Robert De Muscegros, a Norman, built the first defensive fortress (an earthen mound with a strong wooden tower on top) in 1250

Bunratty Castle, North Munster, is sited on an original Viking Trading Camp which dates back to around 970 and is the last of four castles to be built on the site. Robert De Muscegros, a Norman, built the first defensive fortress (an earthen mound with a strong wooden tower on top) in 1250. His lands were later granted to Thomas De Clare who built the first stone castle on the site.

In 1318 the castle and surrounding town were completely destroyed when Richard De Clare, son of Thomas was killed in a battle between the Irish and the Normans.

After being restored for the king of England, it was once again laid to waste in 1332 by Irish Chieftains. For 21 years it lay in a state of ruin until being rebuilt by Sir Thomas Rokeby.

Once again the Irish besieged Bunratty and to this day has remained in Irish hands.

The present castle was built in 1425 by the McNamara family and remained in their possession until 1475 when it past to the O’Brien’s, the largest clan in North Munster. They then went about landscaping the castle grounds with picturesque gardens and which reputedly sustained a herd of 3000 deer.

Under Henry VIII's 'surrender and re-grant' scheme, the O'Brien's were granted the title 'Earls of Thomond' and they agreed to profess loyalty to the King of England. The reign of the O’Brien’s came to an end with the arrival of the Cromwellian troops and the castle and its grounds were surrendered. The O’Brien’s never returned to Bunratty.

Bunratty Castle and its lands were granted to various Plantation families, the last of whom was the Studdart family. In 1804 Bunratty fell into disrepair after the family decided to relocate to a more modern and comfortable at Bunratty House, located in the grounds of Folk Park.

Bunratty Castle was finally returned to its former glory when Lord Gort purchased the estate in 1954. It is now the most complete and authentically restored and furnished castle in Ireland and it has been open to the public since 1960.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 nine-inch pie shell

• Pork, boiled or roasted until done, then diced or ground

• Eggs, beaten

• Milk

• Honey

• Pepper, black or white or both

Method : Combine beaten eggs and a little milk. Thoroughly mix with the pork; the mixture should be thick and wet. Sweeten with honey and season with pepper. Place filling in pie shell and bake until pastry is golden and the filling has set.

Serve forth and Enjoy!

The clothing of peasants was very simple and practicable usually sewn together at home from rough and scratchy material whilst those of the nobility were made from silk and damask. Knights adorned themselves with sleeveless "surcoats" (an outer coat or garment worn over armour) covered with a coat of arms. Fine leather shoes were also worn. Imports such as turbans and silks from the East were common for the more fortunate of society.

As with today, the medieval period had its own fashion trends. At the end of the 13th century, the once loose and flowing tunics worn by men became tighter fitting. Besides tunics, the men also wore undershirts and briefs covered by a sleeveless jacket and an additional tunic. Stockings completed the ensemble.

Early medieval women's clothing consisted of "kirtles", which were tunics worn to their ankles. These tunics were often worn over a shirt. When the women were in public, they often topped the tunics with an even shorter "kirtle." Of course the more money a woman had the more luxurious her clothing.

Married woman wore tight-fitting caps and nets over their hair, which was wound in a "bun" on their heads. Other women wore veils over their hair, which was left either hanging loosely, or braided tightly.

The times may have changed, but fashion trends seem to be apart of our history and our future.

• Check with your Foreign or State Department concerning safety warnings for tourists at your destination.

• Find out what types of vaccinations you will need to enter the country, there may also be medications you’ll need to take before, during and even after your trip.

• Check the financial section of your newspaper, they usually post exchange rates and checking in advance can give you an idea of how much you’ll need to budget.

• Do some research with your Customs Officers to find out what you can take with you and what you may bring back?

• Build some basic language skills in the local language.

• Most of the world uses the metric system, so try to become familiar with this system. 1 kilometre = .62 miles so 100 kilometres per hour = 62 miles per hour.