A trip to Bunratty Castle in Ireland is like a trip to no other place.
Where else can you explore a 15th-century castle while enjoying a day at a 19th-century folk park? Standing on the site of a long-ago Viking trading camp, Bunratty Castle dates back to 1425 when the O'Brien clan ruled North Munster and a herd of 3,000 deer roamed the grounds.
Today, visitors can make one call to CIE Tours and explore the castle and its gardens, and imagine what life must have been like in medieval times, assuming you were royalty, of course. Having fallen into disrepair in the mid-1800s, Bunratty Castle was restored to its original splendor in the 1950s thanks to its then-owner, Viscount Lord Gort, and the work of the Office of Public Works, the Irish Tourist Board and Shannon Development. Today, it stands as Ireland's most complete and authentically restored and furnished castle and a delightful place to spend the day exploring.
Start the day with a visit to the castle proper, where you can see one of Ireland's best examples of medieval furniture. From there, stroll through the walled gardens, which have been modeled on the original garden and which once served as the source of fruit, flowers and vegetables for Bunratty House. Gardeners (and those who just wish they had a green thumb) will be interested to note that the plots were planted and restored with attention to historical detail and reflect Ireland's horticultural heritage.
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Spend the rest of the day exploring the Bunratty Folk Park where 19th-century Ireland comes to life. Set on 26 acres, this folk park has meticulously recreated an old Irish village, down to the furnishing in the shops and homes. The village street offers visitors a glimpse into everyday life. There, you can explore a school, a pub, a grocery, a hardware store, a pottery shop, the post office a doctor's home, a pawnbroker, a print works and more.
Costumed characters recreate village life before your eyes as you watch bakers, policeman and schoolteachers go about their day. Younger visitors will delight in a visit to the Bunratty Fairy Village, where if you are very lucky indeed, you might just catch a glimpse of one such magical inhabitant in the new willow tunnel and willow hut.
Finally, after a full day of exploration, it's time to relax with a hearty meal and maybe a spot of mead. The Bunratty Medieval Castle Banquet is the perfect way to close out your day. Guests are greeted by a kilted piper, who plays a welcome song as you cross over the drawbridge and enter the Great Hall. Decorated with sumptuous tapestries and 16th-centruy furniture, it's there that visitors have the chance to mingle with the Ladies of the Castle and enjoy a goblet of mead, while a madrigal relates the history of the castle.
Before dinner, guests can witness the Earl and Lady of the castle being crowned, before they enter the Great Banquet Hall, where they will feast medieval style at long oak tables on such delicacies as spare ribs with honey and whiskey sauce and pan-seared supreme of chicken. The fun continues with harp and fiddle music, followed by a selection of traditional Irish songs and instrumental music. It's no wonder then that Bunratty Castle and Folk Park are among Ireland's best loved and most visited sites.
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