Desmond Castle

A typical example of an urban tower house is Desmond Castle, located in the quaint town of Kinsale in County Cork. The Earl of Desomnd, Maurice Fitzgerald, built it in the year 1500.
Desmond castle has a very colorful past and has been used for many purposes including Spanish occupation in 1601 when used as a prison for captured American Sailors during the War of Independence. It is known locally as the ‘French prison’ after a tragic fire in 1747 ended up in the deaths of 54 people, most of them French seamen.
The castle was also used as a borough jail from 1791 until the onset of the family, when it then used as an auxiliary workhouse, tending to the starving populace of the time. From 1938 it was in government hands and open to the public in the 1990’s. Then, in 1997 the International Museum of Wine was opened within the castle. The exhibition gives visitors a peek at the fascinating winery connections between Ireland and Europe and the wider world, since the early modern period to present day.

Desmond Castle is a lovely piece of work, and goes down quite well with the town, which surrounds it. In absolute brilliant condition, after a number of renovations, the building is not what one would say typical of an Irish castle, however it does hold its place in Irish History with its intriguing background and lineage of owners and uses.

Guided tours of the castle are available, and last for around 45 minutes; the maximum number in a group is 15.