Kinsale....it all comes together here!!

Wallace's Sailing Adventure on "Arbella"
Mike and Vicki Wallace
Sat 14 Jul 2012 18:12

51:41.23N 08:29.90W  Today we had a wonderful tour by the consummate tour guide of the area, with a focus on the interesting strategic history of Ireland from Medieval Times until today, with a distinct maritime focus ...fascinating!  The town was on a major trade route from the "new world", and a stopping off place. Castles were built near fresh water running into the harbor for trade and access to good water (see picture...built in the 13th century, only part of a wall remains today); with a 10 foot tide, the owners barge went down river to the town on the ebb tide, and came up river back to the castle on the flood tide!.... Then it took on military significance as the Normans were defeated and the English took a hold, mainly to hold it so as to preclude the Spanish getting a foot hold and using it to launch attacks on England...with prevailing winds from the West, it is only 100 miles to the west coast of England and Kinsale would be the perfect place for the Spanish to organize their forces and then invade by ships.  Then, as the Spanish came into the harbor in 1601, with the "4th Spanish Armada", and landed arms, munitions and troops in the fall, they seemed certain to be organizing to spring an attack on England in the spring.  But, England, then holding most of northern Ireland marched an army 300 miles south in terrible winter conditions, taking the high ground over Kinsale (where the Spanish now were camped with the ships having returned to Spain, and expecting no attack from the English before spring).  The Spanish had been developing an alliance with the 4 kings of Ireland (clan leadership in the south), who had been battling with the English in the north for 9 years and were beginning to "win" against them and drive them out of Ireland to achieve true independence.  With the Spanish desperate to save their army in Kinsale, they were able to entice the Irish kings to come together, with them, to attack the English outside the town, intending to defeat them, and save the new Spanish foothold  in Ireland.  On the 24th of December, 1601 (think Washington and the Delaware, but with the opposite outcome!!), the Irish attacked the English and LOST!!  In losing, the kings (clan leadership) fled the country to Spain, and the Irish resistance against the English (which was otherwise succeeding) faded.  And thus started the next phase of the long struggle of Ireland for independence from the English; and it explains the basis of the strife centuries later between northern and southern Ireland, and still languishing today.  The defeat marked the end of the old Gaelic order, and cemented England in Ulster...setting up the present political division of Ireland.  In 2001, 400 years later, Kinsale erected a modest monument...a stone chair, made from stone from each of the four areas ruled by the clan kings, in the form of an empty throne!  ....  In 1602 the English built a fort to protect the harbor against the Spanish, having been so threatened by their sea power ... more history....and in 1680, built another fort on the opposite side of the Bandon River at Kinsale, to assure that the then threatening French did not get in, and themselves organize to attack England (pictures below of the forts and overlook of the entrance to the city and protected harbor)!  Kinsale's protected harbor, geographic position...to windward of England...in the days of tall ships...made it a strategically very significant harbor for centuries!  It is so much about the sea, the tide, the wind....and who controls resources and sea trade (sound familiar today?)!  And there is much, much more!  But now we are packing to head home, returning in 2 weeks to continue our adventure.  Mike

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