| 29th | Top Fairtrade settlements: Fairtrade Towns |
| Bantry Beanntraí |
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| Location | ||
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| Irish grid reference V997488 |
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| Statistics | ||
| Province: | Munster | |
| County: | Cork | |
| Population (2006) - Town: - Environs: |
3,309 8 |
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| Website: www.bantry.ie | ||
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | %± |
| 1821 | 3,659 | — |
| 1831 | 4,275 | 16.8% |
| 1841 | 4,082 | −4.5% |
| 1851 | 2,943 | −27.9% |
| 1861 | 2,438 | −17.2% |
| 1871 | 2,421 | −0.7% |
| 1881 | 2,632 | 8.7% |
| 1891 | 2,921 | 11.0% |
| 1901 | 3,109 | 6.4% |
| 1911 | 3,159 | 1.6% |
| 1926 | 2,685 | −15.0% |
| 1936 | 2,643 | −1.6% |
| 1946 | 2,453 | −7.2% |
| 1951 | 2,319 | −5.5% |
| 1956 | 2,211 | −4.7% |
| 1961 | 2,234 | 1.0% |
| 1966 | 2,341 | 4.8% |
| 1971 | 2,579 | 10.2% |
| 1981 | 2,862 | 11.0% |
| 1986 | 2,811 | −1.8% |
| 1991 | 2,777 | −1.2% |
| 1996 | 2,936 | 5.7% |
| 2002 | 3,150 | 7.3% |
| 2006 | 3,309 | 5.0% |
| [1] | ||
Bantry (Irish: Beanntraí) is a town on the coast of County Cork, Ireland, located on the N71 national secondary road at the head of Bantry Bay. The Beara peninsula is to the northwest, with Sheep's Head also nearby, on the peninsula south of Bantry Bay.
As with many areas on Ireland's south-west coast, Bantry claims an ancient connection to the sixth century saint, Breandán (Naomh Bréanainn) the Navigator. In Irish lore Saint Breandán was the first person to discover America.
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Wolfe Tone Square in the town commemorates Theobald Wolfe Tone. Tone, a Dublin-born Irishman, led the United Irishmen in what he had hoped to be a re-run of the French Revolution ten years earlier, this was to be done with the help of French Republicans to overthrow British rule (see 1798 rebellion). The ill-fated French invasion force arrived in Bantry in 1796. For his efforts in preparing the local defenses against the French, Richard White, a local landowner, was created Baron Bantry in 1797. A Viscountcy followed in 1800 and in 1816 he became the 1st Earl of Bantry.
During the Irish War of Independence, the 5th Cork Brigade of the Irish Republican Army was very active in Bantry, and many remained so during the Civil War that followed, and those who died between 1920 and 1923 'In Defence of the Republic' are listed on the wall of the former court house in Wolfe Tone Square.
Opposite the coastline lies Whiddy Island. The remains of what was formerly an important oil terminal, owned by Gulf Oil, are on the island. On 8 January 1979 the oil tanker Betelgeuse exploded, killing all 42 crew members, as well as seven employees at the terminal. The jetty was seriously damaged at the terminal, but fortunately the storage tanks were not affected. Nevertheless, 250 employees at the terminal, one of the largest employers in the region, lost their jobs. There was significant environmental impact, and so the local fishing industry was also affected. Local businesses commenced growing mussels in Bantry Bay, and so another industry was formed and has enjoyed considerable success.
An injection of money by the Irish Government in the early 1990s led to the part of the terminal being restored. The Government arranged for oil to be stored here during the First Gulf War in case of a disruption to oil supplies. Further funding led to more and more of the terminal being made operational. By 1998 it was deemed officially 'open for business' once more. It passed from state ownership to several American oil companies, and is now part of ConocoPhillips Corporation. The terminal is working to full capacity once more and sees up to forty ships berth every year. The recent increase in the price of oil has led to some speculation about future expansion of the terminal.
As with many areas on Ireland's south-west coast, Bantry claims an ancient connection to the sixth century saint, Breandán (Naomh Bréanainn) the Navigator.
The town is an important economic centre to the region. Apart from tourism , fishing is one of the main industries. Mussels in particular are harvested in the area.
Bantry has been a Fairtrade Town for the last number of years.
Bantry Town Council has nine members. These members are elected by the town's residents every five years. The members elect a mayor and deputy mayor annually.
Bantry is twinned with:
Bantry is a small town at the head of a very large inlet, Bantry Bay in West Cork, Southwest Ireland.
Bantry is remote and surrounded by hills except for the 30 mile sea inlet that is named after it. It has a population of about 3000 yet is the biggest town for miles around. The setting is magnificent and it can make a marvellous place to visit if the weather is kind. The landscape gets wilder to the north and west, leading out to the even more remote peninsula of Beara to the west and over a mountain pass into Kerry to the north. In contrast to the landscape Bantry and the surrounding area has a mild climate and is well-known for luxuriant 'sub-tropical' vegetation.
Take part in the annual Bay Run half marathon in May, which is from Glengarriff to Bantry and hugs the coastline along the route. The route is an excellent chance to take in the spectacular scenery available in the area. The website is www.bayrun.ie
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BANTRY, a seaport, market-town and seaside resort of Co. Cork, Ireland, in the west parliamentary division, 58 m. S.W. of Cork by the Cork, Bandon & South Coast railway, on the bay of the same name. Pop. (1901) 3109. It is an important centre both for sea fisheries and for sport with the rod. It is the terminus of the railway, and a coaching station on the famous "Prince of Wales" route (named after King Edward VII.) from Cork to Glengarriff and Killarney. The bay, with excellent anchorage, is a picturesque inlet some 2 2 m. long by 3 to 6 broad, with 12 to 32 fathoms of water. It is one of the headquarter stations of the Channel Squadron, which uses the harbour at Castletown Bearhaven on the northern shore, behind Bear Island, near the mouth of the bay. It was the scene of attempts by the French to invade Ireland in 1689 and 1796, and troops of William of Orange were landed here in 1697. There are several islands, the principal of which are Bear Island and Whiddy, off the town. Ruins of the so-called "fish palaces" testify to the failure of the pilchard fishery in the 18th century.
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