Masterminded by local teacher and permaculture specialist Tara de la Casas and the Transition Town Kinsale group with Sáile, the orchard was planted in 2011 (a windbreak of indigenous hedging was planted first!). Its maintained by Sáile and volunteers, facilitated by Donal Chambers, from Kinsale College, the Transition Town group and Kinsale Men’s Shed with occasional help from Kinsale Scouts/Guides and the Community School “green team”.

You can relax, or picnic, overlooking the estuary and bird sanctuary at Commogue Marsh, on the hand crafted oak bench built by local wood magician Dan Benn. Growing here, and there to be collected by the community when ripe, you will find Walnuts, Hazelnuts, Cherries, Apples, Pears, Plums, and more.

The college is internationally renowned for its permaculture design and organic horticulture programs. It is also home to Ireland’s only public building created from 100% sustainable materials – a theatre!

The grounds are home to an impressive array of organic foodstuff growing both indoors and out, as well as a nursery of Irish tree species. You can usually venture in off the road (when open), but for the full experience contact the staff/college in advance.

Here you will find not one, but two raised beds constructed by Kinsale Tidy Towns, Transition Town Kinsale & SuperValu, and faithfully maintained by four talented local ladies whose names all begin with ‘M’. Growing here is everything from mint & horseradish (to go with your Roast Beef) to wild strawberries, onions, and parsley. At least one top chef in town is known to come here to stock up his larder in season. You are welcome to do so as well. PLEASE help yourself, and marvel at what life is like when people actively plant seeds entirely for harvest by others. Back along the roadside wall of the supermarket, you can also harvest blackcurrants and rhubarb.

Catherine Kent and her family have had a smallholding in the town for many years. If you’re lucky you can pick up the fruits (and vegetables) of their labour within hours of being picked from the field. Onions, Kale, Cabbage, Carrots and everything in its season.

Wednesday is the best day to go for an Edible Walk, it’s market day. All the food in the market is grown locally, often organically, except the coffee. Many local growers supply the restaurants in town, so this is your chance to meet the faces behind the menus, and learn first-hand what it takes to produce the tastiest, and most sustainable food Kinsale has to offer. Many of the traders also supply the online Neighbour Food scheme.

Not many local people even know that’s the name given to this cosy green space at the Long Quay, and even fewer know that Guava and Goji Berry are growing here, as well as apple, gooseberry and blackcurrant. Planted in 2019, you won’t feed an army on these crops yet, but we bet you’ve never even seen a Goji Berry bush close up in a public park! Tidy Towns and the ladies with names beginning ‘M’ are the caretakers here. This is also a great place to picnic and is currently the end of our Edible Walk. There is an extension “under construction” further along by The Spaniard and Man Friday, but that’s for another day.

There are edibles growing in other parts of the town, including in school grounds, and at the Haven Bay Care home At least one top chef in town is known to come here to stock up his larder in season. And of course, the harbour and estuary are full of nutritious seaweeds and kelp. So, we hope you enjoy and appreciate the Kinsale’s initial edible landscaping planting which demonstrates our commitment to becoming a healthy sustainable community.