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Over 200 years ago, in the Winter of 1796,
a formidable French Armada,
inspired by Theobald
Wolfe Tone and the United Irishmen, sailed from Brest
in France. Their purpose was to invade Ireland, put an end
to British rule and establish an independent Irish
republic. Almost 50 warships carried 15,000 soldiers to
the Southwest of County Cork.
Stormy chaos reigned and with ship-to ship communication
largely disrupted, the invasion foundered the fleet
eventually turning about for home. Ten ships were
lost..... One of these, the frigate Surveillante,
was too storm-damaged to make the return journey to
France. She was scuttled off Whiddy Island and has lain
undisturbed for almost 200 years. Rediscovered in 1982,
the Surveillante was declared an Irish National Monument
in 1985 and the work began on its recovery, conservation
and exhibition.
As the whole of Bantry Bay braces
itself to mark the Bicentenary of this amazing episode
with a packed calendar of events, take the time to
discover all these which are held in the Bantry 1796
French Armada Exhibition Centre.
Immerse yourself in the epic adventure of 1796, which
includes an individual sound tour, complete with
accompanying music and sound effects, available in a
choice of different languages. The centerpiece of the
exhibition is a giant 1 to 6 scale model of the frigate in
cross-section, showing her construction and the various
activities that were happening on board, vividly
illustrating life in the French Navy 200 years ago. A life-size
"Wolfe Tone" is shown in his cabin and
extracts from his journal help bring the whole epoch story
to life as visitors are taken through the sequence of
events that occurred during those fateful days and nights.
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