Bunratty Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bunratty Castle |
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| Location | Bunratty village, County Clare, Ireland |
| Built | c. 1425 |
| Restored | 1956 |
| Restored by | 7th Viscount Gort |
| Governing body | Clare County Council |
| Reference no. | 478 |
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Bunratty Castle is a big castle from the 1400s in County Clare, Ireland. It's a special type of castle called a tower house. You can find it in the middle of Bunratty village, close to the N18 road. This road connects Limerick and Ennis. The castle is also near Shannon Town and its airport. Today, Bunratty Castle and the nearby folk park are popular places for tourists to visit. They are managed by Shannon Heritage.
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What Does Bunratty Mean?
The name Bunratty comes from the Irish language. It means "mouth of the Ratty River." The Ratty River is another name for the Owenogarney River. This river flows past the village and the castle before it joins the Shannon Estuary.
Early Castles and Settlements
People have lived and built things at Bunratty for a very long time. The first known settlement might have been a trading camp built by the Norsemen (Vikings). Records from the year 977 say that Brian Boru, a famous Irish king, destroyed this camp. We don't know exactly where this camp was, as no remains have been found.
The First Stone Castles
Around the year 1250, King Henry III of England gave the area of Tradraighe to Robert De Muscegros. He might have used wood from nearby forests to build a "motte and bailey" castle. This was a simple castle with a mound of earth (motte) and a fenced area (bailey). This would have been the first castle at Bunratty.
Later, in 1276, the land was given to Thomas De Clare. He built the first stone castle at Bunratty. This castle was a large stone tower with white walls. It stood near the river, close to where the current castle is now. In the late 1200s, about 1,000 people lived in Bunratty.
The O'Briens, a powerful Irish family, attacked this castle many times. In 1284, it was captured and destroyed. De Clare rebuilt it in 1287 and added a ditch (fosse) around it. But in 1318, during the Irish Bruce Wars, the castle was attacked again and fell. Lady De Clare burned the castle and town before escaping. The De Clare family never came back, and this second castle eventually fell apart.
A Third Castle is Built
In the 1300s, Limerick was an important port for the English. To protect the area from Irish attacks, another castle (the third) was built at Bunratty in 1353. However, this new castle was quickly captured by the Irish. Records show that in 1355, the castle's governor was even put in prison for letting it fall to the O'Briens.
The Castle You See Today
The castle that stands today is the fourth one built on this spot. Its construction began around 1450. It was likely started by Maccon Sioda MacNamara, a local leader. His son, Sean Finn, finished building it around 1467.
Around the year 1500, the O'Briens, the most powerful family in Munster, took control of Bunratty Castle. They made it their main home and added more parts to it.
Changes and Battles
In 1558, the castle was taken by Thomas Radclyffe, an English leader, and given to Connor O'Brien. Connor's son, Donogh O'Brien, made many improvements to the castle, including putting a new lead roof on it.
During the Confederate Wars in the 1640s, Bunratty Castle was very important. It could control who went in and out of Limerick by sea. In 1646, an English commander named Lord Forbes was allowed to occupy the castle. The castle was defended by Rear-Admiral Penn, whose son, also named William Penn, later founded Pennsylvania in America. After a long fight, the Irish forces took the castle.
The O'Brien family continued to own Bunratty Castle. In 1712, Henry, the last Earl of Thomond, sold the castle and its land to Thomas Amory. Amory then sold it to Thomas Studdert, who moved in around 1720.
The Studdert family later moved out of the castle. They built a more modern home nearby called "Bunratty House" in 1804. This left the castle to fall into disrepair. For a while in the mid-1800s, the castle was used as a police barracks. By the late 1800s, parts of the castle, like the roof of the Great Hall, had collapsed.
Restoration and Modern Use
In 1956, the 7th Viscount Gort bought Bunratty Castle. With help from the Office of Public Works, he restored it and saved it from ruin. The castle was opened to the public in 1960. Inside, you can see old furniture, tapestries, and artworks from the 1600s.
In 2023, the ownership of Bunratty Castle changed. It was transferred from Shannon Group to Clare County Council. This was part of a bigger change for many tourist sites in the area.
See also
In Spanish: Castillo de Bunratty para niños
