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Bunratty Castle and Folk Park

Bunratty Castle and Folk Park

Bunratty Castle and Folk Park
4.5
9:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:30 PM
About
Bunratty Castle & Folk Park is a must on your itinerary to Ireland. This is your chance to experience a window on Ireland’s past and explore the acclaimed 15th century Bunratty Castle and the 19th century Bunratty Folk Park. Bunratty Castle Welcome to Bunratty Castle, the most complete and authentic medieval castle in Ireland. Built in 1425 it was restored in 1954 to its former medieval splendor and now contains mainly 15th and 16th century furnishings, tapestries, and works of art which capture the mood of those times. Bunratty Folk Park Enjoy the sights, sounds tastes, scents, of this enchanting place as you stroll from house to house or around the charming village street complete with school, post office, doctors house, hardware shop, printers and of course McNamara’s pub! meet the village characters, sample some freshly baked bread by our resident Bean an Ti's (woman of the house) and for little visitors explore of quaint fairy village and pirate adventure playground
Duration: 2-3 hours
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Admission tickets
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₹1,738.54
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  • Ray W
    Ashburn, Virginia218 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great castle and grounds
    We visited Bunratty Castle as part of a coach tour and was part of the tour we were looking forward to. There was a decent crowd of people though not overcrowded. We lined up and were guided to the main room where our guide, dressed in period clothing, gave us a good presentation on the castle. After the guide finished, we were on our own to tour the castle. Once in the stairwell, it was narrow and people were coming from different directions as they also toured the castle. Somewhere along the way, I made a wrong turn and found myself at the exit earlier than I wanted. I waited for the rest of my family and toured the village which was less crowded than the castle. We stopped at the cafe to get a quick bite to eat and sat outside as there was more seating there. Interesting castle and the restoration work to the castle was well done.
    Visited June 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 3 October 2023
  • Lisa C
    43 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great historical venue!
    We visited this area on our drive from Doolin to Killarney. We only had 2 hours but it was a great place to spend time. The castle is interesting. Tour is self guided. The Folk Park area is well done and you could spend several hours there if you had time. It is a lovely recreation of an old Irish village. Very historical. Highly recommend.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 11 October 2023
  • John H
    Dallas, Texas377 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Interesting castle and wonderful folk-life park
    Unfortunately it was a rather wet day when we visited so our time had to be cut short. Very large parking lot across the street (beware, one is for staff only) is totally free and just a very short walk to the entrance. Once inside turn left for the castle and walk a few hundred yards on a paved path. Once inside the castle you are at least sheltered from the weather! However, lots of narrow spiral staircases could be off-putting if you don’t like tight spaces or steep stairs. There is no alternative, so absolutely no wheelchairs or walkers. Tour inside is well marked and there was a young lady giving short descriptions of the various rooms. Back outside the folk-life park is back to the entrance and a little but further on. Lots of buildings along the way and once in town many of the stores are open to browse or buy souvenirs. There is a tea room and, during the summer a full pub/restaurant. Easy walking and somewhat ADA accessible. There is a very large gift shop with all the usual items to buy and take home to friends and relatives. If the weather had been more cooperative we could have spent a full two ours in the castle and park.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 18 October 2023
  • Sarah B
    London, United Kingdom84 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fun visit but don’t go just before Halloween
    We enjoyed our visit. The different houses were interesting and the folk park is nicely laid out. Only downside for us was we timed our visit badly (a week before Halloween) so everywhere we went were piles of boxes and things being set up for that and some places were closed as they were being set up for Christmas and food options were limited. Other than that we enjoyed it. The castle is interesting but the stairs are steep, narrow and winding. Hard for little legs and those less able. But nice views from the top. Staff were friendly and helpful.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 26 October 2023
  • Emma groves
    Stafford, United Kingdom19 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Brilliant experience
    This was the last place to visit before we headed back to Dublin. Wow we had the best few hours here, sadly the weather wasn’t on our side so we didn’t stay as long as we could have. The castle itself is stunning and the views Amazing, the little houses to look at it really is a great way to learn about Irish history
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 4 November 2023
  • hoben57
    Houston, Texas107 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A Great Time
    We went to the Heritage Park and the Castle Dinner and had a great time. It was Halloween weekend and everyone was decked out in costumes. The crowds were out but the atmosphere was festive. It's nice to walk around and look at the various buildings and take in the shops. It was an interesting look at what life was like back then. The Castle dinner was a hoot. The actors were friendly and fun. The entertainment was very good. What really surprised me was the food which was very good. Yes, it was touristy but join in and have a good time.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 15 November 2023
  • Becky
    Limerick, Ireland67 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Santa visit 2023. A great family day out!!
    Upon reading previous reviews about the Santa visit I have to say I’m extremely shocked by all of them! We went today 23.12.23 and it was absolutely exceptional, Santa was fantastic interacted very well with my 11 year old sister, the elves were all so nice and chatty especially the one who took us to Santa very nice altogether, beautiful Christmas lights around the place. Merry go round and tea cups which are free which are amazing tbf you could go on them loads!! And also the train around you could go on that as many times as you want too it was great! Absolutely fantastic day out, we also had coffee and scones in the cafe and it wasn’t dear at all which was nice! A great family day out, the fake snow was amazing also😍
    Visited December 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 23 December 2023
  • emwhitnall
    Sydney, Australia538 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A superb medieval castle
    We came for the castle but the folk park was an unexpected highlight! It was lots of fun wandering the grounds, seeing the different animals and exploring the recreated village buildings. Plus everything was decorated for Christmas, so it looked extra cute. It’s also not too big that you can see a lot of the park without getting lost or too tired. The castle itself was very impressive, with lots of little rooms to explore. Definitely worth a visit if you are interested in medieval history and castles, as this one has been excellently restored.
    Visited December 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written 9 January 2024
  • Barbara C
    Plymouth, Massachusetts45 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Picturesque, well maintained, and interesting historical stop
    This was a highlight of our trip. It was a convenient stop in LImerick on the ride from Galway to the Dingle peninsula and we were so glad we added it. The castle is so well preserved and interesting, with fabulous period furniture and decor. It was fun to explore up and town the tower stairs and discover cute rooms around each corner. If you are in Ireland for the castles, this one should be on the list. The grounds and surrounding village area are picturesque. You can certainly spend longer there than we did, but it was worth the short time we had to visit. Their gift shop has a lot of grea/different items. We were fortuate to be there in the off season when it wasn't cowded, which I'm sure made it more enjoyable, but I would still think it is worth a stop any time of the year.
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 14 February 2024
  • KimMac1
    Vancouver, Washington339 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    cute town
    Bunratty is a cute village. The castle is the center of town. We strolled into The Creamery for a late lunch but left underwhelmed. We ordered fish n Chips and a sandwich. We stayed at a lovely B&B and the owner says she never goes there or the place across the street. We took a short walk down the Low Road to Bunratty castle. Interesting that you enter thru a gift shop and then they charge 16.50 for adult admission to see the castle, grounds, etc. Decided to pass. There was also a wedding event taking place. Our visit was in June 2018. We loved Ireland and are currently planning to return this spring!
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 22 March 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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niamh
Roscommon, Ireland1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020
We have read about bunratty castle many times in history books in school, so we were excited to finally visit as a stop on the way home. We were very disappointed with the reception we received. We booked our tickets online which gave us the time slot of 2-5:30, which was our understanding we could turn up at any time during that slot, anthing to say otherwise was not stated anywhere on the website. We arrived before 4 oclock on our way home, with over an hour and a half to spend here. We were greeted by a rude lady who told us "you better hurry up to the castle". This confused us greatly as the place does not close until 5:30. On the way to the castle we met another man, who wasn't even in unifrom and told us to hurry up also before he locked up. We were beyond confused and felt very rushed. Once we reached the castle we met two workers dressed up who didn't even offer any historical information about the castle and just told us to go into the room.
We were very disappointed by the castle. We only saw five rooms which were very bare, no information provided about the castle in the rooms and the short guide we were given contained very little information.
Once outside the catsle, we enjoyed seeing three little cottages. we then wanted to get some food, but the Tea room was all locked up at quater past four when there was a sign outside the door clearly stating it didn't close until 5:30. There were still a lot of people walking around at 4 oclock but everything was closing, gates pulled across so we couldnt access half of the folk park with an hour and a half until closing. We were very disappointed to pay over 30 euro and didn't even get to see the majority of things available well before closing time. While I understand times are very different nowadays with CO-VID, there was no signs or information provided for the attractions we could not see. We left just over half an hour after we arrived.
Written 29 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

RenR_Ontario
Ontario, canada97 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
The castle was the first we have seen on our visit to Ireland ... it was very interesting to see the small winding staircases and then large rooms they would open into. The village was totally closed when we went and the Bunratty house was also closed which was disappointing as they still charged us full price for admission but nothing was happening ... we were left to explore on our own. The petting zoo also wasn't available. Disappointed to pay the price we did and drive 1.5 hours to find out once we were in that this is there slow time and that we could not explore the whole park. More information or things to read on the castle rooms would have been great since there was nobody around to ask questions. The whole place took us 1.5 hours to explore. Disappointing again when we drove 1.5 hours based on the website information that did not disclose that half the things would not be available to see.
Written 13 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

D. McGrath
Mooncoin, Ireland7 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020 • Family
I have visited Bunratty Folk Park many times in recent years and have always enjoyed it thoroughly. However after a trip over the weekend, I’m afraid I shall not be returning.

Firstly, the Covid one way system in place is appalling and counterintuitive. Corralling large numbers of visitors along a one way system, makes social distancing impossible. People were on top of one another in bottlenecks at various points along the trail.

Also, my exhausted toddler was verbally abused by a barmaid at Mac’s Bar (there were no other shops open due to Covid in the park) sitting quietly on a chair indoors as I queued for refreshments for our party of 6. Appalling behaviour towards a small child. Needless to say we left and will never return. Disgraceful!!!
Written 18 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Travel30WAW
Sligo, Ireland81 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2021
I was really looking forward to this because I love castles but Im disappointed. There was a one way system in place in the castle due to covid, which is completely fine, but you actually didn't see many rooms at all. There was the banquet hall you walked through but most other rooms were sealed with barriers so you could not really look around and explore, unlike many other castles in the country. We went through it very quickly maybe 10-15 minutes so it was slightly disappointing.
Also we paid 28,50 euro for one adult & one student, which doesn't match the prices on the website at all...

The folk park is nicely made. There are a lot of old school looking houses and shops, it is a lovely area to stroll around. This I really enjoyed.

However, I did not like how the Irish Wolfhounds were held in a filed enclosure, while this was a big area and I know they need a lot of space, I think a field is for livestock not dogs. Especially, since the sign at the gate states that they love human interactions/companionship. Even if they were working dogs I dont think this is a nice circumstance to keep them in. Our working sheep dog is not held in a field. While they did not look neglected, they seemed depressed and sad and I honestly felt bad for them.
Written 25 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Clare S
Basingstoke, UK69 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
Visited with my husband on a drizzly January day and thought it was great! The castle was really well kept with so many rooms to look at - beware though, some of the spiral staircases are steep, narrow and a bit scary!! The village and folk park wasn’t fully open but this was reflected in the winter price we paid and there was still plenty to walk round and look at for a few hours. Loved seeing the wolfhounds, pigs, chickens etc. The little farmhouses gave a real sense of rural Irish life. The gift shop was huge with tonnes of great Irish products. The cafe had really nice fresh food. Would def recommend :)
Written 24 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Cool_Madra
12 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2020
A little bit disappointed to be honest, the castle was great but the folk park was a let down. Nobody at home in any of the cottages or town houses, the pet farm had one sheep and lamb and two rabbits, no blacksmith in his forge.

To have staff in each open house would have spoke volumes about the individual houses as one would have got a better idea how people lived back then, the walkways were dismal and could have done with some sprucing up, fresh gravel and paint on the picnic tables and fences, exit signs would have been a great help too, the fairy garden hadn't seen paint for some time.

We are encouraged to staycate and spend our money at home but you have got to provide value for money too.
Written 29 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Olivia O
2 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2020 • Family
Just back from a family break in limerick with my two children aged 9 & 15. Let me start by saying I have never written a review before but have always taken advantage of other people options on hotels & days out which has always guided me in the past with good advice. I felt it important to write a review on our visit to bunratty folk park as it might help other family's planning on a day out. I have been to the park before & had a wonderful day it was one of the reasons we decided to return to limerick to experience it again & have a garenteened great day. Unfortunately we had a terrible experience when we visited again. Keeping it brief & understanding that we are visiting durning "covid days" as my daughter calls it, it was like a ghost town. Barely any staff, none of the street shops open, large queues outside all of the houses to visit with only half opened to the public & a pet farm with two goats & two rabbits. We were going to stop for a cup of tea to brighten up the boring walk even though we had only eaten a half hour before but the 5.50 for a slice of apple tart just made me furious as I felt we had already been ripped off with an entry fee to a disappointing experience so far. I really don't like to complain but they should really let people know what there getting durning these times or reduce the price considerably. Please don't waste your presious time & money visiting bunratty. A very disappointed customer
Written 1 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Layah
5 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020 • Family
We went in early March and it would have been great except half the stuff was closed. Only one costumed village person, almost all the houses and stores in the village center were closed, and Bunratty house was closed. It looks like they normally have a weaver demonstrating a loom, a Potter, a printing press and a photographer but none of that was open today. They should reduce admission prices or at least warn you ahead of time if so much of the park will be closed.)
Written 7 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Brittany D
Calgary, Canada17 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2019
We did not get to spend any time at the folk park, but ourselves and another couple got tickets to the Feast which happens after hours at the Park. It was a phenomenal experience, and we had such a great time watching the performance, and enjoying the delicious food. I personally don't eat ribs, so they brought me some melon to enjoy while the rest of the party had the rib course. The rest of the food was a delight!
Written 14 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

GiovanniCorcaigh
Cork, Ireland185 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020 • Couples
I been to Bunratty Castle two times before and though it was amazing. But unfortunately now It's not worth the €16. Not allowed to top of the Castle maybe Corona virus is more contagious at heights. If I had known this in advance I would not have even bothered coming. Folk village is like a ghost town and there is no actors currently in any of the houses. Apple pie from the tea room was extremely disappointing. I had it here before and it was amazing and home made but clearly they're too lazy to even do that now to make it. My advice to anyone would be to avoid this place for now. If they're going to give people and have ass experience did they should only be changing half the price.
Written 3 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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BUNRATTY CASTLE AND FOLK PARK (2024) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos) - Tripadvisor

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