Bunratty Castle And Folk Park

Long before you reach Bunratty, the gray stone walls of this rugged, 15th-century fortress dominate the views from the main road. Standing fiercely beside the O'Garney River, Bunratty Castle (1425) is an exceptionally complete medieval castle and thus offers a rare perspective on living in a castle in those troubled times. The ancient stronghold has been restored with period-appropriate furniture, stained glass, luxurious tapestries, and other art. The castle you see today was the fourth castle built on this spot, and it was largely built by the MacNamara family in 1425, but in an earlier incarnation it was a home of the English royal family, until it was destroyed by the Irish chieftains of Thomond in 1332. After the current structure was completed, it was ultimately taken over by the powerful O'Brien family clan, the largest in North Munster. They ruled from here and lived a life of luxury. In their time, the castle was surrounded by lush gardens in which thrived thousands of deer. After Ireland fell to Cromwell, the castle was taken over by a variety of English families, until the last abandoned it in 1804 and moved into Bunratty House, which is also available for tours. Today the castle is a kind of historical theme park, crawling with tourists in the high season. By day, the building's inner chambers and grounds are open for tours; at night, the Great Hall serves as a candlelit setting for medieval banquets and entertainment. Around the castle is the 8-hectare (20-acre) theme park, Bunratty Folk Park. While it is, as you might expect, extremely touristy, it's also done well. The re-creation of 19th-century Irish villages includes thatched cottages, farmhouses, kitchen gardens, and an entire village street, with a school, post office, pub, grocery store, print shop, and hotel -- all open for browsing and shopping. Fresh scones are baked in the cottages, and craftspeople ply such trades as knitting, weaving, candle making, pottery, and photography. It's all a bit cute, and yet it's quite fun, too. In the summer there's a céilidh (traditional Irish party) in the folk park nightly. The evening starts with a three-course meal, followed by a 40-minute show featuring storytelling, folk music, and dancing (7pm nightly; €50 adults, €25-€38 children 6-12, children 5 and under free; call ahead to book). You can while away a very enjoyable afternoon exploring the castle, great house, and folk park, and kids will find its living history fascinating.

Bunratty Castle And Folk Park is located in Bunratty. To communicate or ask something with the place, the Phone number is +353 61 361 511. You can get more information from their website: https://www.shannonheritage.com/. The coordinates that you can use in navigation applications to get to find "Bunratty Castle And Folk Park" quickly are 52.697036743164,-8.8128519058228