Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [306]
The Traditional Irish Night ( 061-360 788; adult/child €50/25; 7-9.30pm Apr-Oct) is held in a corn barn in the folk park. Lots of red-haired (real or fake, it’s clearly a big help in securing employment) servers dish up trad music, dancing, Irish stew, apple pie and soda bread. There’s non-traditional wine as well, which may put you in the mood for the singalong.
MEDIEVAL BANQUETS
If you skip the high-jinks in the corn barn, you may opt for a medieval banquet ( 061-360 788; adult/child €57.50/28.75; 5.30pm & 8.45pm), replete with harp-playing maidens, court jesters and food with a medieval motif (lots of meaty items, but somehow we think the real stuff would empty the place right out). It’s all washed down with mead – a kind of honey wine – and you eat with your fingers. The banquets are very popular with coach parties, so it’s advisable for independent travellers to book well ahead. Various actors interact with choral singers.
The banquets at Knappogue Castle and Dunguaire Castle (in Galway;) are similar but more sedate.
Sleeping
Bunratty has a few hotels and dozens of B&Bs. A big map by the park entrance shows locations; most are away from the castle, park and shop scrum. All are good choices if you are coming or going from Shannon Airport.
Bunratty Camping & Caravan Park ( 061-369 190; Low Rd; campsites from €18; Mar-Oct) Set in a typically leafy and green pasture near the castle (five-minute walk) and airport, there are the usual services and a small cafe.
Briar Lodge ( 061-363 388; www.briarlodge.com; Hill Rd; s/d from €50/75; mid-Mar–mid-Oct; ) On a quiet cul-de-sac 1.6km from the castle, this traditionally styled house makes for a good refuge. All five rooms have little extras like curling irons (for that grand banquet entrance!) and some have huge king-size beds.
Cahergal Farmhouse ( 061-368 358; www.cahergal.com; Newmarket-on-Fergus; s/d from €65/100) Wake up to the gentle, distant cluck of a chicken at this luxurious B&B on a working farm mid-way between Bunratty and the airport. Rooms are posh, with king-size beds and bucolic views. The food is farm-hearty with famous baked treats.
Eating & Drinking
Most of the food choices – especially in the malls – are geared to the masses.
Durty Nelly’s ( 061-364 861; Bunratty House Mews; pub meals €5-15, restaurant mains from €20) Thronging with tourists all summer long, Nelly’s manages to provide some charm amid the hubbub, right across from the castle. Meals are better than you’d expect, although the pub is more enjoyable than the restaurant upstairs. There are trad sessions many nights, but we could do without the pricey ‘pull your own pint’ schtick.
Creamery Bar ( 061-364 114; Bunratty; meals €7-20) An old utility building has been converted into an agreeable pub right near the folk park entrance. It’s never going to be authentic, but it’s not a bad stop if you’re here. If nothing else you can learn about local culture from the food menu: eg chicken-nugget-like creations are called ‘goujons of chicken’ in Ireland.
Mac’s Bar (MacNamara’s; 061-361 511; Bunratty Folk Park) This engaging place is actually part of the folk park village. It has traditional music many evenings from June to September, and at weekends the rest of the year. Ignore it during the day, but after the park closes (you can still get in) it starts to feel real.
Getting There & Away
Bunratty is on the busy Bus Éireann ( 061-313 333) Limerick–Shannon Airport route. Service to both is at least hourly and trips take less than 30 minutes and cost under €5. There are at least five direct buses daily to Ennis