Bunratty Folk Park

This was the first time I reached this part of the Ireland. Previously, the furthest south I have been to was city of Galway. I was anxious about having to drive this far but my fears have so far been unfounded. The magic of GPS enabled me to go to places which I have never been to. I think I would have been okay if I just needed to reach a certain city but once inside the city I wouldn’t know where to go. Fortunately, Bunratty isn’t one of those places. The place was very well sign posted and I knew when to get off the motorway. My good friend recommended visiting this place as it was easy enough to get to. There was ample parking space here in the vicinity and what raised alarm bells was the presence of the tour bus. I arrived early enough that I would be able to beat most of the tour buses.

It was already raining, a sign of things to come. I was hoping that the rain would eventually go away. There are actually two sights here, there is the Bunratty Castle and then there is a Folk Park built beside the castle. Upon entry, visitors will most likely encounter the folk park first. The folk park is basically a small Irish village meant to showcase how life was before modern times. I have seen a lot of these types of cottages and I think they are very attractive. The roof is made of straw and its shape wicks away the rain, keeping the house dry. There are a number of these houses here each with their own story. Including one which was relocated when the nearby airport of Shannon was built.

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