The Old Head Lighthouse is a 17th-century Irish lighthouse based on the Old Head peninsula in Kinsale. This magnificent lighthouse overlooks the Atlantic Ocean, offering a sumptuous panorama of the surrounding cliffs!
Old Head Lighthouse – © makasana photo
The Old Head lighthouse is easy to recognize: it’s the only easily distinguishable point that stands out from the rest of the peninsula. With its white and black rings, it was automated in the late 1990s, and is still in operation today.
The lighthouse also boasts a number of outbuildings below, once used as living quarters by the lighthouse keepers. Nowadays, these are no longer in use, but can be visited by the general public (only during the summer months). A guide will introduce you to the history of the lighthouse and its patron, Robert Reading, who had it built in the 17th century.
One of the Old Head Lighthouse’s most interesting anecdotes is that it was the closest point to the RMS Lusitania liner as it sank in 1915.
Want to extend your visit without having to rush around? Here are a few well-located places to stay near the must-see attractions.
Essential information to help you plan your visit, including key landmarks, access information, and booking options.
at the southern tip of Old Head, Kinsale (County Cork) - Republic of Ireland
51.604665, -8.533875
4.00/5 (4 votes)
4.40/5 (10 votes)