These are a few more pictures of Bantry House the rooms are the library and the dining room. The grounds of the House also house the 1796 Bantry French Armada Exhibition Centre. In December 1796 a French Armada with about 15,000 troops left France for Bantry Bay to help Theobald Wolfe Tone to overthrow British rule in Ireland. However there was servere weather along the way and many of the ships were lost, 19 ships with about 6,5000 troops arrived but because of the fierce weather it blow many of the boats of course. By New Year's Day 1797, 12 ships with 4,5000 troops were anchored off Whiddy Island. After many attempts and failing to land in Bantry, the fleet returned to France. But one boat a frigate was so badly damaged it was scuttled off Whiddy on 2nd of January 1797 it was called the La Surveillante. In 1982 the La Surveillante was rediscovered and in 1985 it was made an Irish National Monument and work was began on its recovery, conservation and exhibitoin. In 1980 a Dutch Salvage company found the a anchor from one of the boats which is now placed on Bantry WolfeTone Square.
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