We are staying at The Bunratty Castle Hotel, just across the street from Bunratty Castle. Bunratty Folk Park, and Durty Nelly's pub. We went to a medieval banquet in the castle tonight.
The gaelic name is Bun Raite, meaning at the mouth of the Raite River.
This castle was built in 1425. I believe I heard it was built by the McNamara clan and was then taken over by the O'Briens later on. It was restored in 1954 and is now open for tours and banquets. It is furnished with 15th and 16th century furnishings and tapestries. Somehow I don't think the Irish clans were so fancy back in the day. Fortifications of wood were built in the same place dating back to the 1200s, but they burned before the stone castle was built.
We climbed up a steep stone spiral staircase to the Great Hall. We were served a small cup of mead and entertained by musicians and singers who also explained details about the castle.
Then we walked back down the steep stone spiral staircase to the banquet hall, where the feast and entertainment ensued. An "Earl" and "Lady" were chosen to lead the feast, and one poor soul was thrown in the dungeon for a few minutes, to be heard wailing pitifully. He sang a song for his freedom.
Medieval singers and musicians standing in front of the huge fireplace in the banquet hall. Boy, oh boy, if those walls could talk!
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