A castle built to seal a headland
In 1223 the Norman knight Milo de Courcy put his castle across the narrowest point of the Old Head of Kinsale – control the neck and you controlled the whole promontory. People had grasped that long before him: the headland shows traces of settlement from at least the 3rd century AD, and tradition names the spot Dún Cearmna, after a fort of the chieftain Cearmna. The surviving curtain walls and tower bases still trace the medieval perimeter.
Today the same neck is the entrance to the Old Head Golf Links, and most of the headland beyond it is private. You can’t go into the castle, but the ruins stand in full view of the public road, and the jagged silhouette against the Atlantic is the photograph most people come for.
The lighthouse and the Lusitania
A beacon has been recorded on the Old Head since pre-Christian times, and in 1665 Sir Robert Reading got a patent from Charles II for a permanent light. The first purpose-built tower, finished in 1814, was tall enough to disappear into coastal fog, so the engineers built lower: the black-and-white striped tower of 1853 still flashes twice every ten seconds and stands directly behind the golf course’s 18th tee. Its interior is closed to the public.
The museum beside it is the stop to prioritise. On 7 May 1915 the RMS Lusitania was torpedoed 11 miles off this point and sank in 18 minutes, with 1,197 lives lost. The Old Head Signal Tower, opened in 2015 as a museum, tells that story through recovered artefacts and passengers’ personal histories. It’s free, open daily in daylight hours, and its balcony gives a sheltered seat with a long view over the Atlantic.
The loop walk
The 6 km Old Head Loop starts at the Garylucas Beach car park – free, with basic toilets – and follows a quiet paved road skirting the golf course. Allow 1.5 to 2 hours at an easy pace, past the castle, lighthouse and museum, with sea arches, wildflowers and seabirds on the thermals along the way. Two cautions: there are steep, unguarded drops near the cliff edge, and nothing to buy on the route, so carry water.
From the water it’s better again. H2O Sea Kayaking runs guided trips from spring to early autumn, passing under the sea arches and close to the lighthouse, through water used by seals, kittiwakes and – in season – basking sharks.
Getting there
The headland lies south of Kinsale, signposted from the town via the R600 towards the golf links. The course itself reopens each year in late April (22 April in 2026) and its fairways are for members and booked guests only, but the clubhouse café and restaurant take non-members. Come late afternoon for the best light on the ruins – though on summer weekends Garylucas car park fills early, so the choice is golden light or a guaranteed parking space.