Kinsale

Kinsale Cionn tSáile
Location
Coordinates: 51°42′27″N 8°31′50″W / 51.7075°N 8.5305556°W / 51.7075; -8.5305556
Statistics
Province:	Munster
County:	County Cork
Elevation:	10 m
Population (2002)  - Town:  - Environs:	2,257   1,297

Kinsale Market House (circa 1600), now a Museum

Market Street in Kinsale, one of the town's oldest thoroughfares

On the quayside at Kinsale

Kinsale (Irish: Cionn tSáile) 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. The April 2006 census recorded that British nationals made up 9% of the town's population.^[5]

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. The town is noted for its eating establishments, and holds a "Gourmet Festival" annually. The celebrity chef Keith Floyd was previously a resident of Kinsale.^[6]

Prominent buildings in the town include St. Multose's church (Church of Ireland), St. John the Baptist (Roman Catholic), the Market House and the so-called French Prison (or Desmond Castle).

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.^[7] 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 and Ireland, 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, some of the bodies and survivors were brought to Kinsale and the subsequent inquest on the bodies recovered was held in the town's courthouse.^[8] 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. Kinsale and Bandon are linked by public transport with a bus service provided by West Cork Rural Transport.

Transition towns

Kinsale is the first Transition Town in Ireland. It is a community-based group, supported by Kinsale town council. It looks for sustainable 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 spawned further Transition Towns worldwide.^[9]

Sports and community groups

Kinsale Rugby Football Club recently celebrated its 25th anniversary.^[10] It has a strong underage system^{[citation needed]}, a women's team and competitive squad of players in both the first and seconds junior men's team.^{[citation needed]}

The Kinsale GAA club plays in the Cork South East Division.^[11]

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 Sevens By The Sea rugby event.^[12] The branch has 2 ambulances which are housed in a purpose built building in Church Lane and crewed by trained volunteers.

Kinsale won the Irish Tidy Towns Competition in 1986.

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Kinsale is twinned with:

• Newport, RI, USA^[13]
• Mumbles, Wales, United Kingdom ^[14]

See also

• List of towns and villages in Ireland
• List of RNLI stations
• Market Houses in Ireland
• Kinsale (Parliament of Ireland constituency)
• Old Head of Kinsale

References

External links

• Official Kinsale Website
• The UnOfficial Kinsale Website
• Kinsale History Society
• Kinsale Lifeboat Station
• Kinsale & District Newsletter
• Transition Town Kinsale
• The Tidy Towns of Ireland "Celebrating 50 years"

Coordinates: 51°42′23″N 8°31′30″W / 51.7065°N 8.525°W / 51.7065; -8.525