Everything about Kinsale totally explained
Kinsale is a town in
County Cork,
Ireland. Located some 25 km south of
Cork City on the coast near the
Old Head of Kinsale, it sits at the mouth of the
River Bandon and has a population of 2,257 which increases substantially during the summer months when the tourist season is at its peak and when the boating fraternity arrive in large numbers.
Kinsale is a popular
holiday resort for Irish and foreign
tourists which is known for its many
gourmet restaurants and leisure activities - including yachting, sea
angling, and
golf. The town also has several art galleries and a noted school of English. The town is compact with a quaint air of antiquity in the narrow intersecting streets. There is a large yachting marina close to the town centre which attracts sailing enthusiasts. A number of hotels cater for the tourists, namely, the Blue Haven, The White Lady, The Trident and Actons on the Harbour's edge. The Carlton, overlooking
Oysterhaven Bay, 3 km from town, is the newest addition to the hospitality sector. Kinsale is twinned with
Mumbles, Wales.
On
October 8,
2005, Kinsale became Ireland's second
Fair Trade Town, with
Clonakilty being the first.
History
In 1601, Kinsale was the site of a
battle in which English forces defeated an Irish/Spanish force, led by the princes
Hugh Roe O'Donnell and
Hugh O'Neill. Following this battle the
Flight of the Earls occurred in which a number of the native Irish aristocrats, including the Earls of Tyrone and Tir Conaill abandoned their lands and fled to mainland Europe.
In 1690,
James II of England, following his defeat at the
Battle of the Boyne, departed to France.
Charles Fort, located at
Summer Cove and dating from 1677, is a fortification that guards the entrance to Kinsale harbour. It was built to protect the area and specifically the harbour from use by the
French and
Spanish in the event of a landing in Ireland.
James's Fort is located on the other side of the cove, on the
Castlepark peninsula. An underwater chain used to be strung between the two forts across the harbour mouth during times of war to scuttle enemy shipping by ripping the bottom out of incoming vessels.
When the
RMS Lusitania was sunk by a
German U-boat on
May 7,
1915, rescue efforts were co-ordinated out of Kinsale, which was the nearest harbour.. A statue in the harbour commemorates the effort.
Transport
Bus Éireann provides Kinsale's only means of public transport. Buses regularly operate from Kinsale to Cork City, with most of these going through
Cork Airport on the way.
Transition towns
Kinsale is the first transition town in Ireland. It is a community-based group, supported by Kinsale town council. It looks for sustainble solutions to the challenges of
peak oil and
climate change. Public meetings are held on the third thursday of every month. It has taken much guidance from the Kinsale energy decent plan 2021, which has further spawned over 20
Transition Towns in England and Scotland.
Sports and community groups
Kinsale Rugby Football Club recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. It has a strong underage system, a women's team and competitive squad of players in both the first and seconds junior men's team.
The Kinsale Branch of the Red Cross has been in existence since 1939 and is staffed by volunteers, who are present at local events and activities - including the annual Kinsale
Rugby sevens event. The branch has 2 ambulances which are housed in a purpose built building in Church Lane and crewed by trained volunteers.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Kinsale'.
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