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Mediaval Castle Banquets
One experience not to be missed, that becomes the highlight of many people's
visit to Ireland and the Shannon Region, is the Shannon Medieval Castle
Banquet experience at Bunratty, Knappogue and Dunguaire Castles.
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Bunratty Castle, Bunratty Co. Clare:
Tel: 061 360 788.
Web: www.shannonheritage.com
Bunratty Banquets are held twice nightly, year round, subject to demand
at 5.30 pm and 8.45 pm.
At Bunratty Castle in County Clare you will share with up to 140 others
guests, a banquets with the great "Earl of Thomond", toasting
an era of great Irish taste with excellent food, wine and honeyed mead.
You will be entertained by the world renowned Bunratty Singers with enchanting
melodies to the music of harp and violin. A memorable occasion, full of
fun and good humour.
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Bunratty Castle and Folk Park:
Bunratty Castle and Folk Park is one of Ireland's top visitor attraction.
A visit to the Castle, the most complete and authentic mediaeval fortress
in Ireland, and the absorbing Folk Park is a wonderful experience for
all the family.
Built in 1425, the majestic Castle was restored in 1954 to its former
medieval splendour. It now contains mainly 15th and 16th century furnishings,
tapestries and works of art, which capture the mood of the times. You
can marvel at the finest collection of medieval furniture in the country,
which brings to life a vital part of the Celtic past and the heritage
of Co Clare.
A restored village street complete with pub, post office, school, doctor's
house, hardware shop, printers, drapery shop, pawn shop and village hotel
provides the main focal point for the park which will enchant and mesmerise
both young and old.
Another very interesting feature at the park is the formal Bunratty Walled
Gardens, modelled on the original Regency period garden which supplied
fruit, vegetables and flowers to Bunratty House built in 1804 (and now
furnished in typical Victorian style).
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Knappogue Castle Banquet
Tel: 061 360 788.
Web: www.shannonheritage.com
The Knappogue banquets are held twice nightly, April to October, subject
demand at 5.30 pm and 8.45 pm.
Enjoy an enchanting evening at historic Knappogue Castle. The ladies
of the castle, aided by the Earl's Butler, will delight you with a truly
magnificient show of music, song and dance. This delightful evening is
complemented with dinner and flowing wine.
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Dunguaire Castle Banquet
Tel: 061 360 788.
Web: www.shannonheritage.com
Twice nightly, April to October, at 5.30 pm and 8.45 pm
27 km from Galway City. You can experience a medieval banquet feast of
delightful wining and dining, dramatic entertainment, with extracts from
the literary works of Synge, Yeats and Gogarty chosen to lighten the heart
and acted out by artists perfectly moulding themselves into their parts.
Dunguaire Castle for all banquet reservation contact: Shannon Heritage,
or any Tourist Office or Travel Agent.
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Traditional Irish Night- Corn Barn, Bunratty Folk Park.
061 360 788, Web: www.shannonheritage.com
April to October (subject to demand) at 7.00 pm
Experience the magic of Irish music, Song and Dance...
The Corn Barn in Bunratty Folk Park is the perfect setting for a celebration
for all the best tradition of Ireland today. You are invited to enjoy
the company of the finest singers, dancers and musician of the local villages
and experience the homeliness, friendship and warmth of a true traditional
Irish evening. No where else can you experience the fun of what the Irish
do best - enjoy themselves...you might even learn a step or two! Dine
on delicious home cooked food, excellent wine and get to join in the singing
and dancing.
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Dysert O'Dea Castle
Opening times: May to Sept, open daily 10 am to 6 pm. October or other
times by appointements.
Tel: (065) 6837401. For informations/tours from October to April, please
contact (065) 086-3274824
The castle is situated in the Parish of Dysert O'Dea, 3 miles from Crofin
and 7 miles Ennis. Repaired and opened as an Archeology Center in 1986,
the castle today houses an extensive museum, an audio visual presentation
on the history of this unique area, and various exhibitions.
Clare Heritage Center
The museum tells you the story of 19th Century Ireland, a fascinating
window on the past. Simply but effictively presented.
The museum is open daily. + 353- 65- 6837955
E.mail: clareheritage@eircom.net
Website: www.clareroots.com
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Concert Hall
University Concert Hall
University Campus, Limerick
Tel: 061 331549
A calendar of events is published monthly in advance.
Located on the University campus in Limerick, this is the largest purpose
built concert hall in Ireland. It plays host to a wide variety of entertainments
throughout the year. During the summer season, most of the dates are booked
for classical music recitals with the RTE National Symphony and Concert
Orchestra, and national and international rock artists.
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Glor Irish Music Center, Ennis, County Clare
Tel: 065 6845370 Fax: 065 685372
E.mail: kverling@eircom.net
Open year-round, Monday to Saturday.
The Glor Irish Music Center in Ennis, County Clare, the home of traditional
music, opened in 2001.
Glor is a state-of the art concert venue dedicated to the performance
of traditional Irish music and will feature the country's top ten musician
in a friendly and intimate theatre setting. Nightly programme suitable
for tour operators seeking new and exciting venues for groups and individuals.
Restaurant and bar facilities available, and a retail outlet.
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The Cliffs of Moher
www.shannonheritage.com
Visitor Center open year round 9.30am- 5.30pm, June to August: 9.00am
- 7.00pm. (closed December 21st - 27th). O'Briens Tower - Open March to
October: 9.30am - 5.30pm (Weather permitting).
Just North of Lahinch, on the coast of West Clare, are the famous Cliffs
of Moher, defiantly standing as giant natural ramparts against the agressives
might of the Atlantic Ocean.
They rise in places to over 215 metres (700 feet) and stretch for almost
8 km.
O'Briens Tower, which was contructed in the early 19th Century
as a viewing point for Victorian tourists, is located on Moher's highest
cliff. From its exceptional vantage position you can view the Clare coastline,
the Aran Islands and mountains as far apart as Kerry and Connemara.
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The Burren experience
The northwestern corner of County Clare, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean
and the quieter water of Galway Bay, is a rock garden of no ordinary proportions.
The burren extends over more than a hundred square miles and most of it
is bare, pale grey limestone. If there were nothing but rock, a tour might
become tedious, if spectacular for a while. But the rock is enlivened
by big or small patches of green pasture or little pieces of hazel woodland.
On the pasture, and in the many crevices in the pavement of rocks, there
are countless wild flowers so that the region is mass of colour. Besides
all this, it is mountanious, has a wonderful seashore and is liberally
scattered with the monuments created by its human inhabitants in the course
of six thousand years. At its best on a sunny day in May when the greatest
numbers of wild flowers are in bloom, the Burren is unique and worth a
visit any time of year.
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The Delight of Dolphins
Dolphin Discovery, Kilruch Marina, Kilruch, County Clare
Tel: 065 9051327
Dolphinwatch, Carrigaholt
The mouth of the Shannon is home to Ireland's only resident community
of bottlenose dolphins. These playful mammals have endeared themselves
to the humans, for whom dolphins watching is a joy to behold. Over 100
bottlenose dolphins have been identified as members of this Shannon estuary
group, comprising mostly mothers and calves. The estuary provides a rich
source of food and a safe habitat, and is one of only six such breeding
communities in Europe.
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Poulnabrone Dolmen
Poulnabrone Dolmen or Portal Tomb in the Burren, is one of the most photographed
of all the monuments in Ireland.
Its dramatic siting on the limestone pavements makes as much impact on
one's senses as the most famous piece of modern sculpture does. High praise
indeed, for its boulders of more than 6,000 years ago.
Polished stone axeheads, a bone pendant and other small piece of jewellery
were also dicovered. Animal bone identified included horse, cow, pine
martin and most unusually, the wood matin.
Recent conservation work ensure Poulnabrone's survival for another 6,000
years!
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Aillwee Cave - The Burren underworld
Ballyvaughn, County Clare. Tel: 065 7077036
E.mail: aillwee@eircom.net
Website: www.aillweecave.ie
The Aillwee Cave is open daily, from 10.00am to 5.30pm
With its stalactites, stalagmites, relics of bears, and a waterfall,
the superb Aillwee Cave has become one of Ireland's leading attractions.
An essential part of any tour to the Burren. Open daily, mid-March to
early Novomember (28 miles from Ennis).
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Killaloe/Ballina
Across the 13-arch bridge on the Tipperary side of the river is Ballina,
nestling under the Arra mountains. The laketown of Killaloe is picturesquely
sited at the southwest tip of Lough Derg. Here the visitor finds a town
of great antiquity married to all the pleasures of water-based activities.
Fishing, cruising, boating, sailling, swimming, windsailling and waterskiing
are well catered for and are especially geared toward the visitor.
Tourist Information Office: The Bridge, Killaloe, County Clare,
Tel: 061 376866
Brian Boru Heritage Center:
Killaloe, County Clare, Tel: 061 360788
Open daily, May to September
The heritage center, which is located within the Tourist Information
Center, reveals the story of Brian Boru through a series of colourful
exhibits, graphics illustartions and an interactive audio-visual presentation.
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Ennis Town
The ancient town of
Ennis is one of Ireland’s most picturesque towns. Its history, combined
with its famous narrow streetscapes and character buildings gives it an
ambience that confirms to visitors, this is somewhere very special.
The distinctive streetscape
of Ennis includes “bow-ways”, arched tunnel passageways linking
the narrow streets of the county capital. Ennis was the Entente Florale
European Gold Medal Winner 2002.
The old town is surrounded
by the the River Fergus , which divides and unites again, forming the
island – inis in Irish – that gives Ennis its name. The oldest
building is the 13th century friary 13th century friary, roofless for
generations, but containing some gems of medieval sculpture, and its history
is palpable. The newest building is Glór – Irish Music Centre,
a superb auditorium where the best of traditional music and dance is performed
on most nights, as well as theatre.
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Newmarket-on-Fergus
On the threshold of Shannon Airport, the village is a bridge between ancient
and modern Ireland. Close-by is the Iron Age hilltop fort at Mooghaun
where one of Europe’s biggest find of gold objects from the Bronze
Age was unearthed. Further along the road is Dromoland Castle, onetime
seat of the O’Brien earls and converted to hotel luxury by Irish-American
industrialist, Bernard McDonagh. Ralahine, on the other side of the village,
has 16th century castle remains and gives its name to a pioneering 1830s
rural co-operative initiative.
Access to Mooghaun
Fort is by foot via a forestry car park signposted off the N18 road between
Newmarket-on-Fergus and Dromoland. This famous Iron Age fort is regarded
as one of our most remarkable antiquities.
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Craggaunowen
- the Living Past
Craggaunowen - the Living Past Experience, is Ireland's original, award-winning
Prehistoric Park. Situated on 50 acres of wooded grounds. It interprets
Ireland's pre-historic and early Christian eras, featuring a stunning recreation
of some of the homesteads, animals and artefacts which existed in Ireland
over 1,000 years ago. These include:
· A Crannog - an artificially constructed lake island dwelling, home
of Bronze Age Chieftains.
· A Ringfort - the typical residence of Celtic farmers in the Iron
Age
· A Dolmen - one of the earliest Stone Age tomb types
· Fulacht Fia - the field kitchen of the Fianna, the legendary soldiers
of the High Kings of Ireland.
· A Togher - portion of an Iron Age roadway dating back to 148BC.
· The 'Brendan'- the leather-hulled vessel built by Tim Severin and
sailed by him and his crew across the Atlantic in the mid-1970s to prove
that it was possible for early-Christian monks from Ireland to have reached
America in the 7th Century.
· Rare animal breeds, including Wild Boar - which are actual species
of the prehistoric era.
Overlooking all is Craggaunowen Castle, built by John MacSioda MacNamara
around 1550.
A window on the
past
One of the highlights of a visit to Craggaunowen is the opportunity to
explore recreations of two homesteads from the pre-historic and early
Christian eras. Crannogs were artificial islands on which people built
houses, kept animals and lived in relative security. Step inside the thatched
houses on the crannog, built of wattles and mud, and you are transported
back to an ancient time. The second dwelling is a Ring Fort, which served
more as a farmstead rather than a fortification. The Ringfort features
a man-made cave or underground passage which was used for storage and
as a refuge in times of danger.
Location:Near Quin,
Co. Clare, off the R462 from Cratloe and the R469 from Ennis.
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More Attractions
in County Clare
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