Bantry Legends

The picture to the left is St. Brenden. The Irish say he set sail in his wee wooden boat and made it to the New World long before Columbus. I'm not sure whether the Vikings beat the Irish or not in that particular race. They seemed to pound away at the monks that stayed here, that's for sure! This statue is in the main town square. He's reaching his arms out in a curve that echos the curve of the bay as it tucks into the heart of the town.

Apparently Bantry is named for the first explorer to land on Irish shores. Long before the Celts found the island, explorers from Egypt were said to have traveled up the Bay then on up the river to arrive at the cascades. The explorer's name? Bant. It's not really the sort of Egyptian name I'm used to, but it was, of course, a long time ago!