Mobile History
DEENFR
CastleKinsale

Desmond Castle

Desmond Castle
Navigate here · Google MapsApple Maps

Museum

Desmond Castle, a prominent tower house in Kinsale, County Cork, Ireland, boasts a rich and varied history. Originally built as a customs house, it later served as a prison and workhouse before being transformed into a museum, now highlighting Ireland's deep connection to the wine trade.

History+

Around 1500, Maurice FitzGerald, the 9th Earl of Desmond, commissioned the construction of Desmond Castle. This followed King Henry VII's grant of customs rights for Kinsale port to the Earls of Desmond in 1497. The building functioned as a customs house until 1641, when it was converted into a naval prison after a new customs house was built. It primarily housed French and Spanish prisoners, earning it the local moniker "French Prison." In January 1747, a fire broke out, killing 54 prisoners.

Want to learn more about this site?

The full description is available with Premium — plus offline packages, audio guide and high-resolution images.

  • Every description, including the ~17,700 Premium sites
  • Audio guide: have descriptions read to you on location
  • AR finder: see sites through your camera, with distance and bearing
  • Unlimited saved sites
Unlock Premium14 days free

14 days free, then from €2.99 a month. Cancel anytime.

Already Premium and still locked?

Sign-in works per address. On mobilehistory.app you need to sign in once separately — your Premium then applies here too.

Sign in →

Source: Wikipedia · Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0

This description draws on the facts documented in the linked Wikipedia article; Wikipedia content is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Wording and editing: Mobile History.

Location: 51.7073, -8.5247