Historical Walk of Clonakilty

Most of the information contained in this walk has been transcribed from the publication 'Historical Walk of Clonakilty and its Sea Front' with the kind permission of Tomás Tuipéar. The publication contains more comprehensive detail of various aspects of this walk. This publication can be purchased in any of the town's bookshops. The name Clonakilty first appears in 1378 as Clogh Na Kylte or Kylte Castle recorded in a plea roll, as being among the lands held by William De Barri. De Barri was accused of being a rebel and had to send an account of all his possessions to the authorities under Richard II. Clonakilty was formally set up by Richard Boyle when in 1613 he obtained a charter from James 1 by which the inhabitants were incorporated as the "Sovereign, free-burgesses and commonality of the borough of Cloghnikilty". But the town, according to Smith's history of Cork, 1750, 'was of some importance as early as 1605 in which year' he says, 'it was incorporated'. That a representative body of some sort did really exist a that time appears from a petition dated July 5th, 1605 and addressed to the authorities at Cork from the PORTREEVE AND CORPORATION OF CLOGHNAKILTY.