Cork has, rightly, for many years styled itself as a City of Festivals. Many, many other cites; many, many other communities, host many and varied festivals but not that many do so with such natural, unfettered gusto and enthusiasm.

"Kinsale doesn’t really do austerity," declared one fashionable lady, holding a glass of champagne as she nibbled on a dainty morsel of pâté de fois gras.

From food tourism — holidays that are all about the restaurants — to annual pilgrimages to high-end eateries, the way we eat out has been transformed.

Caroline James’s first visit to Kinsale’s Gourmet Festival in 2011 inspired her new novel, So You Think You’re A Celebrity… Chef?