More than 15,000 people from counties Tipperary, Clare and Limerick’s Mid-West Region are expected to pass through the gates of Craggaunowen and Bunratty Castle & Folk Park this Easter Bank Holiday Weekend.
Lady Longbottom and Madame Bloomers will be judging the Easter Bonnet Competition at Bunratty Castle & Folk Park this Easter.
The popular County Clare visitor attractions are hosting a comprehensive programme of family-friendly activities and entertainment for all ages.
Bunratty Castle and Folk Park’s Easter events will be held on Friday, April 18th, Saturday, April 19th, and Sunday, April 20th from 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day.
The public is invited to step back in time with reenactors from Clan Life and Tercio Irlanda, who will bring 16th-century Gaelic Ireland to life, through engaging displays and talks on the era’s chieftains, warriors, and culture.
The traditional skills of the past will also be on display. Visitors will be able to witness the art of traditional Irish ironworking with live blacksmith demonstrations, showcasing the history and craftsmanship passed down through generations.
At 2.00 p.m. daily, the Bean an Tí will showcase the art and traditions behind Irish baking as the aroma of freshly baked griddle bread fills the interior of the Golden Vale Farmhouse.
Easter Bunny&Chick will be appearing at Bunratty Castle & Folk Park and Craggaunowen this Easter.
Along with getting the opportunity to meet the Easter Bunny and Chick, there will be plenty of children’s entertainment throughout the visitor attraction, as well as live traditional Irish music.
Bunratty Castle and Folk Park is calling all young designers aged 12 and under to showcase their creativity using recycled or upcycled materials in the Easter Bonnet Competition. The judges, Lady Longbottom and Madame Bloomers, will announce the winning bonnets and hats on the village street at 2.30 p.m.
The Wobbly Circus will keep visitors entertained outside the Tea Rooms with a showcase of fire-juggling, unicycling and circus skills, while Garry Rossiter will be combining juggling, comedy, audience participation and danger through knife juggling, fire eating and stilt walking.
Guests can hop on the Bunratty Express and travel through the Folk Park past the elegant Georgian design of Bunratty House and the reconstructed Ardcroney Church, and through the Fairy Trail, woodland trails and paddocks, with their vast array of indigenous Irish animal species from Kerry Bog Ponies to Irish Red Deer and Bunratty’s resident Irish Wolfhounds Rian and Mide. The 10-minute train ride departs from the Red Barn, located behind Mac’s Pub, from 10.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. and 2.00 p.m. to 4.30 p.m.
A fun and interactive Clue Trail, designed for younger visitors and their families, will lead participants through the folk park’s scenic woodland trails. Along the way, they will meet lively characters such as Mike the Seanchaí, the School Master, and the Village Policeman, all while uncovering fascinating stories from Ireland’s past.
Ms Marie Brennan(Events Manager at Bunratty Castle & Folk Park), said, “The Easter bank holiday weekend will be filled with various family-friendly activities and entertainment suitable for all ages. Visitors can expect a diverse range of attractions, including circus performances, storytelling sessions, train rides and living history reenactments. The programme aims to offer a blend of fun and educational experiences and is an opportunity for everyone to join us in a true Easter celebration.”
The Easter Bunny makes a quick leap from Bunratty to Craggaunowen, where more exciting activities await on Easter Monday from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Tony Baloney will entertain with his puppet show, while The Wobbly Circus provide fire-juggling, unicycle and circus tricks.
Craggaunowen will celebrate Ireland’s ancient crafts with talented artisans hosting woodworking, blacksmithing and weaving demonstrations.
There will also be an opportunity to meet the Easter Bunny at the popular East Clare visitor attraction, which has undergone significant investment and upgrades during the past year.
A Reminder from Ms Maura Barrett, (Cashel Library):
There remain four spaces only left for the workshop“Make a Birdbox from Recycled Materials” with Elke Wilson on tomorrow, Thursday March 13th, commencing at 2.30pm sharp.
This is a workshop which revives the ancient art of book folding, utilising recycled books and other materials to make attractive Bird Boxes.
NotePlease: With 4 spaces only remaining, booking is essential to this FREE event. Pleasecontact Tel. Number 062 63829.
Visitorscanlocate the Cashel Library building; situated on Friar Street, Lady’s Well, Cashel, Co. Tipperary, HERE. (G487+RX).
Ireland’s Patron Saint, (St Patrick) and Ireland’s national holiday will be celebrated in style in Ireland’s Mid-West strategic planning region latter consisting of the counties of Tipperary, Clare and Limerick.
On Sunday, March 16th, County Clare’s Bunratty Castle & Folk Park visitor attraction will kickstart its 2025 tourist season with a comprehensive programme of St Patrick’s weekend entertainment featuring Irish music and dancing, storytelling, demonstrations of traditional Irish crafts and skills, and many other family fun activities.
Darby O’Gill pictured at the launch of Bunratty Castle & Folk Park’s St Patrick’s weekend programme of events.
The world-famous 15th century castle also will join other famous landmarks across Ireland in being lit up in green for the weekend.
“We are inviting the public to join us in celebrating our national feast day with the perfect blend of Irish tradition, culture, and family fun to kick off our 2025 tourist season,” said Marie Brennan, (Events Manager at Bunratty Castle & Folk Park).
“From world-class Irish dancing performances and traditional music sessions to encounters with St. Patrick himself and our merry band of dancing leprechauns, we have created a programme of events to entertain visitors of all ages,” she added. “Whether you are learning a ‘cúpla focal’ at our schoolhouse, watching traditional baking demonstrations, or witnessing vintage machinery at work, Bunratty offers a unique taste of Ireland’s rich heritage this St. Patrick’s weekend.”
Family fun activities include the Bunratty Express Train, Bouncy Castles in the Red Barn behind Macs Pub, and an opportunity to meet St Patrick, as he parades through the village street. There will be curious characters located throughout the Folk Park including Konor the Clown and his merry band of Dancing Leprechauns, and Finegas the Druid who will be recounting Irish fables and legends.
Irish dancing will take centre stage in the Corn Barn with performances by the Linda Ball Hoban School of Irish Dance, which has enjoyed extensive success at the World Irish Dance Championships and whose members have gone on to perform all over the world with Riverdance. Performers will be dancing between the jigs and the reels at 1.30pm, 2.30pm and 3.30pm. There will also be live traditional Irish music seisiúns throughout the day with the public invited to bring their own instruments and join in with Bunratty’s resident musicians
For younger visitors there will be a fun and interactive Clue Trail that will lead participants to all four corners of the Folk Park through woodland trails and paddocks, with their vast array of indigenous Irish animal species from Kerry Bog Ponies to Irish Red Deer and Bunratty’s resident Irish Wolfhounds Rian and Mide.
At the schoolhouse, Bunratty’s resident Schoolmaster will be on hand to teach visitors a ‘Cúpla Focal’ and entertain with tales and traditions from school days of old, including the story of the four leafed clover and how St Patrick really drove the snakes out of Ireland.
The Bean an Tí will host a demonstration of Traditional Baking and Butter Making at 2:00pm in the Golden Vale Farmhouse where Irish superstitions will also be explained, including why it is considered bad luck to spill salt, why seeing a solo magpie can strike fear into the heart of a passerby, and why an itchy nose signifies a fight is coming in your near future.
Members of the Clare Vintage and Engine Tractor Club will be present on the day to demonstrate an array of vintage agricultural machinery at work, including corn grinders, water pumps and mini threshing machinery. Ireland’s largest collection of vintage farm machinery also will be on display around the park. The Talbot Collection have been bequeathed to the tourist attraction for permanently display throughout the 26-acre folk park and features more than 50 items of machinery, including ploughs, hay rakes, and Turnip and Mangel Seeders.
Friends, Cashel library has the following FREE events this week:–
Adults Only Event:
Tomorrow Tuesday 11th at 6:00pm – Movie Night – “The Best Marigold Hotel”.
Several retirees decide to move to Jaipur, India, to stay in the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, advertised as an exotic retirement home. This comedy drama boasts a stellar cast comprised of Dev Patel, Judi Dench, Celia Imrie, Bill Nighy, Ronald Pickup, Maggie Smith, Tom Wilkinson, and Penelope Wilton, and was nominated for five awards. All welcome
Children – Age 8 plus – Events:
Card Making Workshop: On Saturday 15th February at 11:00am – Max 12 participants, booking essential to Tel: 062 63825.
Lego Free Play Workshop: On Saturday 15th February at 2.30pm – Max 15 participants, booking essential to Tel: 062 63825.
Note: All events in all libraries across the county can be found HERE.
You canlocate the Cashel Library building, situated on Friar Street, Lady’s Well, Cashel, Co. Tipperary, HERE. (G487+RX).
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