- Castle and Folk Park transport visitors back into Ireland's past.
- Recreation of a typical Irish village in Victorian times - without the poverty and dirt.
- Medieval banquets at the castle available during evenings.
- Might appear too sanitized and "stage Irish" to some visitors.
- Original, restored castle from the 15th century.
- Folk Park recreates an Irish village from around 1900.
- Folk sessions and medieval banquets offered.
Located right between the City of Limerick and Shannon Airport, Bunratty Castle and Folk Park are ideally situated for all tours of the Irish West or Southwest. This park was established to allow a glimpse into Ireland's past through the reconstruction of a "typical" Victorian village. With "typical" not necessarily meaning "how it was" but "how it should have been". Visitors are getting the sanitized version of old Ireland here, to be taken with a little pinch of salt.
The same applies to the entertainment offered - folk music in the park is definitely mainstream. And while Bunratty Castle is authentic, the "medieval banquets" owe more to Hollywood than to historical research at times. But, and this needs to be said, both are entertaining and will satisfy most visitors. Do not expect the gritty details of real life here and you will be well served.
