Guinness Cork Jazz Festival
21–25 Oct 2027 (dates to be confirmed) · Cork City
The October bank-holiday weekend fills Cork's pubs, clubs and concert halls with jazz, the city at its most musical.
Kinsale
Sailing boats fill the harbour and the restaurants fill early: getting out on the water and eating well are the town's two trades.
Best sites to see in Kinsale
Charles Fort, Summercove
A large late 17th-century star-shaped fort guarding the entrance to Kinsale Harbour, with ramparts, exhibitions and harbour views, reached by road or the Scilly Walk from town.
James Fort
An earlier fort on the opposite side of the harbour entrance from Charles Fort, visible across the water and reached from Castlepark.
Kinsale Regional Museum
A town-centre museum in the old courthouse building, covering the Battle of Kinsale, local maritime history and the Lusitania inquest held in Kinsale.
Desmond Castle
A tower house in the town built around 1500, later used as a customs house and prison, now a small museum.
Where to stand, and when
- The harbour and colourful streets of the town centre: Morning light suits the painted shopfronts and boats before the streets fill up.
- Charles Fort from the Scilly Walk: Late afternoon gives warm light on the fort walls and across the harbour to James Fort.
- Summercove from the fort ramparts: On a clear day, frame the village, harbour mouth and the open sea beyond in one wide shot.
Kinsale through history
The Battle of Kinsale in 1601-1602, when English forces besieged a Spanish force that had landed to support Irish lords, ended in defeat for the Irish and Spanish and is regarded as a turning point in Irish history.
Kinsale developed as a fishing port and naval station, and Charles Fort was built in the late 17th century to defend its harbour.
After RMS Lusitania was torpedoed off the Old Head of Kinsale in May 1915, bodies and survivors were brought ashore in the area and an inquest was held in Kinsale.
In more recent decades the town has become well known for sailing and for its restaurants and food scene.
Practical tips
- The Scilly Walk from town to Charles Fort is a scenic, mostly level harbour-side walk and avoids parking pressure at Summercove.
- Kinsale's streets are narrow and busy in summer, so use the car parks on the edge of the centre and walk in.
- Book restaurants well ahead for summer weekends, as the town's dining rooms are small and in high demand.
Golf near Kinsale
Old Head Golf Links is about 15 minutes from Kinsale town, wrapped around the headland in the hero photo of our golf guide: a course draped over a narrow peninsula, with the lighthouse at the point. It is a members' club that takes a limited number of visitor bookings by enquiry only: there is no online rate card, and peak-season fees run to around €500 by listings. The season runs roughly late April to late October. If you get a time, take it. There is nothing else like it.
Our full guide to golf in Ireland