Charles Fort

About this place

Charles Fort (Irish: Dún Chathail) is a trace italienne fortification, a bastion fort with one section of the outer wall built in star fashion. It is located at the southern end of the village of Summer Cove, on Kinsale harbour, County Cork, Ireland. First completed in 1682, Charles Fort was sometimes historically referred to as the "new fort", to contrast with James' Fort (the "old fort") which had been built on the other side of Kinsale harbour before 1607. The fort is now operated as a heritage tourism site by the Heritage Ireland arm of the Office of Public Works.

Visitor Information

Admission

Paid

Opening hours

Mo-Su 11:00-17:00

Heritage status

Protected Heritage Site

Access

Permissive access

Getting There & Parking

Charles Fort is located in County Cork, roughly 29 km (25 min drive) from Cork and 305 km (4h 30m) from Dublin. The nearest public car park is 173 m away (Free). Nearby highlights within a short drive include James' Fort (0.9 km away).