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BANTRY BAY CHARTERS
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  • Charters
    • Marine Wildlife Tour
    • Sea Angling
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    • The Battle of Bantry
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    • 1798 Rebellion
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1796 French expedition to Ireland

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The French expedition to Ireland, was an unsuccessful attempt by the First French Republic during the French Revolutionary Wars to assist the outlawed Society of United Irishmen in their planned rebellion against British rule. The French intended to land a large expeditionary force in Ireland during the winter of 1796–1797 which would join with the United Irishmen and drive the British out of Ireland. The French anticipated that this would be a major blow to British morale, prestige and military effectiveness, and was also intended to possibly be the first stage of an eventual invasion of Britain itself. Approximately 15,000 soldiers were gathered in Brest  in readiness for a major landing at Bantry Bay in December 1796.
The operation was launched during one of the stormiest winters of the 18th century, with the French fleet unprepared for such severe conditions. Patrolling British frigates observed the departure of the fleet and notified the British Channel Fleet, most of which was sheltering at Spithead for the winter. Most of the French fleet managed to reach Bantry Bay late in December, but its commanders were driven miles off course and without them the fleet was unsure of what action to take, with amphibious landings impossible due to the weather conditions, which were the worst recorded since 1708. Within a week the fleet had broken up, small squadrons and individual ships making their way back to Brest through storms, fog and British patrols.

La Surveillante

la Surveillante was part of a French Fleet involved in an unsuccessful attempt to invade Ireland and overthrow English rule in the country. Bad weather and poor leadership challenged the campaign from the start leading to the scattering and dispersal of the 48-strong invasion fleet. A sizeable number of the fleet’s ships arrived off the Bantry coast in December of 1796 but they were forced to return to France due to bad weather. La Surveillante at that point was no longer considered seaworthy and its crew, cavalry and other troops on board were transferred to some of the remaining ships in the fleet. Rather than allow La Surveillante to fall into British hands, the ship was scuttled in Bantry harbour. 
For nearly 200 years the 620-ton La Surveillante remained undiscovered. Then in 1981, during marine surveys following the 1979 Whiddy Island oil terminal disaster, the remains of the frigate was identified on the seabed.  
​La Surveillante is one of the most intact 18th-century wrecks in Irish waters, the remains surviving from the orlop deck down to its copper-sheathed keelson; as such, it is of critical importance for our understanding of frigate construction and ships from that period as well as being a tangible link to one of the major maritime events of that time in our history.
See more information and survey photos at the following link:
https://www.facebook.com/NationalMons/posts/4029526270399050

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PARKING:
Glengarriff - Due to a lot of tour buses coming and going from the pier during the tourist season, it is not always possible to park along side it. Therefore we ask, where possible, to drop off passengers and bags near the pier and park your car along the top of the road.
Bantry - We will be picking up from the railway pier, therefore, you can drop passengers and bags close by the pier and park in the public car park along side Supervalu
IMPORTANT TRIP INFORMATION
All charters are dependent on weather and fish catches and dolphin/whale sightings cannot be guaranteed. The Irish weather and Atlantic Ocean sea conditions can be unpredictable during the year, even in summer. Our Skipper will make their decision to sail based on many years of experience, always keeping in mind passenger safety and comfort. However, depending on wind direction and swell, it may be possible to go ahead with your charter within sheltered waters.
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Contact Details:
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bantrybaycharters@gmail.com 
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00353 (0)830896828
©Bantry Bay Charters 2022
  • Home
  • Contact
    • About Us
    • FAQs
    • Terms and Conditions
  • Charters
    • Marine Wildlife Tour
    • Sea Angling
    • Sunset Tour
    • Mackerel Fishing
    • Customised day on the bay
    • Whale Watching
    • School Outing
    • Checklist
  • Whiddy Island
  • Scuba Diving
  • Gallery
    • Sightings
  • Reviews
  • History in the Bay
    • Eccles
    • Maureen O'Hara
    • Glengarriff Castle
    • Garnish Island
    • Whiddy Island and Terminals
    • SPM
    • The Battle of Bantry
    • 1796 French Armada
    • 1798 Rebellion
  • Product