Castle Gardens Holiday Homes are located in the grounds of the Bunratty Shannon Shamrock Hotel. First opened in 2006, this development was modelled on the style of the streetscape of Bunratty Folk Park which is adjacent to the development.

THE ACCOMMODATION

There are two types of holiday homes at Castle Gardens:

3 Bedroomed houses: Sleeping up to 6 in : 1 x double bedroom ensuite upstairs, 1 x twin bedroom ensuite upstairs & 1 x twin bedroom & a main bathroom downstairs.

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE:3 of the 3 bedroomed houses are registered disabled houses. The ground floor bedroom is suitable for wheelchair users or disabled guests. Parking is directly outside the wheelchair houses

4 Bedroomed houses: Sleeping up to 8 in 2 x double bedrooms located downstairs which share a main bathroom & 2 x twin rooms upstairs, both ensuite. 

The sitting & living areas have been tastefully decorated with your comfort in mind & feature an electric fireplace, TV & Dvd. The Kitchens are fully fitted & equipped with all modern conveniences including washer/dryer, dishwasher, microwave & electric oven. Car parking is available in a designated carpark close to the houses.

Heating & Electricity:

Electricity and gas for heating and lighting are an extra charge and are payable to the hotel before departure.  Both are based on a daily charge of Euro 6.00 per day for May, June, July and August and Euro 8.00 per day for the remainder of the year. 

ONSITE FACILITIES

Guests of Castle Gardens have FREE access to the excellent onsite Leisure facilities of the Bunratty Shannon Shamrock Hotel including:

• 20 metre Swimming pool
• Kiddies pool
• Gym
• Sauna
• Steam bath
• Jacuzzi
• Aerobics Room
• Brand new Games Room

BRAND NEW GAMES ROOM:

• Pool tables (coin operated)
• Gaming machines (coin operated)
• Drinks vending machines (coin operated)
• Internet access & printer (coin operated)
• Seating area

*Please check the Games room opening times with the Leisure Centre on your arrival at The Castle Gardens. Parents please note this area is unsupervised & young children must be accompanied by an adult at all times.

DINING OPTIONS:

PJ's award winning restaurant at the Bunratty Shannon Shamrock Hotel offers top class cuisine & fine wines. Alternatively you can enjoy a drink & live music in the Shamrock Bar or sit back & indulge in afternoon tea in the Galley Lounge.

LOCAL ACTIVITIES

GOLF: Bunratty is the ideal base for Golfers as the courses at Ennis, Woodstock, Limerick, Doonbeg & Lahinch are all within easy driving distance.

FISHING:Combined, the River Shannon & the Shannon Estuary offer all kinds of angling options from Sea to fresh water fishing.

CYCLING: Co. Clare has a series of well marked cycling routes.

WALKING: Some of Ireland's best known walking routes are in Co. Clare including The Burren Way, The Lough Derg Way & The Slieve Bloom Way.

HORSE RIDING: There is a wonderful selection of equestrian centres within easy driving offering a full range of riding options for riders of all levels of ability.

HORSERACING:Limerick Racecourse is just a 10 min drive from Bunratty.

VISITOR ATTRACTIONS

CLIFFS OF MOHER: These world famous cliffs stretch for a spectacular 8kms of rocky coastline rising over 200m above the mighty Atlantic Ocean

THE BURREN: The Burren is a natural geological wonder & is a National Park covering 250 sq kms in Co. Clare.

OTHER VISITOR ATTRACTIONS:

• Aillwee Cave & Crag Cave
• Croom Mills
• The Hunt Museum
• Limerick Garden Trail
• Foynes Flying Boat Museum
• Craggaunowen
• Dolphin Watching in the Shannon Estuary
• Lahinch Seaworld
• Glor Irish Music Centre in Ennis

BUNRATTY FOLK PARK

Bunratty Folk Park, recreates rural and urban life in 19th century Victorian Ireland. There is an extensive array of vernacular buildings; indicative of all of the social strata from the poorest one roomed dwelling to Bunratty House, a fine example of a Georgian residence for the gentry. Traditional jobs and crafts are also represented, milling, the forge, pottery, printing, baking, farming etc. 

Costumed characters that recreate the traditions and lifestyle of a bygone age animate the Folk Park. The characters include the Bean a Ti (woman of the house), R.I.C. policeman, Schoolteacher, Blacksmith and so on.

The latest addition to Bunratty Folk Park includes Hazelbrook House (rebuilt in the Folk Park in 2001). The original building was built in 1898, and was home to the Hughes brothers who produced HB ice cream, which became a household name in Ireland.

The restoration of Bunratty Walled garden was completed in 2000. Ardcroney Church, another original building, was unveiled here to the public in 1998.

There are 10 farmhouses in the Folk Park together with the schoolhouse, Doctor’s house and the various merchant buildings and shops on the Village Street. Each exhibit is numbered and described as they appear on the Bunratty Folk Park Visitor Map which is issued free to you.

BUNRATTY FOLK PARK FEATURES:

1. Loop Head Farmhouse – The house of small fisher –farming folk. The thatch is roped down to protect it against the Atlantic Gales. Bean a Ti is baking bread, milk separating and butter making in high season. A traditional sweetbread known as ‘spotted dick’ is baked here and is very popular.
Don’t miss Kitty’s ‘spotted dick’ if there’s any left!

2. Shannon Farmhouse - The first farmhouse to be reconstructed on the site and which marked the beginning of the development of Bunratty Folk Park. The house was removed from where it originally stood on the site of a runway at Shannon Airport.

3. Golden Vale – A prosperous farmers home, from the rich lands in the Golden Vale of counties Limerick and Tipperary. It has stables, byres and a corn barn. Bean a Ti's here bake brown bread, porter cake, apple tart, and griddle bread all year round. Slices of hot griddle bread with melting butter are a great favorite in this house.

4. Mac’s Pub – Be sure and drop into Mac’s for a pint! The pub is furnished to reflect the lifestyle of the time and the fact that the publican not only sold drink in former times but also traded in groceries and hardware.

5. Bunratty House – A late Georgian dwelling (built 1804) of the type occupied by the gentry in the late 19th century. It was the home of the Studdarts, the last family to occupy Bunratty Castle.

6. Byre Dwelling – An example from Co. Mayo of a dwelling occupied by both a family and their livestock. The pigsty is located nearby.

7. Vertical Mill – It is a classic example of a rural undershot watermill.

8. Ardcroney Church – Another recent addition to the Folk Park. A Church of Ireland church: the entire structure was moved stone by stone from Ardcroney, Co. Tipperary and rebuilt here.

9. Living Gardens Museum – The gardens at Bunratty Folk Park have recently been restored with the assistance of an ERDF grant through the Great Gardens of Ireland Restoration programme. The project includes the environs of the Folk Park as well as the formal walled Regency Garden adjacent to Bunratty house. Each of the gardens, plots of the vernacular dwellings in the Folk Park have also been restored, with special attention to the planting and land use of the period. The concept creates a product, which is unique in Ireland and the rest of Europe. Its uniqueness is in the fact that the gardens and environs form part of the history of the everyday lives of the inhabitants of the houses as well as depicting our horticultural heritage.

10. The Village Street - The village houses and shops have been chosen from many different areas, to form a collection of typical of 19th century urban Irish buildings.

Opening Times:
Sept - May: 9:30am - 5:30pm
June – August: 9am – 6pm
Last Admission to the Castle: 4pm
Last Admission to the Folk Park 4.45pm
Times may be subject to change.

Bunratty Mediaeval Banquet

Bunratty Castle, was built in the 15th century by the Earl of Thomond and stands on the banks of the Rathy River. From here The Earl ruled over his Chiefdom and entertained lavishly, in fact he was famous for his hospitality. Following this tradition of hospitality, the world renowned Bunratty Medieval Banquet is held twice nightly throughout the year.

For over 40 years the Ladies of the Castle, aided and abetted by the Earl's Butler, have welcomed guests from the four corners of the globe to join them at The Earl's Banquet. The entertainment provided by the superb Bunratty Singers is a fitting compliment to a four course meal, a lively meal reception and of course good wine. We invite you to enjoy an unforgettable evening in the splendour of this magnificent castle.

Guests reach the Castle through the Entrance Cottage and a short atmospheric walk through the Folk Park to the Castle Gate. There a kilted piper plays a tune of welcome. Then up the Castle steps and over the drawbridge to the 'Bite of Friendship' offered by one of the Hostesses.

Now to the Upper Great Hall, resplendent with tapestries and furniture of the 16th Century, where you will receive a goblet or two of Mead. Here the Butler humorously relates the history of Bunratty and the Castle Singers give you a taste of what is to come with a medieval  madrigal or two.  The Earl and his Lady are crowned and you proceed to the Banquet hall for Dinner.

In the Banquet Hall, the long oak tables, bench seating and candle-light with the warm glow of the fire reflect the Banqueting style of the mediaeval era. During the meal the Butler and the Ladies delight you with snippets of music and song. The 4 course meal is a pleasant balance of contrasting Irish meat dishes as used during period and is accompanied with red and white wines.

This is followed by the high-light of the evening, the entertainment programme in which the Butler and the Ladies of the Castle, (some of Ireland's best female choral singers) accompanied by Harp and Fiddle perform a variety of Medieaval and well loved Irish songs.

This unsurpassed mediaeval experience held in the world-famous 15th century Bunratty castle lasts two and a half hours.

Opening Times:
Open all year round (subject to availability and demand)

Sittings:
First Sitting – 5.30pm
Second Sitting – 8.45pm

Location:

Located just off the main dual carriageway between Shannon and Limerick. Route N18.

Distance in kilometers from:

Shannon Airport 10 | Limerick City 13 | Ennis 24 | Galway 84 | Killarney 118 | Cork 113 | Tralee 142 | Dublin 206

ACCESS BY AIR:

Shannon Airport is just a 10 minute drive from Bunratty. Many airlines operate out of Shannon on various routes from the UK, USA & Europe. Visit www.shannonairport.com