We enjoyed the rare afternoon sunshine climbing the remains of Charles Fort,  which was built from 1678 to 1685 by the British Army. It was the largest engineering project undertaken by Ireland in the 17th century. Laborers worked a 12 hour day and received a daily rate of sixpence. As Ireland's most southern port, Kinsale (town just inside bay)  controlled communication lines with Europe and was a wealthy center of trade.