|
Kinsale in County Cork is one of the most picturesque,
popular and fashionable resorts of the south-west coast of
Ireland. Famous for its beautiful yachting,
sea angling,
Dolphin & Whale
Watching Trips, gourmet
restaurants and golf.
For those of you who would like to improve your English, there
is the excellent Kinsale
School of English and
Art galleries
Photo ©John
Collins |
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, 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.
HISTORY
The Battle of Kinsale, fought in 1601 between a
combined Spanish, 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). See also the old Courthouse,
now a museum; St Multose Church, built in the 13th century and
still in use, and 'French Prison', the 16th century Desmond
Castle. There is a 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.
|
