Page 178 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Ireland

176  IRELAND REGION B Y REGION

f Street-by-Street: Kinsale Desmond Castle was
built around 1500. It is
For many visitors to Ireland, Kinsale heads the list of known locally as the
places to see. One of the prettiest small towns in Ireland, “French Prison”.
it has had a long and chequered history. The defeat of the To Cork
Irish forces and their Spanish allies in the Battle of Kinsale
in 1601 signified the end of the old Gaelic order. An
important naval base in the 17th and 18th centuries,
Kinsale today is a popular yachting centre. It is also
famous for the quality of its cuisine – the town’s annual CHAIRMAN´S LANE
Festival of Fine Food attracts food lovers from far and
wide. As well as its many wonderful restaurants, the town
has pubs and wine bars to cater for all tastes. CORK STREET

. Old Market House NEWMAN´S MALL
Incorporating the old
courthouse, this MARKET LANE
museum includes a
toll board listing local
taxes for 1788.
Market CHURCH PL
MARKET STREET MARKET QUAY
Square

GUARDWELL

Charles Fort
The star-shaped fort is 3 km (2 miles) east of town in
Summercove, but can be reached by taking the
signposted coastal walk from the quayside, past the
village of Scilly. The fort was built in the 1670s by the
English to pro tect Kinsale harbour against foreign
naval forces but, because of its vulnerability to land
attack, was taken during the siege of 1690 by William
of Orange’s army. Nonetheless, it remained in service
until 1922 when the British forces left the town and
handed it over to the Irish Government. Charles Fort
remains one of the finest remaining examples of a
star-shaped bastion fort in Europe. HIGHER O´CONNELL STREET

. St Multose Church
This much-altered Norman church is
named after an obscure 6th-century
saint and marks the centre of the
medieval town.

Key
Suggested route
Walls and bastions of Charles Fort

For key to symbols see back flap

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