139d. Old Head of Kinsale, The old watch tower and Lusitania Museum and Memorial Garden

SCENES from IRELAND - County Cork

The Old Head of Kinsale (Irish: An Seancheann) is a most scenic headland near Kinsale, West of Cork, Ireland.

An iron age fort or medieval castle has been on the headland from at least the 3rd century, with the current ruined castle gatehouse was built in 1223.

An early lighthouse was established here in the 17th century by Robert Reading.

The Old Head of Kinsale is the nearest point of land, about 11 miles away, to where the RMS Lusitania was sunk in 1915 by a German U-boat submarine.

Disgracefully, and controversially, access to the Old Head is restricted because of a private golf course.

Looking east across a small harbour on the road up to Old Head of Kinsale.

First view of the Old Head of Kinsale

The ruins of the medieval castle, walls and defensive ditch on the Old Head of Kinsale

The Castle Gatehouse

Looking west along the coast from the Old Head of Kinsale

Looking south along the west cliffs of the Old Head of Kinsale.

Looking south along the east cliffs of the Old Head of Kinsale.

The deep defensive ditch of the castle on the narrow entrance to the Old Head of Kinsale.

The gatehouse tower of the castle.

A perforated sculptured image of the RMS Lusitania

The Lusitania Memorial Garden by the old signal tower (watch tower) at the Old Head of Kinsale

What the ruined old signal tower of Old Head of Kinsale once looked like before restoration and creation of the museum.

The restored signal tower (watch tower) that houses the Lusitania museum at the Old Head of Kinsale.

The Lusitania museum ticket office, gift shop and toilets and cafe at the Old Head of Kinsale.

Lusitania Museum, Old Head Signal Tower Heritage. A 19th century ships bollard.

Some of the museum exhibits inside the Old Head Signal Tower Heritage Centre.

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The Lusitania tragedy reported in the local newspapers of Cork

Looking east along the coast from the top of the Old Head signal tower.

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Looking down on the Lusitania memorial garden from the top of the signal tower.

Looking across the Old Head of Kinsale from the top of the signal tower with the 17th century lighthouse in the distance.

Looking west along the coast from the top of the Old Head signal tower.

A boat davit for launching a lifeboat from a larger shipping vessel.

The iconic sculpture of images of the sinking of the Lusitania and names of all the lives of the crew and passengers who drowned.

Final view of the coast to the east and two views to the west from the Old Head of Kinsale.

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