Old Head of Kinsale

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2009)

Coordinates: 51°37.0′N 8°31.5′W / 51.617°N 8.525°W / 51.617; -8.525

Kinsale Lighthouse

Old Head of Kinsale Lighthouse on headland near Kinsale, County Cork
Location	County Cork, Ireland
Characteristic	Irish Coast Rock mark

Lighthouse and golf course on the Old Head

The Old Head of Kinsale, (in Irish, An Seancheann) is a headland near Kinsale, County Cork, Ireland. An early lighthouse was established here in the 17th century by Robert Reading. It is notable for being the nearest land point to the site of the sinking of the RMS Lusitania in 1915.

Today the Old Head of Kinsale is popular with golfers who come to play on its 18 Hole golf course that opened in 1997.

Geographical Information

The old head of Kinsale was formed by differential erosion. An outcrop of hard sandstone is lodged between two layers of shale. The shale is eroded by marine action at a faster rate than the sandstone. The sandstone anticlines were much more resistant to erosion than the slate filled synclines. Thus over time the headland was formed.^{[citation needed]}

Protests

Since the golf course opened, access to the Old Head of Kinsale has been restricted to golfers and guests only, and there has been a long-running campaign for the restoration of public access organised by the Free the Old Head of Kinsale Campaign. This campaign has mainly taken the format of "People's Picnics", some of them involving "incursions" onto the headland and holding the picnics at the Old Head lighthouse.

The Old Head's transformation from public beautyspot to private golf course has been controversial. It is rumoured that to get planning permission for the golf course, the owner had to allow the public access but since 1997 very few general public are allowed on the course.^{[citation needed]} The golf course has also been criticised for being elitist^{[citation needed]} and is one of the most expensive golf courses in Ireland.^{[citation needed]}

See also

• Lighthouses in Ireland

External links

• Commissioners of Irish Lights Lighthouse history
• Free the Old Head of Kinsale Campaign
• Mapquest location map
• Old Head Golflinks
• Keep Ireland Open

v t e Irish lighthouses Lighthouses are shown in anti-clockwise sequence beginning from the north and proceeding west, south, east, and back to north. County Donegal Inishowen Inishtrahull Fanad Dunree Buncrana Tory Island Arranmore Ballagh Rocks Rathlin O'Birne Rotten Island St. John's County Sligo Blackrock Lower Rosses Point Metal Man Oyster Island County Mayo Broadhaven Eagle Island Blackrock Blacksod Bay Achillbeg Inishgort County Galway Slyne Head Cashla Bay Eeragh Straw Island Inisheer County Clare Blackhead Loop Head Kilcredaun Head Corlis Point Front Corlis Point Rear Scattery Island County Kerry Little Samphire Island Inishtearaght Cromwell Point Valentia Rear Valentia Front Skelligs County Cork Bull Rock Ardnakinna Castletown Directional Light Roancarrig Sheep's Head Mizen Head Crookhaven Copper Point Fastnet Rock Baltimore Beacon Galley Head Old Head of Kinsale Charlesfort Roches Point Ballycotton Youghal County Waterford Mine Head Ballinacourty Point Dunmore East County Wexford Duncannon Hook Head Tuskar Rock County Wicklow Wicklow Head County Dublin Muglins Poolbeg Kish Bank Baily Howth Head Rockabill County Louth Dundalk County Down Green Island Vidal Bank Haulbowline St. John's Point Angus Rock Donaghadee Mew Island County Antrim Blackhead Chaine Tower The Maidens Rathlin East Rue Point Rathlin West List of lighthouses in Ireland Lightvessels in Ireland Commissioners of Irish Lights Category:Lighthouses in Ireland List of islands of Ireland Coastal landforms of Ireland

This geographical article about County Cork is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

This lighthouse-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

This Ireland maritime-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e