Breandán the Navigator

Situated on the coast of County Cork, Ireland, Bantry claims an ancient connection to the six century Breandán the Navigator. In Irish lore, Breandán was the first person to discover America. While the story is often assumed to be a religious allegory, there has been considerable discussion as to whether the legends are based on actual events. Every year, the St. Breandán Society celebrates the belief that Breandán was the first European to reach America, and Tim Severin demonstrated it is possible that a leather-clad boat such as St Breandán’s could have reached North America. Whether true or not, I do love a good story!