Situated downstream from Kinsale on the River Bandon, the fort was built to defend the harbour and seaborne approaches of the town.

During the early part of the Siege of Kinsale (1601), it was captured from the Spanish by Sir Richard Smyth[5] who led the attacking English forces of Charles Blount, Lord Mountjoy.

The fort was named after James I of England and VI of Scotland, and was built to designs by Paul Ive (to replace and supplement the older medieval structure).

[12] James Fort was subject to a number of archaeological excavations in the late 20th and early 21st centuries - including a survey commissioned by Dúchas (the Heritage Service) in 1998.

[13] As of 2016, An Taisce (the National Trust for Ireland) listed the fort in an "at risk" category, noting that while it had been subject to preservation works, it required "a long-term conservation management plan to prevent future deterioration".