When you visit Bunratty Folk Park you experience a living reconstruction of the homes and environment of Ireland of over a century ago. Set on 26 acres, the impressive park features over 30 buildings in a ‘living’ village and rural setting.
Rural farmhouses, village shops and streets are recreated and furnished as they would have appeared at that time according to their social standing, from the poorest one roomed dwelling to Bunratty House a fine example of a Georgian residence for the gentry built 1804 home of the Studdarts, the last family to occupy Bunratty Castle.
The Village Street:
The village houses and shops in the Folk Park have been chosen from many different areas, to form a collection of typical 19th century urban Irish buildings including the School, Doctor’s house, Pawnbrokers, Pub, Drapery, Printworks, Grocery, Hardware shop, Pottery and a Post Office.
In the early 19th century the country people provided for most of their own needs in food, clothing and supplies and bought only luxuries such as sugar, salt and tea. Fairs and markets at the Village gave the farmers and the rural craftsmen an opportunity of selling their products for cash, while shops provided for the rural dwellers needs.
MacNamara and Sons at the top of the village street is a fully licensed working pub in the style of an old fashioned hotel bar and provides modern catering facilities. The pub is furnished to reflect the lifestyle of the time and the fact that the publican not only sold drink, in former times, but also traded in groceries and hardware.
Traditional jobs and crafts are also represented, milling, the forge, pottery, printing, baking, farming etc. A small church is also located near the main village street.
Bunratty Walled Garden:
Bunratty House is a surviving part of the demesne which was originally formed around Bunratty Castle. The garden was built for the house c 1804. As walled gardens go it is small, just less than half an acre, this was due to the fact that a large garden would have existed within the demesne, located north of the castle. This large garden would have functioned as a kitchen garden for Bunratty House and therefore it was unnecessary to have another large production garden.
The garden was built on the east side of the house and beyond the stables protected from the prevailing westerly winds. It is enclosed by four original stone walls forming an irregular space. Apart from the walls, no original features remain except for a disused entrance to the south wall near the house, which would have been used by the family and a cart entrance near the south east corner, with original Iron Gates. Views from the garden to the east overlook the reclaimed salt marshes of the Owengarney River Valley and to the south toward the River Shannon Estuary.
Photography Credits:
Images supplied courtesy of Shannon Heritage
Want to See More Locations?
We have an extensive image database of locations within Limerick and the Mid-West region, some of which are featured on the website, as well as a private locations database. If you do not see a suitable location for your shoot, then please feel free to get in touch and we may be able to suggest some other locations that could suit what you are looking for.
