History
For centuries Bantry Bay attracted attempts from abroad to overthrow English rule. Once inside its shelter, ships were protected from attack by the rugged mountains of the peninsulas on either side. In 1689, a French fleet sailed up the bay to assist James II, but was forced to return after an indecisive battle with Williamite forces. A century later, in 1796, Wolfe Tone arrived with another French fleet - and this time with revolutionary ideals - to try to overthrow the Protestant Anglo-Irish. Channel storms, however, had already reduced the fleet from 43 ships to sixteen by the time it arrived, and the remaining vessels spent six days in the bay unable to land, even though, as Tone said, "we were close enough to toss a biscuit on shore". After this failure they were forced to turn back. Richard White, a local landowner, was rewarded for his loyalty to the English Crown at the time of the invasion by being made Baron Bantry. Bantry House (1739) still belongs to the same family and constitutes a major reason to visit the town. Along with its fabulous interior , there's some irony that it also houses the 1796 French Armada Exhibition so that you can ponder the exhilarating ideals of revolution in the lavish, aristocratic setting that Tone would have swept away had the venture been successful.
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