Kinsale

• Town centre has colourful narrow streets.
• • Charles Fort — Impressive star-shaped fort, built 1677-82 over the earlier Ringcurran Castle, and named for the restored King Charles II. It became known as the "new fort", complementing the older James Fort across the harbour. It was built to repulse seaborne attack but was overlooked by higher ground and vulnerable to landward attack. That enabled John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, to capture town and fort in 1690 in the Williamite Wars. Various repairs and additions were made over the next 200 years and it remained a British military base until Irish independence in 1921. It then fell derelict before being restored as a national monument from the 1970s, with an exhibition area in the former commander's quarters. — Address: Summercove — Hours: Daily 11:00-16:30 — Price: Adult €5 — Phone: +353 21 477 2263 — Website: https://heritageireland.ie/visit/places-to-visit/charles-fort-national-monument/
• • Desmond Castle — Well-preserved tower house built circa 1500 by the Earl of Desmond as a custom house. After 1641 it became a prison mostly for Spanish and French captured at sea - in 1747 a fire killed 54 French prisoners - and later for Americans. It continued as the town jail for another century and was a workhouse during the 19th century famines. In the 1990s it was done up as a museum (including for a time as the "International Museum of Wine") but has been closed "for renovation" at least since 2010. — Address: Cork St — Hours: Closed due to conservation works — Website: https://heritageireland.ie/visit/places-to-visit/desmond-castle-kinsale/
• • James Fort — It was built 1602-07 after the siege of Kinsale, over the earlier Castle Ny-Parke, and named for King James I. (Specifically, he was James I of England and Ireland but James VI of Scotland). It had a good range of fire over the harbour approaches from its "blockhouse" and remained in use when Charles Fort was completed. But after the siege of 1690, the new fort became the military base and James Fort fell derelict. You can stroll round anytime. It's only 200 m from town across the river but you have to cross the bridge, making it 3 km and a scenic turnaround point for walkers and joggers. — Price: Free
• • Kinsale Museum — Small museum depicting local history. When the ocean liner RMS Lusitania was torpedoed by a German U-boat in 1915, most survivors and bodies were taken to Cobh. But some bodies were brought here and the inquest into the sinking was opened. — Address: Old Town Hall, Market Square — Hours: Tu-Sa 10:00-14:00 — Price: Adult - €5, Child - €2 — Phone: +353 21 477 7930 — Website: https://www.corkcoco.ie/en/visitor/cork-county-council-owned-and-supported-attractions/kinsale-museum
• • St Multose Church — Church of Ireland. A hotchpotch of most known architectural styles.

• • Sailing — The visitor marina is at Castlepark, across the bridge near James Fort. This was the old navy dockyard, with sailing vessels careened on the beach, but nothing remains of that era. — Website: http://www.castleparkmarina.com/
• • Kinsale Beach — Sandy but small, east of Castlepark village on the road to James Fort.
• • Kinsale Harbour Cruises — Hourly cruises round the harbour, they don't venture into the open sea. Embarkation point is 300 m from Tourist Office opposite Acton's Hotel. — Hours: Apr-Oct daily hourly — Price: Adult €14, child €6 — Phone: +353 86 250 5456 — Website: https://www.kinsaleharbourcruises.com
• • Kinsale Golf Club — Directions: 2 km north of town on R607 — Website: https://www.kinsalegolf.ie/
• • Kinsale Angling — Operate boats daily for fishing or diving. — Website: http://www.kinsaleangling.com
• • Ghost Tour — A slapstick 90 min horror walking tour, though the only real horror is the bad puns perpetrated. It leaves from the Tap Tavern, see Drink. — Hours: May-Sep: Su-F 21:00 — Price: Adult €10, child €5 — Phone: +353 87 948 0910 — Email: briantap97@gmail.com — Website: https://www.facebook.com/kinsaleghosttours1/
• • Historic Stroll Kinsale — A 90 min walking tour Mar-Oct daily at 11:15 from the Tourist Office — Price: Adult €8, child €1. — Website: http://www.historicstrollkinsale.com
• • Dermot Ryan's Heritage Town Walk — Directions: from the Tourist Office — Hours: 10:30 daily — Price: Adult €5, children free — Phone: +353 21 477 2729 — Email: dermotryankinsale@gmail.com — Website: http://www.kinsaleheritage.com
• • Kinsale Arts Weekend — Every July.
• • Kinsale Gourmet Festival — Early October.
• • Cork Jazz Festival — Holds fringe events in Kinsale.

• There's enough cheap and cheerful places, but for a small town Kinsale has a surprising number of excellent gourmet places.
• • Dino's — The place for fish and chips on the harbour, eat in or take-away. — Address: 4 Pier Rd, Sleveen — Hours: Food daily 16:00-21:00 — Phone: +353 21 477 4561 — Website: https://www.dinostakeaway.ie/
• • Rare 1784 at Blue Haven Hotel — Smart hotel but it's the upscale dining that earns the best reviews. — Address: 3 Pearse St — Hours: Food daily 19:30-21:00 — Price: B&B double €180 — Phone: +353 21 477 2209
• • Fishy Fishy Cafe — Spacious indoor, balcony and terrace seating - but best reserve, it's very popular. — Address: Pier Rd — Hours: Daily 12:00-21:00 — Phone: +353 21 470 0415 — Website: http://www.fishyfishy.ie
• • Bastion — Michelin starred restaurant with modern European cooking. — Address: Market St — Hours: W-Su 17:00-23:00 — Phone: +353 21 470 9696 — Email: helenbastion@hotmail.com — Website: http://www.bastionkinsale.com/
• • Max's Seafood — French-Irish style, great reviews all round for food, service and ambiance. — Address: 48 Main St P17 XY07 — Hours: M-W F Sa 18:00-21:30 — Phone: +353 21 477 2443 — Website: https://www.maxs.ie/
• • Jim Edwards — Popular bar and restaurant with good steaks and seafood. — Address: Market Quay — Hours: Daily 12:00-21:00 — Phone: +353 21 477 2541 — Email: info@jimedwardskinsale.com — Website: https://www.jimedwardskinsale.com/
• • The Black Pig — Modern European food. — Address: 66 Lower O'Connell St — Hours: W-Sa 17:30-23:30 — Phone: +353 21 477 4101 — Website: https://www.theblackpigwinebar.com/
• • Man Friday — Famous for its steaks, seafood and stuffed duck served in a gem of a restaurant with harbour views. — Address: Scilly, Kinsale — Hours: M-Th 17:00-21:30, F-Su 12:30-21:30 — Phone: +353 21 477 2260 — Website: https://www.manfridaykinsale.ie/
• • Bulman Bar & Toddies Restaurant — Seafood and seasonal produce in a great setting. The bar often has live trad music. — Address: High Rd, Summercove — Directions: 200 m north of Charles Fort — Hours: M 16:00-23:30, W-Th 12:30-23:30, F-Sa 12:30-00:30, Su 12:30-23:00 Lunch Only — Phone: +353 21 477 2131 — Email: bulmankinsale@gmail.com — Website: https://www.thebulman.ie/
• • The Supper Club — Address: 2 Main Street, P17 A076 — Hours: 12:00-23:00 — Phone: +353 21 470 9233 — Email: thesupperclubkinsale@gmail.com — Website: http://thesupperclub.ie/

Blacks of Kinsale distil gin, whiskey and rum, and brew a range of ales. The distillery doesn't offer tours, but you can sample their product at pubs around town.

• • Spaniard Inn — Pleasant old-world pub on Scilly Peninsula, the food gets mixed reviews. — Address: Scilly — Directions: next to Man Friday — Hours: M-Th 10:30-23:30, F Sa 10:30-00:30, Su 12:30-23:30 — Phone: +353 21 477 2436 — Website: http://www.thespaniard.ie/
• • The Grey Hound — A proper old Irish pub established in 1690. Has a mixed crowd from rugby/hurling fans to hippies. Tables outside, umbrellas and heaters for smokers. Usually sport on TV and a good selection of music if not. — Address: Market Square — Hours: Su-Th 12:00-23:30, F Sa 12:00-00:30 — Phone: +353 21 477 2889 — Website: https://www.facebook.com/GreyhoundAndMarketBar/
• • Kinsale Mead — Ireland's first meadery in 200 years. Tours are a mix of mead history, honey tasting, mead making and mead tasting. — Address: Barracks Lane — Directions: 500 metres from the tourist office — Hours: 12:00-17:00 daily; tours: at 12:00, 14:00 and 16:00 Tu-Su — Price: 15 euro for tour — Phone: +353 21 477 3538 — Email: info@kinsalemeadco.ie — Website: https://www.kinsalemeadco.ie/
• • The Tap Tavern — Friendly pub, has music on Thursday nights. — Address: 9 Guardwell — Directions: below Saint Multose Church — Phone: +353 21 477 3231
• • Kitty O Se's — Traditional Irish Bar with good home cooked Irish food and music seven nights a week. — Address: 1 Pearse Street, P17 DR67 — Hours: M-Th 10:30-23:30, F-Sa 10:30-00:30 Su 12:30-23:00 — Phone: +353 21 470 0053 — Email: kittyoses@gmail.com — Website: https://www.facebook.com/kittykinsale/

• • Kinsale Crystal — Artisan shop specialising in deep cut lead crystal. The founder was originally with Waterford Crystal before setting up Kinsale Crystal. You can also buy from their website, they dispatch worldwide. — Address: Market St — Phone: +353 21 477 4493 — Email: sales@kinsalecrystal.ie — Website: http://www.kinsalecrystal.ie/
• • Kinsale Silver — Handmade silver jewellery with Celtic themes. — Address: Market St — Hours: M-Sa 10:00-18:00, Su 12:00-17:00 — Phone: +353 21 477 4020 — Email: dom@kinsalesilver.ie — Website: http://www.kinsalesilver.ie/

• • Dempsey's Hostel — Clean friendly hostel open all year. — Address: Barracks Lane — Price: Dorm €17 ppn — Phone: +353 21 477 2124 — Website: http://www.dempseyhostel.com/
• • Actons Hotel — Well-run hotel overlooking the harbour, squeaky clean, with pool and fitness centre. — Address: Pier Rd — Price: B&B double €150 — Phone: +353 21 477 9900 — Email: info@actonshotelkinsale.com — Website: https://www.actonshotelkinsale.com/
• • Trident Hotel — 66 rooms, harbor views, restaurant and bar. — Address: World's End P17 NT38 — Price: B&B double €150 — Phone: +353 21 477 9300 — Email: info@tridenthotel.com — Website: https://www.tridenthotel.com/
• • Friar's Lodge — Simple B&B with 18 large rooms, a bit old-fashioned but welcoming and dog-friendly. — Address: Friar St — Price: B&B double €110 — Phone: +353 21 477 7384 — Email: info@friars-lodge.com — Website: http://www.friars-lodge.com
• • The Old Presbytery — This has closed as a B&B and is now self-catering. Open Mar-Oct, no dogs. — Address: 43 Cork St P17 AE80 — Directions: opposite Desmond Castle — Price: From €200 / night — Phone: +353 21 477 2027 — Email: info@oldpres.com — Website: http://www.oldpres.com
• • Kinsale Suites — A great budget hotel, with 44 rooms on top of a hill, but stark and somewhat prison-like, but modern and comfortable. Almost like a hostel, but isn't, no breakfast, all bedding provided, TV lounge, fully equipped self-service kitchen, quiet rooms are on the church side. €17 beds in 4-bed dorms, single €30, twin double €55, double with large bed €60, triple €60. — Address: Guardwell St — Phone: +353 89 941 7412 — Website: https://kinsale.tripcombined.com/

See Cork for long distance options by rail, sea and air. Bus Éireann 226 runs hourly daily from Cork railway station, Parnell Place bus station and Cork airport, taking an hour to Kinsale. (Bus 226A only goes as far as the airport.) A standard single is €10, it's cheaper with a Leap card.

Local Link Bus 253 runs from Clonakilty via Timoleague and Ballinspittle to Kinsale. There are 5 M-Sa and 3 on Sunday.

By car from Cork take N27 towards the airport then R600 to Kinsale. From Bandon, take N71 towards Inishannon, then R605 to Kinsale.

Main town car park at the foot of Market Square is also the turnaround stop for the buses.

Walking should get you everywhere.

Local taxi companies are Kinsale Cabs +353 21 470 6853, and Cab 3000 +353 21 477 3000.