By Barry Coughlan
Life in a Norman village a thousand years ago will be created at Bunratty Castle, County Clare this coming Saturday (July 29), so for any visitors to the west of Ireland history lessons beckon strongly.
The origins of one thousand years of settlement at the castle will be shown to visitors at the castle and Folk Park when an Gaill Glass, a re-enactment group, host “Rebels and Rivals”, a day long event when members of the public can get a real feel of the deal way back when the Norman knights fought and sought to conquer the island of Ireland.
Bunratty can trace its foundation back to Norman times when Robert De Muscegros, a Norman, built the first defensive fortress, an earthen mound with a strong wooden tower on top, in 1250.
His lands in the then Kingdom of Thomond were later granted to Thomas De Clare who built the first stone castle on the site. About this time Bunratty became a large town of 1,000 inhabitants.
The story is taken up by Stephen Hanley, General Manager of Clare Tourism East, who commented: “We can’t wait for the lawns of Bunratty Castle to be taken over by An Gaill Glais who live the history of the period and not just the conflict.
“They also show what day-to-day life was like for warriors and their families, as well as the gallant Gaels who stood against the Normans and defeated them on many occasions.”
And, according to Marie Brennan, Events Manager at Bunratty: “Gaill Glais, or ‘The Grey Foreigners’ was the name given by the Irish to the Invading Normans in 1170. The An Gaill Glais group of re-enactors live the history of the Norman period.”
Ms Brennan added, “During the Normans visit to Bunratty this Saturday, the public will be able to enjoy medieval mirth and merriment, educational demonstrations, arts and crafts, and get a true insight the life of the knights of old, ladies and warriors of An Gaill Glais as they bring the past to life for one day only.
“The public will be able to meet the troop of gallant warriors and loyal soldiers from Brother Jason, the returned crusader and now leader of the Lord’s bodyguard, to Cathal the Archer, the lord of the battlefield,” said Cornelius O’Sullivan of the Gaill Glais group.
Online bookings for Rebels and Rivals (standard rates apply) can be made on www.bunrattycastle.ie.
Meanwhile, record-breaking passenger figures have been recorded at nearby Shannon Airport during the first six months of 2023, for the first time in over a decade.
The airport, which has been experiencing increased demand for overseas travel since last year, recorded 902,603 passengers from January to June of this year.
When compared to the same period in 2022, this is a 41 per cent increase on last year and a six percent increase on 2018, which was the next highest record for passenger traffic during the same months since 2009.
The results came as a source of delight to CEO of the Shannon Airport Group, Mary Considine, who remarked: “The first six months of this year have been our busiest for this period, in over a decade.
“With the highest number of passengers recorded for this period since 2009, we are thrilled to witness the resounding success of our 2023 Summer Schedule, and our network of 35 destinations to the UK, Europe and the US for this year.
“The addition of new services such as our five new routes with Ryanair for this Summer, our daily service to Chicago O’Hare with United Airlines and our recently announced Paris service to Charles De Gaulle with Aer Lingus, will play a pivotal role in continued growth for Shannon, opening exciting possibilities for travelers from around the globe.”
Last month, passenger figures for Shannon Airport were 32 per cent higher for June 2023 compared with June 2022 and 10 per cent higher than June 2019.
In June, the airport also recorded its busiest day in seven years with 8,565 passengers traversing through Shannon on Friday June 23.
In May, there was a significant up lift in passenger traffic of 27 per cent compared to the same period in 2022.