale is very upmarket and absolutely packed with restaurants and little bijoux art galleries and stuff. It's like a bigger version of Dalkey and quite pricy too.

Youghal is a former seaside resort like Bray and is unfortunately a little rundown. It has a nice beach though.

Personally, I'd look at Kinsale and West Cork - more scenery, more beaches, more tourism and food oriented.

Brian?

SpaceTime wrote: »

I don't mean to annoy people from Youghal and I think it has a lot of potential as a town, but it's like chalk and cheese!

Kinsale is very upmarket and absolutely packed with restaurants and little bijoux art galleries and stuff. It's like a bigger version of Dalkey and quite pricy too.

Youghal is a former seaside resort like Bray and is unfortunately a little rundown. It has a nice beach though.

Personally, I'd look at Kinsale and West Cork - more scenery, more beaches, more tourism and food oriented.

You're right. But I'm not sure a 4 an 2 year old have bijoux art galleries high on their list of interests.

We spent 3 nights in Youghal with our 4 and 2 year old at the start of June. Good beach, plenty to do for kids and a 30 minute drive to Fota which you have to do.

whisky_galore

Kinsale wasn't always nice, it was rougher than a badger's behind for years before the foodies and yachties gentrified it.

Youghal's glory days are over, all fading paint and grand but derelict buildings.

SpaceTime

whisky_galore wrote: »

Kinsale wasn't always nice, it was rougher than a badger's behind for years before the foodies and yachties gentrified it.

Youghal's glory days are over, all fading paint and grand but derelict buildings.

That's why I think Youghal and also Cobh have massively untapped potential.

Cobh is absolutely stunning looking but it lacks a lot of foodiness and development that Kinsale has.

whisky_galore

SpaceTime wrote: »

That's why I think Youghal and also Cobh have massively untapped potential.

Cobh is absolutely stunning looking but it lacks a lot of foodiness and development that Kinsale has.

There seems to be a lot more happening in Cobh, what with all the Titanic mania, could do with some more joined up thinking with its attractions though.

Took a trip down to Redbarn one day and was taken aback on how manky it looked, cookie-cutter self catering houses that look a bit sad now, rubbish being dumped/washed up and the like.

BionicRasher

Kinsale is not really great for young kids imho. Nice restaurant scene and the likes but not much in the way of kiddie stuff except the Hurdy gurdy merry go rounds!
According to a local website you can....enjoy historical walking tours, castles, forts, galleries, shops, arts & crafts, horse riding, golf and the recently launched Kinsale Gourmet Academy. there are some beaches nearby but you need to drive to them.
Youghal has the beach and Perks fanfare and swimming pool and is not too bad at all in the high season. Outskirts are a bit run down but town centre is pretty decent. I think it's more suited to younger kids and family's. Much more value for money too I would imagine.
Cobh is a good base also. Lots to do like trips to Spike island, Cobh Road Train (Thomas tank engine lookalike) which goes around the town, also trips on the real train to Cork City etc. There is a swimming pool but no beach. Lots of history in the Titanic tour and Heritage centre which are a good day out espically if its raining outside! decent inexpensive (but not abundant) restaurants. its also very close to Fota, Midleton etc and closer to Cork city than Kinsale or Youghal. Good buzz during summer and lots happening with massive cruise liners calling to the dock. tourism group organise free attractions and music etc for what they call Summer Swing events too.

orthsquel

I suppose it depends on whether you intend to stay in the immediate area or go away for day trips and drives.

I've been to Kinsale loads of times, but never really spent a huge amount of time there. The only things I have noticed for children have been of course, Piper's amusements (the merries) and the relatively new (in the last 2 years) playground beside it. While it's a busy place, streets in general are narrow, there are hills, and the Pier road is the main thoroughfare. I can say that if you want a lovely cone ice-cream, Centra (formerly SuperValu) is the place to go. There's lots of walks in Kinsale (if you look at the Kinsale Chamber of Commerce website it has more detail on walks and other activities) plus the Forts, some boat tours.... there's Kinsale outdoor education activities, water activities, it's near Oysterhaven outdoor pursuits although you'd need to check on both prices and age restrictions as might be unsuitable for the ages of the children you have. You are close to Garretstown and Garrylucas... Garretstown is more for surfers but there are usually kids on the sand there, Garrylucas is more child friendly for swimming and sand, but beware there are sandbanks at various places and sudden deep drops, both have lifeguards but Garrylucas has the basic toilets at the pitch and putt and better parking.
Kinsale would be good if you were taking day trips further out West Cork, or doing the Wild Atlantic Way. But tbh other than the merries and the playground I have never really noticed much for small children with exception to maybe water activities. Only family type restaurant I would know of off hand would be chipper Dino's on Pier road.

By contrast I've never really been to Youghal as such, passed through in the days when the N25 ran through it, but it is bypassed now. I was there recently though but only a small part of the town. I didn't spot anything immediate for children although there is Perks amusements and of course, the beach on the doorstep. I'd be more familiar with what is around Youghal than in Youghal. It's a good location for beaches, you have Red Barn down the road towards Cork city (I should add there are holiday houses out that way, plus the Quality Hotel), but further than that towards Midleton you have Garryvoe, plus Shangarry and well, East Cork basically. Further beyond Youghal towards Waterford you have Ardmore in Co Waterford next to Whitingbay; I was in Ardmore recently, have to say I was quite surprised how nice it looked, there are holiday houses and camping, beach on the doorstep, a free carpark behind the staffed Tourist Information tower (which also has decent toilets at the back of it), there's some nice attractions nearby such as the amusements, I think there may have been pitch and putt or mini golf, you have Ardmore open farm, and there are various walks there too.
There's a few nice drives out that way too, you could do the Copper Coast of Waterford County (accessible from Dungarvan) or you can go to something like Mahon Falls (it's a waterfall, I was there recently, lovely views but some walking required to go to the waterfall itself, while I didn't have the time for the walk to the waterfall, I did see several small and young kids do the walk;it's well signposted from the main N25).
But it depends if you just want to be somewhere and stay put and have everything within the immediate area, or whether you want to go for drives or go out for the day. I would say this though: if you were thinking of Fota, which is Cobh, if you were on the Youghal side you would be better positioned if you were to be going anywhere during rush hour traffic.

pukeko

Hi All, This might be of interest.

Both Youghal and Cobh feature on the Fáilte Ireland Top 15 Tourist Towns (sorry I can't post the link as i have less than 25 posts so can't be trusted not to spam it seems...if you google it there are plenty of newspaper articles).
I live nearby Youghal with two young kids and agree with some of the posters above. Lots to do, Perks, great swimming pool, pitch and putt, dogtrack (free entry in August i think)...near Ardmore (cliff walk, crazy golf, open farm). The town has seen better times but it is on an upward trajectory, a lot of work gone in to promote tourism and bring people back to the area.

Full list:
1. Kilkenny, Co Kilkenny (They must be bummed...thought they were supposed to be a city)
2. Lismore, Co Waterford
3. Killarney, Co Kerry
4. Clonakilty, Co Cork
5. Belmullet, Co Mayo
6. Ardmore, Co Waterford
7. Tralee, Co Kerry
8 . Adare, Co Limerick
9. Sneem, Co Kerry
10. Carrick on Shannon, Co Leitrim
11. Kenmare, Co Kerry
12. Portmagee, Co Kerry
13. Cobh, Co Cork
14. Youghal, Co Cork
15. Mountshannon, Co Clare