In Bantry, County Cork, Ireland, there is a historic home and grounds called Bantry House. The White family, originally the Earls of Bantry, has owned and occupied the building since the mid-1800s. It was first constructed in the early 1700s. The house, estate, and gardens in West Cork are popular tourist destinations, having been accessible to the public since the 1940s.
History
Originally known as “Blackrock,” Bantry House was built on the southern edge of Bantry Bay sometime before 1710.After purchasing Blackrock from Samuel Hutchinson in 1750, Councillor Richard White renamed it “Seafield.”
The Whites were merchants in Limerick at first, then in the late 17th century, they moved across the bay to Whiddy Island. The family was wealthy, and they bought a lot of land in the neighborhood around the house. Approximately 80,000 acres (320 km2) made up Bantry House by the 1780s, albeit most of it would not be arable.Since 1946, the mansion has been accessible to tourists.A 2012 edition of Country House Rescue included Bantry House.
Gardens
Richard White, 2nd Earl of Bantry, and his wife Mary created the gardens at Bantry House. There are seven terraces in the gardens, with the house on the third. Encircled by azalea and rhododendron, the hundred steps are situated behind the house and fountain.
By 1997, parts of Bantry House’s grounds were in need of maintenance. The restoration work got underway with the help of a European grant. In 2000, funding was stopped. Work on restoration is still in progress.
Armada centre
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France’s 1796 mission to Ireland
In anticipation of the bicentennial of the United Irishmen Rebellion, an exhibition detailing the house’s involvement in the uprising was unveiled in the courtyard.The exhibition’s focus was on the 1796 French invasion to Ireland and Richard White’s opposition to the intended landings as the house’s owner and eventually 1st Earl of Bantry. In the end, the French armada was unable to dock because of bad weather that claimed the lives of multiple ships, including the frigate Surveillante.A scale model of the Surveillante and other relics recovered from the wreckage were on display at the Armada Centre.
