Battle of Bantry Bay

The Battle of Bantry Bay was on 11 May 1689, a week before the declaration of the Nine Years' War between the English and French navies. The English were commanded by Admiral Arthur Herbert, while the French were under the command of François Louis Rousselet de Châteaurenault. Apart from the inshore operations during the siege of La Rochelle, the battle was the first time English and French navies had fought a fleet action since 1545.

The battle, fought near the southern Irish coast, ended somewhat inconclusively. The French, endeavouring to supply King James II in his attempt to re-establish his throne, had managed to unload their supplies for James's campaign in Ireland. Although the French failed to follow up their tactical success with strategic gain, Châteaurenault's fleet inflicted considerable damage on Herbert's ships.