"The Kinsale Magical Virtual Tour " a Kinsale Travel Page by Ekaterinburg

Kinsale ticks all the boxes: great harbour and marina; picturesque town with narrow streets and tiny lanes; steeped in history; gourmet capital of Ireland; exclusive shops; pubs to suit all moods.

Touristy ? Yes, inevitably, but everything in Kinsale reeks of GOOD TASTE and there are plenty of secluded places which youwill enjoy finding for yourself.

I've always loved Kinsale but now, bringing groups of German and French students here every Saturday and watching them fall in love with the place, I still find something new every time. This page is a virtual version of my Saturday tour, I hope you enjoy it.

In 1601 the Battle of Kinsale, one of Ireland's most significant battles with England,was fought here. The great Irish chiefs O'Neill and O'Donnell along with 3,000 Spanish troops under Don Juan D'Aguila made a brave attempt to halt the British occupation of Ireland. They failed, and the Irish leaders subsequently had to forfeit their lands and flee the country. Their lands in Ulster were then 'planted' (colonised) by Scottish and English protestants and the old Gaelic way of life, dominated by clans and chieftans, died for ever. Repercussions from this battle and the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 are still felt todayand are obvious every 12th of July when protestant orangemen march through catholic areas in the North.

After the Battle of Kinsale the British took care to protect the town from further invasions resulting in the fortiifications known as James Fort and Charles Fort. Consequently Kinsale remained a garrison town with soldiers billeted in Charles Fort until 1922.

Kinsale is 28km from the centre of Cork and getting there is as easy as hopping on the 249 bus from the Bus Station at Parnell Place or from the Airport. Kinsale Tourist office is at the junction of Pier Road and Emmet Street, very close to the bus stop.

Tourist office:021-4772234

Kinsale Chamber of Tourism: 021-4774026

www.kinsale.ie