Bantry House, Estate mansion in Bantry, Ireland

Bantry House is a white stone mansion overlooking Bantry Bay with seven garden terraces that descend through the surrounding hills. The structure integrates the main building with the landscape through these tiered outdoor spaces.

Bantry House, first called Blackrock, was built around 1710 on the south side of Bantry Bay. In 1750 Councillor Richard White bought it from Samuel Hutchinson and renamed it Seafield. The White family, merchants from Limerick who had settled on Whiddy Island, held the title Earl of Bantry from 1816 to 1891 and still own the house.

The rooms hold furniture and artworks the 2nd Earl of Bantry brought back from his European travels; the Rosa Salon and the dining room are singled out for attention. The family held the title Earl of Bantry from 1816 to 1891.

The gardens lie on seven terraces, with the house on the third; a hundred steps behind the house and fountain climb past azaleas and rhododendrons. Grounds restoration begun after 1997 was still ongoing in summer 2024, so some areas may be closed off. The site sits above Bantry Bay on the south side, and outdoor paths are exposed to Atlantic weather.

The Armada Centre in the courtyard opened before the 1998 bicentenary of the United Irishmen Rebellion. It covered the French expedition of 1796 and Richard White's role in opposing the landings, and held a scale model of the frigate Surveillante, lost in the storms, with artifacts recovered from its wreck.