Bunratty Castle
Bunratty Castle is located in Clare County in Bunratty Village, Ireland. The castle sits alongside the Ratty River. In 970 AD, the site was used as a Viking Trading Camp. There were three previous castles on the site, with the current castle built in the 15thcentury by the MacNamara family. During a battle in 1475, the castle fell into the hands of the O’Brien family and served as their stronghold. The O’Briens were granted the title ‘Earls of Thomond’ by King Henry VIII, but eventually, the O’Briens surrendered the estate to Cornwellian troops. The castle was granted to many plantation families over the years. In 1804, the Studdart family left the castle, and it fell into disrepair. In 1954, Viscount Lord Gort purchased the castle, and with the help from the Office of Public Works, the Irish Tour Board, and Shannon Development, restoration began. The castle is a single tower house with three floors in the main building, a great hall, and two large square towers built with gray stone. The castle is situated within a 26-acre folk park. Bunratty Castle was open to the public in 1962 as a National Monument. The castle has over 450 pieces of medieval furniture and objects on display. The castle does not have a restaurant or a gift shop, but these can be found in the folk park. The castle does offer a four-course medieval banquet dinner show. The Folk Park has reconstructions of historical cottages and buildings within a 19thcentury style village main street with actors. The area is frequented by families, tourists, and schools. Today, Bunratty Castle is owned and operated by the Irish government.
