After the Cork City Marathon: Kinsale

The Route: Cork → Kinsale Logistics: By bus, car or taxi, roughly 30 to 40 minutes; check current Sunday and Monday bus timetables before relying on public transport. Marathon Month: June Duration: 1 night

Cork ──(30-40 min by bus/car/taxi)──> Kinsale

Kinsale, one of Ireland's best-known food towns, offers a genuinely softer landing after the marathon than staying in Cork's own city centre, trading urban energy for a smaller, harbourside pace. June in Kinsale: the town is heading into its busiest season, with restaurants and the harbour itself at their liveliest.

Night One: Kinsale

Kinsale's harbour is the heart of the town, a working marina lined with brightly painted buildings and a genuinely dense concentration of well-regarded restaurants for a town of its size. Charles Fort, a large star-shaped 17th-century fortification a short distance from the town centre, offers coastal views and a substantial site to explore at whatever pace suits recovering legs, with a flatter coastal walk option along the water below the fort itself.

Where to stay: The Trident Hotel, directly on the harbour, puts a runner within easy reach of the town's restaurants and waterfront. Actons Hotel, also overlooking the harbour, offers a similarly central base.

Where to eat: Kinsale's reputation as Ireland's food capital is well earned; Fishy Fishy, a long-established seafood restaurant on the harbour, is one of the town's best-known options, though booking ahead is worthwhile given the town's popularity in June.

Getting Home

The return journey to Cork retraces the same 30 to 40 minute route by bus, car or taxi.