Now we’re going to Bunratty to tour the Folk Park and the Castle. As with most Folk Park’s we have visiting, this is a reconstruction of an 1800s village with the accompanying castle. Don’t know how much of this is actual old buildings and how much will be recreations. Wouldn’t necessarily be our thing, but when on tour….

The park itself is in a lovely setting, all green and tree filled, sitting alongside a lovely small river. So the scenery is lovely, and the Castle is pretty cool – regally standing at the end of the village. Because we are a “large” group we get a presentation by the local tour lady, and do spend a bunch of time wandering around the four floors of different rooms. (I really don’t think that is a dead cat in the last photo – I think maybe a bunny, just so you know.)

The best part though might have been the rooftop. The views from up there were spectacular!

On the way back down from the roof we explore more rooms – the bedrooms, dining area, staircase with the odd bone or antler thing hanging from the ceiling. Then we are out the back entrance and into the rest of the park.

Which we make short work of, finishing our touring in less than an hour. Don’t get us wrong, it was interesting, the different types of houses – with real fires in the fire places – the school, the pub and shopping street. It was fun – but we’re done now and ready for lunch.

Out of the park, we walk up the street to the corner of the main road and find Durty Nelly’s, the perfect spot for lunch. A cute little traditional pub, we sit outside in the relatively warm temps, directly across from the Castle, and share a great lunch of griddled ham and cheese sandwich and Spring salad with apples and blueberries. Our kind of lunch. As we still had time, we walked over to the shops, not finding anything particularly exciting to buy, but did find a nice cappuccino for an after lunch caffeine fix.

Then it is off to Ennis, where we are staying in this really neat old hotel called appropriately, the Old Ground Hotel. The lobby has these little library/lounge like sitting areas, there is a pub at one end and these wonderful grounds where we sit for a bit outside with a gazebo, tables and a very interestingly odd sculpture of a sunbather.

After organizing, we go out to reconnoiter the town and get some groceries at Aldi and Tesco. In our wanderings however, we stumble upon the Ennis Friary, a 13th century Franciscan friary at the end of the town road. We’re game. It looks really great – and it turns out to be a highlight. The friary is in all states of ruin, but has many artifacts and relics preserved. Not only the grounds fabulous and beautiful….

…so too are the different carvings, such as St. Francis of Assisi, the Creagh Tomb and the corbel heads of a King and a lady. A great diversion for an hour or so of wandering.

Finally it is off to the grocery store, passing the Franciscan Church of Immaculate Conception with the statue of the priest in the front courtyard.

Later we pull on our puffy coats to head for an outside dinner. Our plans were to go to a pub we had read about with music and traditional food, but on the way we spy some others in our group going there, and decide, change of plans!!  Don’t want to be unsocial, but we’d rather eat on our own – we are with them all so much anyway. So, the pub turns into a restaurant – The Market Bar which has a lovely little outdoor seating area that we have all to ourselves where we order Chorizo and Shrimp, a goat cheese salad – which was not what I expected, essentially because I misread the description! – but is still excellent and a huge burger for Ed. Perfect.

Back at the hotel, we do our normal nightly routine, then prepare for the Cliffs of Moher in the morning.