Celtworld facts for kids

Celtworld was a special kind of theme park in Tramore, Ireland. It was designed to teach visitors about ancient Celtic stories and history. The park was open for a short time, from 1992 to 1995, and then it closed because of money problems.

What Was Celtworld Like?

The Amazing Theatre Show

The main attraction at Celtworld was a fantastic 25-minute show. It took place in a special theatre with a revolving auditorium. This means the audience seats slowly turned around! It was the biggest turning theatre in Europe at the time.

The show used cool visual effects. These included animated artwork, CGI, lasers, holograms, and animatronics (moving robots). The theatre was called a "Crystal Time Chamber." It made visitors feel like they were traveling back to ancient Celtic times.

As the theatre turned, you would see six different scenes. Each scene featured famous characters from Irish myths and legends. These included Noah's daughter Cessair, the magical Tuatha Dé Danann, the giant Fomorians, and heroes like Lugh and Cú Chulainn. A wise character named Tuan mac Cairill told the story. Even historical figures like vikings and Saint Patrick were part of the adventure.

Here are some of the stories you would see:

• The first people in Ireland, like Cessair and the Fir Bolg.
• A big battle between the Fir Bolg and the Tuatha Dé Danann.
• The fight between the hero Lugh and the giant Balor.
• Stories about the childhood of the legendary warrior Cú Chulainn.
• The famous cattle raid story, Táin Bó Cúailnge.
• Tales of Fionn mac Cumhaill and his brave warriors, the Fianna.

The Interactive Otherworld

After the theatre show, visitors could explore the "Celtic Otherworld" exhibition. This area was interactive and fun! You could test your knowledge with quizzes. There was also information about important women in Irish mythology. You could see ogham stones, which are ancient Irish writings.

One cool feature was a replica of the famous Book of Kells. It cost a lot of money to make! There was also an artificial tree with talking animatronic human heads. When you finished exploring, you would exit through a gift shop.

Why Did Celtworld Close?

Celtworld faced problems almost from the start. It needed many visitors to make enough money. The park hoped to attract 270,000 people each year. But it only got less than half of that number.

In 1993, Celtworld received a loan from Bord Fáilte, an Irish tourism board. However, business did not get better. Celtworld closed its doors in September 1995. It had lost over £4 million. More than £2 million had been spent just setting up the park and promoting it.

One reason for its failure was that the shows never changed. This meant people who visited once might not come back. Also, the park was designed for rainy weather. But its first summer was unusually warm and dry. This meant fewer people wanted to be indoors at the park.

The closure of Celtworld was even discussed in Dáil Éireann, the Irish parliament. Some politicians, like Kathleen Lynch and Bobby Molloy, asked questions about why it failed.

What Happened to the Site?

After Celtworld closed, the property was put up for sale. It could only be used for tourism or fun activities. This made it harder to sell. In 1996, a group from Northern Ireland bought the site.

Later, in 1997, the site was sold again. The new owner, Phelim McCloskey, tried to open a robotic dinosaurs exhibit. But it closed in less than a year.

Over the years, there were different plans for the site. In 1999, permission was given to build holiday apartments. In 2000, a company bought the site and opened a large music venue called South. It cost €3 million to build, but it also closed soon after opening.

Finally, in 2006, the site was sold again. There were plans for a big shopping and living area with Dunnes Stores as a main shop. But this plan didn't work out. The old Celtworld building was torn down in 2008. By 2020, the site had been redeveloped into an Aldi supermarket.