Blogs from Bunratty, County Clare, Ireland, Europe

Early departure from Westport after breakfast. It's yet another drizzly day, and the traffic is noticeably worse as parents drop off their kids for the first day of school. We are headed south toward Galway and eventually to the cliffs of Moher. En route, a number of interesting topics come up. One thing you can say about small Irish towns (and cities, too) is that they tend to be remarkably clean. The streets are mostly free of trash, cheery flower boxes abound, front yards and homes are well looked after, and graffiti is minimal. Part of it is cultural, in that the Irish have a tradition of taking pride in appearances. But Tony tells us there actually is a annual Tidy Town Competition, and it's taken very seriously. The subject of the bright coloured markings on ... read more

We got a late start to our travels today, we are getting our fair share of much needed sleep on this trip. We spent our day at Bunratty castle and Folk Park, touring this restored castle and grounds. The castle is filled with historic artifacts and beautiful tapestries. They had a special Christmas event going on which was very festive and wonderful to see. Heading back home tomorrow, we have a full day of travel ahead of us. Matt and I loved our visit to Ireland, the scenery, kind people, food, and historical sights helped us learn about this amazing country.... read more

Can't go to Ireland without visiting the castles. Kevin had Friday afternoon through Sunday off so we went to Bunratty on Friday night and then Blarney the next day on our way to Cork. Bunratty does a great job with the folk park that shows life in the 18th/19th centuries. Keep running into other MA families which is fun. One woman at Blarney pointed at Jake's black dog t-shirt and said I know where you are from!... read more

Geo: 52.6945, -8.82243Galway to LimerickJust as we got outside of town, we passed a truck selling strawberries along side the road. Next thing I know we are pulling over at the next vendor. Apparently 2 people towards the front wanted strawberries. The vendor was so surprised that a tour bus stopped, he gave us an extra container for free. Soon the bus had a nice aroma. About 5 some of us were dropped off at Bunratty Castle for a medieval dinner in the castle itself. Bunratty Castle is located in County Clare and is part of the Bunratty Folk Park that we will be visiting tomorrow. The Castle is was built in the 15th century and restored in the 1950's. An actor dressed as a 16th century servant greeted us at the door near the original ... read more

Hello from Bunratty, Ireland. Carl and I had a good trip here - uneventful plane trip - which is what travelers hope for (however a long layover at JFK, something to be avoided in the future). We landed at Shannon airport and were whisked through customs with well wishes for a great holiday. Carl says that is very different than most customs check-in. Our bed and breakfast is only four miles from the airport. We were greeted by Paddy and Maureen, the innkeepers and checked in a little after 10:00 Ireland time. We felt like it was 3:00 am and took a nap. Then it was on to explore Bunratty. This is a tourist area, with the Bunratty Castle and Folk Park. We enjoyed sightseeing, visiting a pub or two, and eating a traditional dinner of ... read more