town, County Cork, Ireland, 17 miles (27 km) southwest of Cork. Founded in 1608 by Richard Boyle, later Earl of Cork, Bandon was initially populated by English and Scottish settlers. Parts of the original town wall remain; the ruins of a 15th-century castle are nearby. Kilbrogan Church (1610), the first Protestant church built in Ireland, contains the town stocks. Bandon lies in the broad valley of the River Bandon, which has good salmon and trout fishing; it is an agricultural centre with distilleries, light engineering industries, breweries, and flour mills. Pop. (2002) 1,578.