Local History
Here we have a few articles on aspects of local history. Please click on the pdf symbol to access the relevant article and enjoy the read!
Ellen Kate O'Sullivan
Bantry Culture & Creativity 2020 Supported by Creative Ireland/Cork Co Council
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Words from the Past
Bantry Culture & Creativity 2020 Supported by Creative Ireland/Cork Co Council. This is a randon collection of poetry/song written by the people of Bantry, young and old or written about Bantry. Open the pdf and savour the varying threads of culture
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Bantry's Portrait Artist, and Cork's Stone Sculptor
Profile: Sir William Orpen Profile : Seamus Murphy
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Recordings of Local Songs, New Creations and What About Our Natural Heritage
videos to follow
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Rocky Mountain O'Brien
Patrick O'Brien with a passion for his native sod claims he was forced to emigrate because of the political situation in Ireland at the time. We've taken a few extracts from his book 'Birth and Adoption' published in 1904. Open the pdf and enjoy the read
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Art and Creativity in Bantry Area
We dipped into the Creative side of our Bantry people over the years And a peep at Creative and famous people who selected Bantry Bay area as their destination, and were most likely influenced by their surrounds.Open the pdf and see for yourself!
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She Painted Seaweeds from the Seashore
Ellen was an accomplished Artist as well as a famous scientist. And most of her life was lived near the shores of inner Bantry Bay Do take a look inside PDF button
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Máire Bhuí Ní Laoghaire
Máire Bhuí lived through the same period as Ellen Hutchins. Two creative women, they lived within ten miles of each other, but their works tell of two different worlds! Yet, Ellen expressed sympathy for the Irish peasants. Open pdf
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The Amazing Story of The Priest's Leap
This story deserves greater publicity. It's a reminder of a very different culture in Bantry area and elsewhere. Read the Bantry-Man's verses recounting the story.
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The Bantry Man who Saved the Irish Music
Francis O'Neill should be remembered in every parish in Ireland for his amazing work and dedication in collecting and preserving our Irish culture of song and dance music.
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More Words From The Past
We got such a huge response to our call for poetry of Bantry, that we built two collections of verses, randomely assembled. We hope you enjoy.
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Cnuasach Chríostóir Uí Raigheallaigh
This collection of words/phrases were in everyday use, esp. in the greater Kealkill(Caorcuill) area when Christy O'Reilly was a young man. Many of these words are remembered to this day. Do look in and see how much you can recall?
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O'Donovans' Cove
This rather lengthy collection of seven verses was written by a young man of Muintervara who emigrated, and fared well in America. Yet, he never forgot his homeland.
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The Schools Collection
This small selection of stories etc are selected from three schools that existed in Bantry town in 1937/'39, plus works from Glengarriff School. Also included are the current names of those schools. Note the huge chaange of culture since then.
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A Decade of Celebrating Heritage in Bantry
Bantry Historical & Archaeological Society is delighted to be included in Heritage Week 2020. We looked back at all the events we have organised over the past eleven years for Heritage Week. and we were very impressed with what we have contributed to Heritage Week over the years, many years having several events. So we are now showcasing our work and bringing our rich heritage of the Bantry area to new audiences. We have summarised our events in the pdf herewith . We invite you, especially, to view our 2019 Project Celebrating Culture & Creativity in Bantry's 4 Valleys in the History tab.of our website. Here you will find in excess of 130 pages of collected material - Folklore, Poetry written by locals, stories etc of the rural hinterland of Bantry, plus five short videos. That project was supported by the Cork Co Council/Creative Ireland Programme 2019.
Enjoy your visit to our local heritage. We are passionate about our local heritage and would love to share it will you all.
Celebrating Culture & Creativity of Bantry's 4 valleys - part 5
This is just one section of our 2019 project, funded by Cork Co Council Creative Ireland Funding Scheme 2019. Included is (a) Old Irish Sayings, (b) Seanfhocail and (c) Irish Words in commom use in Bantry's Four Valleys until recent times. 17 Pages
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Celebrating Culture & Creativity of Bantry's 4 valleys - part 4
Heritage Week 2019 at Bantry Library - Videos of the night when natives of Bantry's Four Valleys came together to tell stories, sing songs, recite own poetry, recall founding/continuing life of local GAA Club and hear some stories written by schoolchildren who walked barefoot to school in 1937/'39 to the National Schools that were then flourishing in Bantry's Four Valleys. 7 Short Videos
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Celebrating Culture & Creativity of Bantry's 4 valleys - part 3
Here you can enjoy Irish Poems written by Kealkil man Conchubhar Ó Ruairc. An English translation is offered. 13 Pages
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Celebrating Culture & Creativity of Bantry's 4 valleys - part 2
A selection from the collection of folklore compiled by school children in the 1930’s in the Bantry Four Valleys. 94 Pages.
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Celebrating Culture & Creativity of Bantry's 4 valleys - part 1
Poems from the Valleys In this section of our project we have included a small selection of poems, some of which have been recited for generations in these rural areas. These give a flavour of what life was like in the Valleys of Bantry up to mid/late 20th century, and highlights the wonderful creativity that abounded! 13 Pages
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Bantry Town Council honours Historical Society members
Bantry Town Council honours Bantry Historical & Archaeological Society members in 2013
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Cath Chéim an Fhia - Battle of Keimaneigh
From the Schools Collection: This is a collection of folklore compiled by schoolchildren in Ireland in the 1930s.
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Bantry Town Commissioners & Town Council 1896-2014
A brief summary of the Minutes of meetings of the Bantry Town Commissioners and Bantry Town Council from its formation in 1896 to its termination in 2014. The full document may be viewed at http://bmdnotices.com
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Bantry tolls in the 19th century
A list of the Tolls, Duties and Customs claimed by the Earl of Bantry on June 28th 1818
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Bantry fisheries in the 19th century
Extracts from reports of the Commissioners of Irish Fisheries in Bantry Bay - 1827 to 1867
Image: Stanhope Alexander Forbes (1857 - 1947) A Fish Sale on a Cornish Beach
Bantry Bridewell 1842-1856
A snap shot of both prison and prisoners from the mid nineteenth century in Bantry Bridewell.
Image: typical 19th century prison cell. Image credit: Cork City Gaol
Statistics from Census 1911
Bantry Rural, Bantry Urban and Whiddy District Electoral Divisions -Statistics from the Census of 1911 in the said DEDs
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