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HomepageAbout Bantry Bay
Bantry Bay is located in County Cork, southwest Ireland. It is over 20 from one end to the other and the far southeast meets with the Atlantic Ocean. The bay is about 2 miles wide at the top but opens up to nearly 6 miles wide at the entrance.
Made famous by the song below, Bantry Bay is absolutely beautiful. The town of Bantry itself is at the inland tip of the bay and is a busy market town and fishing port where many of the world’s mussels are farmed and distributed around the world by Bantry Bay Seafoods.
Bantry Bay has been entered by French fleets in the past, once in 1689 to support James II against William of Orange, and again in 1796 to help Wolfe Tone and his Irish uprising. The main square in Bantry is now named after Wolfe Tone.
Ireland's links with South Wales have suffered and we want them back!
Bring back the Swansea Cork Ferry!
Bantry Bay SongAs I'm sitting all alone in the gloaming,
It might have been but yesterday.
That we watched the fisher's sails all homing,
Till the little herring fleet at anchor lay.
Then the fisher girls with baskets swinging,
Came running down the old stone way.
Every lassie to her sailor lad was singing,
Ah welcome back to Bantry Bay.
Then we heard the pipers sweet note tuning,
And all the lassies turned to hear.
As they mingled with a soft voice crooning.
Till the music floated down the wooden pier.
Save you kindly, colleens all, said the piper
Hands across and trip it while I play.
And the tender sound of song and merry dancing,
Stole softly over Bantry Bay.
As I'm sitting all alone in the gloaming,
The shadows of the past draw near.
And I see the lovely faces round me
That used to glad the old front pier.
Some have gone upon their last logged homing,
Some are left, but they are old and grey.
And we're waiting for the tide in the gloaming.
To sail upon the great highway.
To an isle of rest unending.
Called peacefully from Bantry Bay.
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