|
SCENES from IRELAND - County Cork James Fort (Irish: Dún Rí Shéamuis) is an early 17th-century pentagonal bastion fort that was built in Castlepark peninsula in Kinsale harbour, County Cork, Ireland. James Fort is found south, downstream of Kinsale town on a hill above the River Bandon. James fort was built to defend the harbour and seaborne approaches of the town of Kinsale. However its importance declined after the construction of Charles Fort on the opposite side of the harbour in the late 17th century. James Fort became known as the "old fort" (Irish: an Seandaingean). James Fort is listed as a protected National Monument, and managed by the Office of Public Works of Ireland. The fort is open to visitors and a pleasant open walk around the Castlepark area with views of Kinsale Harbour, across to Charles Fort and the Dock Beach and Kinsale Beach are close by. See also 139b The Town of Kinsale - street scenes and the harbour marina 139c St Multose Church, Kinsale
139e
The Scilly walk from Kinsale to Charles Fort * 139f
Charles Fort,
on Kinsale Harbour 139g
Desmond Castle, Kinsale *
The ruins of James Fort Before James fort was built, an earlier medieval fortification existed on the site called Castle Ny-Parke. For a time it was occupied for a time by Spanish forces during the early part of the Siege of Kinsale in 1601. James Fort was captured from the Spanish by Sir Richard Smyth who led the attacking English forces of Charles Blount, Lord Mountjoy.
James Fort Construction of James Fort commenced in 1602, soon after the Siege of Kinsale in 1601. The fort was named after James I of England and VI of Scotland, and was built to designs by Paul Ive, in effect to replace and improve the older medieval structure. James Fort was completed by 1607 with a central structure of a half-bastioned four-sided stone fortification, surrounded by pentagonal earthworks to a bastion fort or star-shaped fort design. A hexagonal blockhouse was built on the water's edge to act as a water battery at the narrowest point in the channel.
James Fort As with Charles Fort on the opposite banks of the harbour, James Fort was occupied by Jacobite forces during the Williamite War in Ireland but was captured in 1690 by Williamite forces, after being damaged by an explosion of gunpowder stores.
James Fort Although Charles Fort (the "new fort") across Kinsale harbour was operated as a military garrison through to the early 20th century, James Fort (the "old fort") declined in use during the 18th century, and texts and maps describe it as a ruin by the 19th century.
James Fort
James Fort was subject to a number of archaeological
excavations in the late 20th and early 21st centuries - including a
survey commissioned by Dúchas (the Heritage Service) in 1998. The fort
site is listed as a National Monument and as of 2016, An Taisce (the
National Trust for Ireland) listed the fort in an "at risk" category,
noting that while it had been subject to preservation works, it required
"a long-term conservation management plan to prevent future
deterioration".
A gateway in the stone and earth defences of James Fort. The James Fort site is publicly accessible, and visited both as a tourist attraction and as an amenity park by walkers and joggers etc.
Looking across to Charles Fort from James Fort.
Dock Beach and Kinsale Beach.
Castlepark Marina, Castle Park, in the distance is the road bridge over the River Bandon
See also 139b The Town of Kinsale - street scenes and the harbour marina 139c St Multose Church, Kinsale 139e The Scilly walk from Kinsale to Charles Fort * 139f Charles Fort, on Kinsale Harbour 139g Desmond Castle, Kinsale
|
Enter Irish place, heritage site, feature, walk, town, village, city, museum, historic building,
mountain, island, walk, anything of interest in Ireland!