Bunratty, Co. Clare

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The first settlement in Bunratty Village was by Vikings in 970AD. Bunratty had reached it peak in 1804AD, with a thriving economy, expanding community, and the construction of much of the buildings and infrastructure that we see today. At the time, Bunratty Bridge was the largest single arched bridge in the country.

However, throughout the famine years, Bunratty Village’s population fell into decline, In the 1950’s, Bunratty Village’s most prominent structure, Bunratty Castle, grabbed the attention of the Hunt family, Lord Gort and the Irish Government, and so began the most extensive renovation in the history of the Irish State. The castle stands peacefully in delightful grounds, the houses and cottages of Bunratty Folk Park spread out at the foot of its massive walls, much in the way that cottages and crofts of old would have clustered around its base.