Old Head of Kinsale (Cork)
Paragliding site · Ireland
- Launch altitude
- 81 m
- Level
- Experienced pilots
- Best season
- —
- Landing
- —
Works on SW · W
Where it is
Old Head of Kinsale, on the south coast of County Cork, is an experienced-only, restricted-airspace coastal cliff site. It sits inside Cork ATC airspace, frequented by many helicopter pilots and training aircraft — you must contact Cork ATC for permission BEFORE and AFTER flying. There is absolutely no bottom landing: the cliffs are 85 m high with the sea below. Extreme winds are the norm — real risk of getting blown over the back — and sea thermals can appear on some days.
Launch & conditions
Launch beside the road on the WEST side of the peninsula. Do NOT launch from the cliff beside the gates to the Golf Club — danger of death or serious injury. There is no takeoff area on the easterly side.
Getting there & local rules
Follow signs for 'Old Head of Kinsale'. Take off on the west side of the peninsula. Landing: normal LZ is behind (east of) the takeoff, across the road; otherwise slope-land. There is absolutely NO bottom landing. Do NOT land on the Golf Course — private land, and to leave you'll have to pay green fees (over €200 each time).
Local rules & hazards
Site is inside Cork ATC airspace — contact Cork Airport tower before flying and again when finished. Do not go above 500 ft AMSL — cliffs are 85 m high. Extreme wind — the normal wind is roughly double the current Cork Airport weather report. If the wind turns to the NW you will not be able to return to your starting point or the top landing field. You will certainly land in the sea if you get it wrong. Experienced pilots only. No bottom landing — slope-land anywhere if you have to. Do not go down. Sea thermals occasionally form.
Check conditions before you fly
A forecast for the valley is not a forecast for the launch. Before heading to Old Head of Kinsale (Cork), read the wind and thermals for the site itself, confirm the day's rules with the local club, and remember the standing rule — when in doubt, don't launch. In the free OutDare app you can open Old Head of Kinsale (Cork) with a 7-day forecast built from high-resolution weather models, see who else has been flying, and get there with offline maps.
Conditions right now
Live — the same sources the OutDare app uses
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Is it usually flyable?
Set your wing's wind range once — the live 7-day outlook and the last 12 months both answer for Old Head of Kinsale (Cork).
Surface wind (10 m) in km/h — the same number you read on any forecast.
The 7-day outlook and the 12-month history below both update to your range.
7-day wind outlook
High-resolution models — the same OutDare uses.
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Over the last 12 months
53% of days flyable
192 of 365 days had a dry 2-hour+ window in your range, from a direction this site flies
Best month
Jun · 77%
Flyable days by month
A day counts as flyable when the surface wind held in your range, from a direction the site flies, with no rain, for at least 2 hours in a row (08:00–20:00) — from hourly 10 m wind over the last 12 months. A seasonal wind guide only: it can't judge gusts, thermals or turbulence, and never replaces the live forecast, airspace checks and your own judgement.
Nearby flying sites
Site facts from the OutDare flying-site database. Always verify current access and regulations with the local club before flying.