This story / page is available in:
German
Ireland Photo of the Week: Every Tuesday, our friend Kevin Balanda will be sharing a special photo from Ireland and telling its story here on Irlandnews. Kevin worked in Dublin for many years and now lives in West Cork. He enjoys taking his camera with him wherever he goes. We begin our weekly photo tour at our home of choice, in the small town of Bantry:
A French warship, an Irish patriot and a town in West Cork
This anchor rests in Wolfe Tone Square in Bantry, West Cork and was rescued from the French frigate “La Surveillante” which sunk in Bantry Bay. She was part of a failed French invasion of Ireland in December 1796.
A year earlier the Irish patriot, Theobald Wolfe Tone, had joined the French Court to form an alliance with France against the English reign in Ireland. Eventually, in December 1796, a French fleet consisting of over forty ships and around 15,000 troops set sail for Ireland. Its goal was to rendevous with Irish rebels at Bantry and spark a rebellion against British rule in Ireland.
However; the fleet faced wild storms and seas and, although some ships reached Bantry Bay, the battered fleet received orders to return to France after a few days. In 1798 the French tried again and landed an expeditionary force on the west coast of Ireland but this also ended in failure.
Many consider Wolfe Tone to be the founder of Irish Republican Nationalism and this square named after him contains his statue facing out to Bantry Bay. The failed French invasions were key milestones in the Irish fight for independence.
Photographic specifications: This photo was taken on a late Summer evening with a lens set at a 24mm focal length. Camera settings were ISO 200, f/4, 1/1,000 s. It was edited in LightRoom.
© Kevin Balanda 2025
This story / page is available in:
German
Leave A Comment