The Battle of Castlehaven was a naval battle that took place on 6 December 1601 in the bay off Castlehaven on the south coast of Ireland during the Nine Years' War during the 4th Spanish Armada between a Spanish naval convoy of six ships and an English fleet, commanded by Admiral Richard Leveson and consisting of four warships.

[7] The commander of the English naval forces at Kinsale, Admiral Leveson, was ordered to "seeke the Spanish fleete at Castlehaven, to take them if he could, or otherwise to distresse them as much as he might.

"[8] Leveson then left his vice-admiral Preston to guard Kinsale harbour and took the rest of the fleet heavily armed to Castlehaven.

A Captain Fleming commanding the 10-gun Merlin rowed through Spanish fire to make a channel for the 518-ton Warspite to follow.

[10] Two more Spanish vessels were pounded until their crews forced them onto the rocks after sustaining continuous fire particularly from the big galleons Defiance and Warspite.

[7] With all but one of the Spanish vessels neutralized, and with the wind blowing onshore, Leveson managed to withdraw his ships, being towed out under fire from the remaining shore batteries.

[nb 3] The Spanish garrison at Castlehaven was now cut off but distributed themselves around the area at Baltimore (Donneshed Castle), but these soon surrendered when news of the defeat at Kinsale came through.