08 Jan Kinsale County Cork
Kinsale is in County Cork and one of the most picturesque, popular and fashionable resorts of the south-west coast of Ireland. It has to be seen on any Ireland tours.
Famous for its beautiful yachting , sea angling , Dolphin & Whale Watching Trips , gourmet restaurants….. and golf. The famous course at Old Head is nearby.
Kinsale can easily claim its place amongst Ireland’s most historic locations for this has been a centre of population , commerce , trade and fishing far beyond memory and record.
In its earliest days the estuary of the Bandon River gave it great importance as the river is tidal as far as Innishannon and water transport was dominant until the 18th Century.
The estuary also provided excellent anchorage for ancient shipping which went in peril of the vagaries of the weather.
The Town nestles between the hills and the shoreline and is a maze of narrow streets never far from the water and little changed in many hundreds of years.
Amongst buildings of later periods are those of another age with historical links to the French , Spanish , British and Americans.
The Battle of Kinsale , fought in 1601 between a combined Spanish army , an Irish force and English armies , was a turning point in Irish history.
The harbour is guarded by two very fine star-shaped fortresses built in the 17th century: Charles Fort is well worth a visit (guided tours).
There is also the old Courthouse , now a museum ; St Multose Church , built in the 13th century and still in use , and the ‘French Prison’ – the 16th century Desmond Castle.
There is a good signposted tourist trail to this fascinating town with a guide booklet.
Take a trip too to the Old Head of Kinsale for magnificent cliff scenery. It was off here that the Lusitania was sunk in 1915 with a loss of over 1, 500 lives.
If you take any tours of Ireland try and get to Kinsale. As a town it is a must see attraction with a host of hidden gems.
