About
Bunratty Castle stands in the village of Bunratty, in County Clare, Ireland. It is one of the country's best-known castles, and it is usually visited together with the folk park that surrounds it, which is also known as Bunratty Folk Park.
The castle and the village
The medieval castle is the centrepiece of the site. Around it, the folk park recreates a nineteenth-century Irish village. Visitors walk through traditional Irish cottages, shops and farmhouses, and the buildings give a sense of how ordinary people lived and worked in earlier times.
Many of the period buildings were relocated from other parts of Ireland, so the village brings together houses and workplaces from different regions in one place. The result feels less like a single historic street and more like a gathering of rural Irish life.
What a visit offers
- Walking through the castle and the surrounding village at your own pace
- Seeing authentic period buildings, including cottages, shops and farmhouses
- Watching daily demonstrations of traditional Irish crafts
The craft demonstrations make the village a lively place to spend time, and they are a good way to see skills that once formed part of everyday rural life.
Planning your trip
Bunratty is in County Clare, so it suits a visit that also takes in the surrounding countryside of the county. For current contact details, you can call the site on +353 61 360788.