Port town in County Cork, Ireland
Photo: Eileen Henderson, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Kinsale (Cionn tSáile, "head of the brine") is a small harbour in County Cork, Southwest Ireland. It's 25 km south of Cork city, at the mouth of the River Bandon, and in 2022 had a population of 6000. It's a tourist resort, popular for angling and sailing, and has a concentration of gourmet restaurants.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
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.
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.
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 from the 1970s, with an exhibition area in the former commander's quarters.
This was built 1602-07 after the siege of Kinsale, over the earlier Castle Ny-Parke, and named for King James I. 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.
Hourly cruises round the harbour, they don't venture into the open sea. The embarkation point is opposite Actons Hotel.
White tees 6519 yards, par 72.
Chain diner for fish and chips on the harbour, eat in or take-away.
French-Irish style, great reviews all round for food, service and ambiance.
Popular bar and restaurant with good steaks and seafood.
Upscale restaurant with modern European cooking.
Modern European fare.
Spacious indoor, balcony and terrace seating - best reserve, it's very popular.
Modern European food.
Steaks, seafood and stuffed duck served in a gem of a restaurant with harbour views.
Seafood and seasonal produce in a great setting near Charles Fort. The bar often has live trad music.
Market Bar
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.
Trad bar with home cooked Irish food and music.
Friendly pub with music on Thursday nights.
Pleasant old-world pub with food on Scilly Peninsula.
Ireland's first meadery in 200 years. Tours are a mix of mead history, honey tasting, mead making and mead tasting.
Comfy welcoming guesthouse.
Great reviews for this classy hotel. Some street noise.
Well-run hotel overlooking the harbour, squeaky clean, with pool and fitness centre.
Spacious smart hotel with harbour views, restaurant and nautically-themed bar.
Simple B&B with 18 large rooms, a bit old-fashioned but welcoming and dog-friendly.
Self-catering accommodation.
Artisan shop specialising in deep cut lead crystal. You can also buy from their website, they dispatch worldwide.
Handmade silver jewellery with Celtic themes.
By road from Cork take N27 towards the airport then R600 to Kinsale. From Bandon, take N71 towards Inishannon, then R605 to Kinsale.
Read in the guideChoose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Cork · International · ORK
Loading places around the airport…
Articles and travel topics about Kinsale and Ireland.
Find the cheapest countries to fly to from the US and UK in 2026. Compare realistic round-trip flight deals, budget airlines, and prime booking windows.
8 min read
Explore the best places to visit in March across Japanese cherry blossoms, explosive Spanish fiestas, desert wonders in Jordan, and Irish music sessions.
7 min read
Explore the best castle and gothic hotel stays in Europe. Discover historic fortresses, medieval estates, luxury châteaux, and Spanish parador hotels.
6 min read
The Wild Atlantic Way is a scenic driving route along Ireland's west coast, covering over 2,500 km (1,600 mi) from the Inishowen Peninsula in Donegal to Old Kinsale Head in Cork.
Wikivoyage
Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.