Bunratty Castle

In Bunratty, the pièce de résistance is the castle. It has all been restored and is quite beautiful. It used to be home to the Earl of Thomond of the O'Brien clan, descendant of High King Brian Boru.

Here are the kids and Rachel touching the idol for good luck. When we were here 10 years ago, the tour guide had mentioned that by doing so odds to have twins were greater...

This is the great hall, where the Earl would welcome guests. It is decorated with tapestries from Belgium, France and Italy, sculptures from Germany, Spanish tables... See the collection here. Notice also the huge deer antlers. They were found in the bogs near the castle and are 10 000 years old. In some areas of the castle, the italian stucco can be seen, giving a tiny sample of the magnificence of the residence.

We would be back later as guests for the medieval banquet. Let's get ready!