Dunguaire Castle

The tradition of feasting continues today with medieval banquets held nightly in the castle throughout the summer, where you can enjoy the same kind of same kind of food, merriment and music. Guests gather in the great hall to be welcomed by costumed hosts/entertainers with a goblet of mead, to the sounds of a twinkling harp. Before being led upstairs to the banqueting hall with its own canopied stage. The atmosphere is flawless with great jugs of wine set out on the tables and chunky wax candles everywhere, let the feasting begin....

These wonderful and talented hosts introduce each of the four courses, weaving in stories of local tradition and folklore that works seamlessly throughout the night. After the meal, a very entertaining mix of poetry, signing and storytelling is in enacted, the highlight being the awarding of a special souvenir Claddagh ring to someone special. On the night I was there it was newly weds Melissa & Ryan from the USA who were overjoyed...In fact they said the banquet at Dunguaire Castle was the highlight of their entire 2 week honeymoon trip to Ireland.

If you would like to book a banquet for yourself at Dunguaire or any of the other venues hosted by Shannon Heritage, such as Knappogue or Bunratty, please click on the following link.

For information on Dunguaire Castle or to book online click here.

10 Other things to do near Dunguaire Castle.....

1 Burren Beo Cafe home to the excellent Burren Beo Trust which is a fantastic organisation set up to protect, inform and conserve all aspects of the Burrens, ecology, flora, fauna, farming practices.

2 Seaweed Baths and treatments available at the thalassotherapy centre Kinvara.

3 Pier Head Bar & Restaurant on the harbours, great pub grub and atmosphere with a view

4 The Merriman Inn thatched hotel, very reasonable rates and the place to be to watch football or rugby on the big screen.

5 Coole Park former of Lady Gregory who founded the Abbey Theatre, lovely walled garden, woodland walks. Interpretative centre and cafe open from Spring till Autumn.

6 Thoor Ballylee former home of William Butler Yeats, a solid fortified tower house, in a pretty setting beside a bridge over the river, it still has the original furniture.

7 Lough Cultra is a very scenic drive south east of the town, well signposted through an area called Kilaneena and Lough Graney. Known locally as ‘little Killarney’ is just as picturesque as the real thing.

8 Kilmacduagh monastic settlement just outside Gort, includes a round tower, several churches, a cathedral and a glebe house.

9 Father Teds house Killnaboy a bit of a drive but well worth it, turn right at T-junction after Mullaghmore and its about a mile up on the left handside.

10 New Quay on the coast Linannes Lobster Bar and the Flaggy Shore walk immortalised by Seamus Heaney in his poem 'Postcript'.....

For more information on Irish Castles/History click here.