Page 174 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Ireland

172  IRELAND REGION B Y REGION

t Bantry House

Bantry House has been the home of the
White family, formerly Earls of Bantry,
since 1739. The original Queen Anne North façade
house was built around 1700, but the
north façade overlooking the bay
was a later addition. Inside is an
eclectic collection of art and furnishings
brought from Europe by the 2nd Earl of
Bantry. Highlights include the Aubusson
tapestries made for Marie Antoinette on
her marriage to the future Louis XVI.
Guestrooms are available here on
a bed and breakfast basis.

To car park

Gobelin Drawing Room
The subject of this 18th-century
Gobelin tapestry is The Bath of Cupid 1st Earl of Bantry (1767–1851)
and Psyche. The room also contains Richard White, 1st Earl of Bantry, played a leading role in
an early 19th-century piano. defending Ireland against an attempted invasion by Wolfe Tone
and the United Irishmen (see pp44–5). On 16 Dec ember 1796,
Tone sailed from Brest in Brittany with a fleet of 43 French ships
KEY bound for Ireland. White
chose strategic spots
1 The Rose Garden, laid out in the around Bantry Bay and
early 18th century, is, in the words of mustered volunteers to
the 1st Earl of Bantry, “a parterre after fight. His efforts proved
the English manner”. unnecessary as the
2 Loggia French fleet was forced
back by bad weather.
3 The anteroom contains family None theless, White was
mementos, china and a collection of rewarded with a
18th-century prints.
peerage by George III for
4 Statue of Diana (1840) his “spirited conduct and
5 Library important services”. In
6 The steps, known as the 1800 he was made
Viscount Bantry,
“Staircase to the Sky”, lead to a series becoming Earl of
of terraces with fabulous views over Bantry in 1816.
the house and across the bay.
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp298–9 and pp313–16

172-173_EW_Ireland.indd 172 25/04/16 11:02 am
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Starsight template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.2)
Date 23rd October 2012
Size 125mm x 217mm