KINSALE

In 1868, the parish of Kinsale contained the following places:

"KINSALE, a parish, maritime town, and parliamentary borough, in the barony of Kinsale, county Cork, province of Munster, Ireland, 14 miles S of Cork and 174 S.W. of Dublin. It has a station at Kinsale Road on the Cork and Bandon line. It comprises an area of 290 acres, and a population by the census of 1861 of 4,624 within the limits of the parliamentary borough. Its name is supposed to be derived from the Irish Cean Taile, signifying "the headland in the sea." Little of its history is known before the 12th century, when it came into the possession of the famous De Courcy by a marriage into the De Cogans, to whom the land was first granted. Here he built the castle of which the ruins now remain. The charter of incorporation was granted in the 7th year of the reign of Edward I [I., and it was from a very early period a borough by prescription. In 1380 the French and Spanish fleets were pursued by the English into the river Bandon, when an engagement ensued resulting in the defeat of the former. In the following year Richard II. granted a charter to the inhabitants in consideration of the insults they had received from the Spanish and Irish enemies and English rebels, by which they obtained the small customs of the port at an annual rent of 10 marks, the surplus to be expended in completing the walls of the town, In 1482 this charter was confirmed by Edward IV., who granted the corporation all such rights and privileges as the citizens of Cork possessed. In 1488, owing to their having favoured the pretensions of Lambert Simnel, Sir Richard Edgcumbe arrived here with five ships and 500 men to exact new oaths of allegiance from the Irish chiefs, which being given, pardon was granted, In 1594 the town was nearly consumed by a fire. In 1601 it was attacked by a Spanish fleet, and the town taken possession of by Don Juan D'Aquila. The English now advanced and commenced that siege so well known in the annals of Irish history. The castle of Rincurran, on the banks of the river, being taken by the enemy after a short but severe cannonade, was forced to yield to Lord Mountjoy. In like manner the fortress Castleni-Park was compelled to surrender; and after undergoing great danger and misery the Spanish commander entered into a capitulation and gave up the town, at the very moment when a large reinforcement from the Spanish king was on its way to relieve him. This utterly annihilated the Spanish power in Ireland. During the parliamentary war in 1641 the Irish were expelled from the town. In 1677 the Duke of Ormond built, for the defence of the town, a new citadel, called Charles Fort. It was here that James II. landed in 1689. Kinsale played an important part in the war against the English in support of James II. The town is conveniently situated at the mouth of the river Bandon, which is here crossed by a ferry, and has a secure and commodious harbour. Its streets are steep and irregular, being built on the summit of Compass hill; some of them indeed so precipitous as not to admit carriages. The houses are well built. It is a place of great resort during the season for bathing, and numerous villas adorn its outskirts. The banks of the river are enlivened by many gentlemen's seats and plantations. The public buildings are Charles Fort, situated to the E. of the town, and now used as barracks, the townhall, assembly rooms, a convent, Carmelite friary, prison, workhouse, and commodious hotel with floating baths, just completed by the Kinsale Hotel and Bath Company. There is a brewery in the town and flour-mills adjacent. The trade is chiefly local or connected with the fisheries, foreign commerce being absorbed by the neighbouring port of Cork. The corporation, which was styled "the sovereign, burgesses, and commonalty of the town of Kinsale," was dissolved under the Municipal Act, and its income and revenues vested in the town commissioners under 9 George IV., cap. 82. Petty sessions are held in the town. Value of property rated under the Towns Improvement Act, £7,573. It returns one member to parliament, and had a constituency in 1859 of 144. The living is a vicarage Its church, dedicated to St. Multosia, is a venerable cruciform building. It contains two marble monuments, one of the Southwell family and the other to the wife of Sir John Perceval, Bart. In the Roman Catholic division this parish forms the head of a union. Its chapel possesses a beautiful altar-piece. There are places of worship for Wesleyans and Primitive Methodists. There are also six public schools. Also a fever hospital and dispensary. The parochial charities include the Gift House, where eight widows of decayed Protestant tradesmen receive a weekly allowance of 2s.; an ancient parochial almshouse, comprising sixteen rooms, and several small bequests for the superannuated poor who do not receive a portion of the weekly contributions of the church. There were formerly an abbey of Canons Regular, founded in the 6th century, and an abbey of Carmelite Friars, of which no remains are extant. There are ruins of the fortress of Castleni-Park. Near here are some celebrated chalybeate springs. This town gives the title of Baron Kinsale to the ancient family of De Courcy. Market days are Friday and Saturday. A fair is held on the 4th September."

[Transcribed from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland 1868]
by Colin Hinson ©2018