Kinsale

Historic town

Explorer Tom

You might call Kinsale picturesque. The harbour once called it strategic. Kinsale is a town built around a harbour that had to think like a gatekeeper. A charter set up its corporation in 1334, and in 1518 Archduke Ferdinand turned up without an appointment. One of his staff wrote down what he found; I hope somebody at least offered the man a chair. If Ferdinand arrived without warning at my door, he would get tea and a request for notice next time. Later, two forts watched the entrance, James Fort on one side and Charles Fort on the other. Records say a chain could be stretched across the harbour mouth in wartime to stop unwelcome ships. That is a very firm way of saying the port is closed. Look for the older town streets as well as the water, because the town plots still tell you how Kinsale fitted itself around trade and defence. You can wander the town freely; the separate forts have their own visitor arrangements. If I were arriving by sea, I would want to know who was holding the other end of that chain.

What is recorded here

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On or near site of early Christian monastery (CO112-085----); established as trading post by Vikings (Jefferies 1986, 34) and settled by Anglo-Normans c. 1200 (Garner 1980, 1). Received first charter relatively late in 1333-4; murage grant to repair town walls in 1348 (CO112-03402-); market grant of 1226 seems to confirm presence of town at that date (Thomas 1992, 138). Town was 'of little importance throughout the medieval period' (Garner ibid) but featured in siege during Battle of Kinsale in 1601 (Mulcahy 1968, 54-67). Town's defences strengthened in 17th century by construction of James Fort (CO112-036---) in 1604 and Charles Fort in 1670 (CO125-007---),but taken by Williamite forces in 1690 (Mulcahy ibid, 30) when much damage done to town walls. The town continued to grow and prosper to some extent in 18th and 19th centuries, with a heavy reliance on the fishing industry (Gillen and Hurley 1978, 11).

From the National Monuments Service (Archaeological Survey of Ireland) record CO112-034001

The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.

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Photo credits

National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
Gillfoto, Wikimedia Commons
The Speckled Bird, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Unknown author Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
Marathon, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
David Dixon, Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0
Kmcnamee, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Einaz80, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Mike Searle, Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0
Mike Searle, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
Andy Beecroft, Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

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