- Bantry House
Bantry House [ [http://www.bantryhouse.ie Official Website] ] is a historic house with gardens in
Bantry ,County Cork , Ireland.History
Around 1700, Bantry House was built on the South side of
Bantry Bay . Blackrock was its original name. In 1750, Councillor Richard White bought Blackrock from Samuel Hutchinson and changed the name to Seafield. The Whites had settled onWhiddy Island across the Bay in the late 17th century, after having originally been merchants inLimerick . The family prospered and considerable purchases of land were made in the locality. By the 1780s, Bantry House comprised some 80,000 acres (320 km²) although much of this would not be arable. Bantry House overlooks Bantry Bay. It is a stately home. It has been open to the public since 1946, and since approximately 1990 has offered bed and breakfast accommodations.Gardens
The Bantry House gardens were developed by the second Earl of Bantry and his wife Mary. They took inspiration from their travels across Europe. The gardens contain seven terraces in all, the house is located on the third of these. The famous 100 steps are located behind the house and appear to rise out of a magnificent fountain and are surrounded by wonderful azaleas and rhododendron. The gardens are a pleasure to visit at any time of year and are constantly undergoing restoration works to help improve and maintain them.
By 1997 much of the grounds of Bantry House was suffering from neglect and it took a European grant to start the restoration process. Funding ceased in 2000 but the work is ongoing and when completed should restore the grounds to their former glory.
Armada Center
In 1796,
Theobald Wolfe Tone [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfe_Tone] and theUnited Irishmen [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Irishmen] attempted to land a formidable French armada, commanded by Admiral Hoche in Bantry bay. It was intended to expel the British and establish an Irish Republic. The armada consisted of 50 naval warships and 15,000 men. Richard White, having heard about the invasion had trained a militia to oppose the landing as he and his tenants were loyal to the British crown. Munitions were stored in Bantry House for safe keeping. Look outs were posted on Both Mizen Head and Sheep's Head to send warning of an invasion. In the end the French armada never had a chance of landing. The weather was too severe, and even ship to ship communication was too difficult. 10 ships were lost. One of these 'The Surveillante' remained on the bottom of Bantry bay for almost 200 years.The ship was discovered in 1982. In 1985 it was declared a national monument and work began on the excavation, preservation and exhibition of the ship and its contents. The armada center showcases the story of the attempted French landing in west cork and contains artifacts excavated from the wreck in Bantry bay as well as a 1 to 6 scale model of 'The Surveillante'. The center also tells the story of Theobald Wolfe Tone, with extracts from his log and a life-size statue. Visitors can also enjoy the individual sound tour of the armada center.
Gallery
References
ee also
*
Earl of Bantry
*Historic Cork Gardens External links
* [http://www.bantryhouse.ie/ Bantry House]
* [http://www.360-visual.com/bantry/1.htm Virtual Tour of Bantry House]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
