Construction began on James Fort in 1602 after the English victory over the Spanish and Irish in the 1601 Battle of Kinsale. The fort fell into neglect, and became known as “Old Fort”, once contruction began in 1678 on Charles Fort across the harbour. While James Fort isn’t nearly the tourist attraction that Charles Fort is, the well-trod paths indicate it’s still a popular destination.
Trip highlights June 2nd, 2017 at James Fort and around Kinsale follow. Click any image for a larger view, or click the position to view the location on a map. And a live map of our current route and most recent log entries always is available at http://mvdirona.com/maps
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Wharf Tavern
Position: -8 31.10, 51 42.05
Lunch on the patio at the Wharf Tavern before we bicycle over to James Fort.
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Bike Parking
Position: -8 30.90, 51 41.78
We added our bikes to the two already tied to a lamp post to walk the footpath to James Fort.
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Castlepark Marina
Position: -8 30.86, 51 41.86
Looking down to Castlepark Marina from the path to James Fort.
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Kinsale
Position: -8 30.88, 51 41.88
The path to James Fort has great views across the harbour to Kinsale.
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James Fort
Position: -8 30.77, 51 41.91
Construction began on James Fort in 1602 after the English victory over the Spanish and Irish in the 1601 Battle of Kinsale. The regular pentagonal design allowed those inside the fort to cover all external faces with gunfire.
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Inner Fort
Position: -8 30.74, 51 41.91
The original pentagonal fort was considered too large, so a smaller rectangular fort was built inside. James Fort fell into neglect, and became known as “Old Fort”, once contruction began in 1678 on Charles Fort across the harbour.
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Charles Fort
Position: -8 30.74, 51 41.90
The Spirit of Kinsale harbour cruise boat passing by Charles Fort across the water.
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Bulman
Position: -8 30.71, 51 41.91
Bulman Pub, where we had lunch last week, viewed from James Fort.
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High Road
Position: -8 30.71, 51 41.91
High Road has some striking view homes that aren’t very visible except from the water. This one we can see from our marina berth looks amazing, with a floor-to-ceiling glass face and sides.
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Blockhouse
Position: -8 30.51, 51 42.00
A blockhouse, for observation and defence, was added on the promontory point following an outbreak of war with Spain and France in the 1620s. A trench connected to the blockhouse to the fort.
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Castlepark Beach
Position: -8 30.74, 51 41.76
The day wasn’t particularly warm at around 60°F (15°C), but the sunny weather was enough to attract plenty of people to Castlepark Beach.
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The Dock
Position: -8 30.89, 51 41.80
All that walking is thirsty business. We enjoyed a pint of delicious Bulmers Irish cider on the patio at The Dock pub.
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R606
Position: -8 33.73, 51 43.06
The day was early and still sunny, so we continued north on Route 606 along the River Brandon rather than return directly back to Kinsale. We really enjoyed the ride—the countryside is beautiful.
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Countryside
Position: -8 32.59, 51 42.86
Looking north across the countryside from Route 605 on our return to Kinsale.
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The Grey Hound
Position: -8 31.44, 51 42.39
All that biking is thirsty business. We’ve twice before looked for a patio table at the exceedingly popular Grey Hound and finally scored a table, just barely, on our third attempt.
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Click the travel log icon on the left to see these locations on a map, with the complete log of our cruise.
On the map page, clicking on a camera or text icon will display a picture and/or log entry for that location, and clicking on the smaller icons along the route will display latitude, longitude and other navigation data for that location. And a live map of our current route and most recent log entries always is available at http://mvdirona.com/maps. |
The *English victory over the Spaniards, not the British. The act of the Union is over a hundred years away.
Great footage, and nice weather which isn’t something they’re spoilt with over there.
We’ll make that update Eric. Thanks.
It looks like you two are truly starting to decompress after your difficult Atlantic crossing. Fine food, spirits, and new sights to see. I truly enjoy your posts and appreciate the time and effort required to put them together. I hope Nordhavn engineering is taking notes on all of your meticulous improvements and implement them in future builds. Best……………Rob
Thanks for the comment Rob. Ireland is a great place to explore by any means. We’ve been enjoying it by foot and by bike. Now that we are cruising, wow, even better.