Spanish Armada Philip expressing grave doubts about the planned campaign, but this was prevented from reaching the King by courtiers on the grounds that God would ensure the Armada's success. Prior to the undertaking, Pope Sixtus V allowed Philip II of Spain to collect crusade taxes and granted his men indulgences. The blessing of the Armada's banner on 25 April 1588, was similar to the ceremony used prior to the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. On 28 May 1588, the Armada set sail from Lisbon and headed for the English Channel. The fleet was composed of 130 ships, 8,000 sailors and 18,000
The Armada (band) The Armada (band) The Armada was a three-piece rock band based in Cork, Ireland. Fronted by Jeff Martin of The Tea Party, "The Armada" aimed to encompass the tone of The Tea Party, while moving it forward. The band was formed when Jeff Martin and Wayne Sheehy met in an Irish Pub. The two hit it off immediately and soon started making music together. The name of the band refers to the Spanish Armada: "We were like, what is this?" [Jeff Martin] said. "It's massive, but what do we make of this?" That's when Sheehy commented, "It's kind of like