Desmond Castle & International Museum of Wine Exhibition Kinsale

If your group is making a trip to Kinsale, a visit to Desmond Castle should definitely be on the program. Certainly not the biggest castle we have here in Ireland, Desmond’s history is so varied, it easily makes up for it.

Built around 1500 AD, the building was intended as an urban tower house for the Earl of Desmond originally, it has been (mis)used as a customs house, prison, ordnance store and a workhouse.

During its time as a prison between the 17^th and 18^th century, it housed primarily French (leading to its nickname, the “French prison”) and later American inmates captured in the American War of Independence.

After the building fell to the Office of Public Works in 1997, it was restored and made a museum to celebrate Kinsale’s long-standing connection to the wine trade, which can be traced as far back as 1412. The International Museum of Wine’s exhibition includes vintage bottles, information on the wine making process and the global history of the beverage and a large collection of cork screws.

Discover more of Kinsale with your group on a walking tour of this charming coastal town.