Bunratty Castle Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Bunratty Castle

Location	Bunratty village, County Clare, Ireland
Built	c. 1425
Restored	1956
Restored by	7th Viscount Gort
Governing body	Clare County Council

National Monument of Ireland
Reference no.	478

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Bunratty Castle (Irish: Caisleán Bhun Raithe) is a big castle from the 15th century in County Clare, Ireland. It's a famous tower house, which is a type of strong, tall building used as a home and for defense. You can find it in the middle of Bunratty village, close to Shannon Town and its airport.

Today, the castle and a nearby folk park are popular places for tourists to visit. They are managed by Shannon Heritage.

What's in a Name?
A Look Back: Earlier Castles at Bunratty
The Castle You See Today
Images for kids
See also

What's in a Name?

The name Bunratty comes from the Irish language. It means "mouth of the Ratty River." This is another name for the Owenogarney River. This river flows past the village and the castle. Then it empties into the Shannon Estuary, which is where the River Shannon meets the sea.

A Look Back: Earlier Castles at Bunratty

Bunratty has been an important place for a very long time. People think the first settlement here might have been a Norse trading camp. This camp was reportedly destroyed in 977. However, no remains of this camp have ever been found.

Around 1250, an English king gave the land to Robert De Muscegros. He might have built the first castle here. This would have been a motte and bailey castle. This type of castle had a wooden fort on a raised mound (motte) and a fenced yard (bailey).

Later, in 1276, the land went 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 where the current castle is today. Bunratty was quite busy back then, with about 1,000 people living there.

The O'Briens, a powerful Irish family, attacked this castle many times. In 1284, it was captured and destroyed. De Clare rebuilt it, but it was attacked again. In 1318, a big battle happened nearby. Thomas De Clare was killed. His wife then burned the castle and town before fleeing. This stone castle eventually fell apart. Its stones were probably used to build other things nearby.

In 1353, another castle (the third one) was built at Bunratty. This was to protect the important port of Limerick. But this new castle was quickly captured by the Irish.

The Castle You See Today

South solar (a type of living room) in Bunratty Castle

The fourth and current Bunratty Castle was built by the MacNamara family. They started building it around 1425. A chieftain named Maccon Sioda MacNamara began the work. His son, Sean Finn, finished it.

Around 1500, the O'Briens, who were the most powerful family in Munster, took over Bunratty Castle. They made it their main home. They also made the castle bigger and stronger.

In 1558, the castle was taken by Thomas Radclyffe, an English leader. He gave it to Connor O'Brien. Connor's son, Donogh O'Brien, made many improvements to the castle. He even put a new lead roof on it.

During the Irish Confederate Wars in the 1640s, the castle was involved in a big conflict. Lord Forbes, an English commander, was allowed to take over Bunratty in 1646. The castle was very important because it controlled access to Limerick and the River Shannon. After a long siege, the Irish forces took the castle back.

The O'Brien family owned the castle for many years. In 1712, the last Earl of Thomond, Henry O'Brien, sold Bunratty Castle. It was later bought by the Studdert family. The Studderts eventually moved out of the castle. They built a more modern home nearby in 1804. The castle then started to fall into disrepair.

For a while in the mid-1800s, the castle was used as a barracks. This means soldiers from the Royal Irish Constabulary lived there. Later, in 1894, the Studdert family used it again. But by the late 1800s, the roof of the Great Hall had fallen in.

In 1956, the 7th Viscount Gort bought the castle. He worked with the Office of Public Works to restore it. He put a new roof on and saved it from ruin. The castle opened to the public in 1960. It was filled with old furniture, tapestries, and art from the 1600s.

In 2023, the ownership of Bunratty Castle changed. It was transferred from Shannon Group to Clare County Council. This happened because of financial challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Other tourist sites, like Craggaunowen Bronze Age Park and Knappogue Castle, were also transferred to the council.