Kinsale

Saturday; November 10th, 2012

Originally a medieval fishing port, historic Kinsale is one of the most picturesque, popular and historic towns on the south west coast of Ireland.

It has been hailed as the Gourmet Capital of Ireland, with no shortage of cafes, pubs and restaurants to suit every taste and budget.

Only 18 miles from Cork, Kinsale marks the beginning of scenic West Cork and is ideally placed as a yachting and deep-sea angling centre and in recent years aworld class golf destination.

Charles Fort

Charles Fort is one of the finest surviving examples of a 17th Century star-shaped fort, and much of the construction begun in 1678 remains. 

The fort has two enormous bastions overlooking the estuary, and three facing inland. 

Within its walls were all the barracks and ancillary facilities to support the fort’s garrison. The fort continued in military use until 1922. 

As one of the largest military installations in the country, Charles Fort has been associated with some of the most momentous events in Irish history. The most significant of these are the Williamite War 1689-91 and the Civil War 1922-23. Charles Fort was declared a National Monument in 1973.

On our way home, we stopped at this point. It was so windy and I am actually surprised I was able to catch such a breathtaking photograph!

Our final stop before heading back home was a beach. I thought it was absolutely necessary to write my name in the sand :)