While the world has been turned upside down for so many of us over the past 4 weeks, the kindness being shown in our wonderful town of Kinsale has just been overwhelming.
On St. Patrick’s Day, following a similar initiative in the Clontead area, we offered to compile a list of volunteers who could help people out who were self-isolating, vulnerable or just worried about going out and catching Covid19. Within 24 hours we had over 30 volunteers, an ad in the Kinsale Advertiser and posters and fliers to distribute around the Kinsale area. Since then the initiative has grown to over 80 volunteers located throughout the Kinsale/Dunderrow area who are carrying out tasks daily for those who are now cocooning since the Taoiseach’s announcement on Friday, 27th March.
One of our volunteers, Fiona Dyer, suggested a collection of groceries in Super Valu in order to provide care packages for the elderly, and with the co-operation of Micheal Smith at Super Valu, a large trolley of goods was gathered for delivery on Saturday 4th April.
Eli Lilly Kinsale provided funding of €500 to pay for the printing of an extra 2000 Kinsale Covid19 Volunteer fliers at a cost of €195 which were delivered by volunteers on Tuesday 31st March and the balance of €305 to buy goods for the care packages!
This amazing show of solidarity by the community of Kinsale enabled a team of volunteers to put together 57 bags of groceries which were delivered on Saturday 4th April to members of our community who are cocooning & isolating during these strange times.
Thanks to Fiona Dyer for suggesting the collection, Kinsale SuperValu Supermarket for facilitating it and the donation, Footloose Kinsale for supplying the bags, Eli Lilly for the donation, the fab volunteer team who bag packed and delivered, Kinsale Gardaí for their assistance and of course all of you who donated groceries & treats.
The volunteer group received so many positive messages from those who received the care packages, the recipients were so delighted that members of the community were thinking of them at this time.
Last week the volunteer group hoped to organise another delivery of care packages once we had enough goods in the trolley but thanks to a phone call from a very generous Kinsale man, Mr. Teddy O’Brien, offering a donation of €1000, we are thrilled that we will be able to continue this service for another few weeks. Our deepest gratitude to Teddy for this amazing act of kindness.
We are hoping that children in the community will make little Happy Easter cards which we can pop in the bags this Saturday, these will definitely spread some cheer and lift spirits. We will be in the car park in Super Valu on Saturday between 1.30pm and 3pm if people wish to drop them up to us.
In other good news, Cru Restaurant has offered to cook some meals for those cocooning over the next few weeks and Finns’ Table are cooking a turkey and ham dinner this Saturday for delivery to those most in need.
Kinsale Good Food Circle has also just announced that they will provide a hot meal every Saturday for the next 5 weeks! The Good Food Circle will provide sponsorship to 5 owner/chef run restaurants who will then cook the food provided, namely Jim Edwards, Man Friday, Fishy Fishy, The Bulman and The Blue Haven. What a wonderful gesture from the Good Food Circle!
Huge thanks to everyone who has helped in any way in our endeavours to help those in our community for whom this is a very challenging and upsetting time. Your assistance and contributions are very much appreciated.

Stay safe, stay home and flatten the curve!