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Village in County Clare, Ireland
Photo: Terryballard, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Bunratty (Irish Bun na Raite, "end of the Raite river") is a village in County Clare, in the Shannon Region of west Ireland. Its big attraction is Bunratty Castle, which has a folk museum and medieval-themed banquets. Its population was only 288 in 2022, but there are many brief visitors: the village is touristy but has good accommodation and food. Shannon Airport is 13 km west and Bunratty offers a more enjoyable stopover than the airport district.
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The castle, built 1425, is the most complete medieval fortress in Ireland. It became derelict in the 19th century but was restored in 1954. There's an extensive collection of 15th and 16th-century furnishings, tapestries and artwork. The Folk Park (same ticket) is an outdoor museum or skansen, with over 30 buildings collected from around the country - the church was hauled here from Ardcroney in County Tipperary. Costumed docents illustrate various crafts and daily activities of the 19th century. There's also a walled garden recreated to the same period. Castle and park are often used as event spaces, see below for the banquets.
Gets mostly good reviews for traditional fare.
400 year-old pub in a thatched cottage next to the castle. Good pub grub and ambiance, but it's very much on the tourist circuit, so you'll be sharing it with vast fire chiefs from Milwaukee.
Producers of Bunratty Mead and Poitín (or Potcheen), Irish moonshine - the name refers to the pot-still and there's industrial-strength mythology around it, but it's now a legal product, protected as an EU "Geographical Indication" name.
Modern comfortable hotel, and the restaurant draws rave reviews.
Pleasant B&B.
This suffered a fire in 2021, struggled thereafter, and is temporarily closed.
Great reviews for this small B&B, just the one triple room. No pets.
Small B&B with an outstanding hostess. No pets.
Comfy welcoming B&B with six rooms en suite.
Relaxing place near airport.
Friendly B&B, spotlessly clean.
Shannon Airport (SNN) and town are 13 km west of Bunratty and have accommodation and other facilities. There's more car hire at the airport than elsewhere in County Clare. A taxi might be €50, see below for the bus.
Read in the guideBunratty is a small village along the old road to Ennis, now bypassed to the south by N18. The castle, hotel and restaurant strip are all within a short walk along the old road.
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Shannon · International · SNN
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