Desmond Castle - French Prison

On the NW side of Cork Street, on rising ground overlooking the historic town of Kinsale. This 3-storey tower house was built as a town residence by the Fitzgerald family, whose arms are over the door, hence why it is known as 'Desmond Castle' (Healy 1988, 247; Gillen and Hurley 1978, 29). It is one of around 40 'urban tower houses' that survive in Ireland (Heritage Castles of County Cork 2017, 89). It was apparently owned by a William Baines in 1581 (Coleman 1912, 133), but functioned as a magazine in 1601 (Gillen and Hurley ibid) where weapons and gunpowder were stored during the Spanish occupation of the town ahead of the Battle of Kinsale. It was subsequently used as a prison for foreign captives - and is therefore also sometimes known as the 'French Prison' -, many of whom died in the fire of 1747 (O'Sullivan 1905, 10). It was the borough jail in 1791-1846. It was declared a National Monument in 1938 and restored by the OPW.

A photograph of the tower in the early 20th century (Coleman 1912, opp. p 133) shows the gable over the 2nd floor facing the street, now replaced by battlements; other recent repairs include the removal of rendering and the replacement of missing mullions as well as the blocking of ground floor windows. The central ground floor door has a pointed arch, and a hood moulding with floriated stops; the door may be an insertion (Harbison 1970 (reprint 1992), 80). The two central 1st floor windows have ogee heads (cusped to left) divided by mullion and transome; similar windows, but with rounded arches, are set at corner angles. There is a single central window at the 2nd floor level, a rectangular light divided by mullion and transome. All lights have hood mouldings overhead. There is a string course between ground and 1st floors.

This is a National Monument in State Ownership (no. 360).