BUNRATTY

No, that’s not the untidy hairstyle of a prima ballerina. It is a castle in Shannon, Ireland. Fourteen years ago, we visited this castle with the kids and attended its Medieval Feast. They served us mead in little wooden cups that was too tasty to be trusted and enough of a hit to make me think I might fall down the circular staircase to the feast hall!  Now they sell that same mead in bottles, which I’m not altogether sure is a good idea. But we bought some anyway. It’s hard to believe we did this site on the same day as Foynes Flying Boat and Air Museum, and that was almost a week ago. Shows you how far behind I am in my stories!

Bunratty Castle (or the site, really) began in 1250 as a wooden structure built as a defensive fortress by a Norman, Robert De Muscegros. He must have been one of those Normans that took to the Irish ways a little to well for the English king to be satisfied because the lands were granted to Thomas De Clare and that lad built the first stone castle on the site. Situated at the mouth of the Ralty River, which feeds the mighty Shannon that runs out to sea, Bunratty was a hot spot for both offensive and defensive power.  It is also located in the west of Ireland, where the English didn’t have quite as much land and power and the Irish clans were strong and determined.  Despite the town of Bunratty growing to 1000 habitants between 1250 and 1318, it was completely destroyed during an Irish – Norman battle. Somewhere between 1318 and 1332, it was restored to the English king, but razed again in 1332 by the Irish Chieftans O’Brien and MacNamara.  Twenty-odd years later, it was again rebuilt by the English, only to be attacked once more by the Irish. It has remained in Irish hands since, occupied by an Irish Chieftan (the O’Briens) in the 1600s, until it was abandoned for another. Sometime between then and the 1800s, it fell to ruin.

The ruin and some surrounding lands were purchased by the Viscount and Viscountesse Gort and extensive restoration began. John Hunt (remember him, made famous in my Walking Limerick blog of a couple of days ago?) encouraged the Viscount to preserve the heritage of the site. Hunt was instrumental in the restoration of Bunratty Castle. In 1976, the Viscount Gort bequeathed the castle and its furnishings to the people of Ireland.

A folk park with reconstructed buildings, some of which are actual buildings that have been moved to the site, provide a look at the traditional lives of people over a number of eras. There are many events held over the course of the year and ongoing medieval feasts and battles are part of these.  Visit the Bunratty Castle website at https://www.bunrattycastle.ie/ to check it out.

Inside the castle, several rooms have been restored to their former glory and one can climb to the top of the castle for a stunning view of the Irish landscape and to scope out which tower bedroom would be preferred should you have visited in medieval times.  Don’t miss climbing both tower staircases to puzzle how two people could pass on them, let alone have a sword fight! One of the towers is a much larger living area which makes any master bedroom pale in comparison.  The basement of the castle has some of its history, but also a great display of the steps and efforts made to restore the castle to its present-day state.  The completeness of the castle, its activities and the surrounding folk village provide a rare glimpse into a more genuine representation of the times than movies would have us believe.

The medieval feast is an activity not to be missed if there is only a chance to visit once.  Hands and daggers are your utensils, and re-enactments of historical characters and entertainment complete the illusion of a medieval experience. Kick it up a notch and go in costume!  Make sure to go well ahead of feast time so there is time to explore the castle and grounds before they are closed off for the evening feast.  We did not do that when we were there with the kids – not realizing we should – and we missed a lot.

Peter and I got separated early on as we toured different things. Wandering through the village, I began to wonder if Peter had been beheaded somewhere along the way for bad behaviour - I dunno....like stealing mead?. But then I glimpsed 2 hands in recognizable gestures through the door of the blacksmith shop.  Sure enough, there he was, engaged in deep conversation with Seamus, the blacksmith. Seamus is shy, like me, 😉, which is why we spent a good half-hour in conversation.  He is an avid genealogist and all-round good guy to talk with - friendly, welcoming and engaged.

I know you will be shocked to learn there are tons of photos from Bunratty. I have tried to scale them down better that the 96 photos of the Skellig Islands tour, but I just couldn't do it.