The origins of one thousand years of settlement at Bunratty Castle will be brought to life this Saturday (July 29th) when the popular County Clare visitor attraction is transformed into a Norman village.
Bunratty Castle and Folk Park and the An Gaill Glais re-enactment group host “Rebels and Rivals”, a day-long event during which members of the public can witness life in a Norman encampment up close and personal, experience the sights, sounds and smells of Norman knights on campaign, and hear their stories of how they fought and sought to conquer the island of Ireland.
Bunratty can trace its foundation back to Norman times when Robert De Muscegros, a Norman, built the first defensive fortress, an earthen mound with a strong wooden tower on top, in 1250. His lands in the then Kingdom of Thomond were later granted to Thomas De Clare who built the first stone castle on the site. About this time Bunratty became a large town of 1,000 inhabitants.