Bunratty
Bunratty
Bun na Raite | |
|---|---|
Village | |
 Buildings in Bunratty village | |
  Bunratty Location in Ireland | |
| Coordinates:52°42′29″N8°49′35″W/ 52.708011°N 8.826512°W | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Munster |
| County | County Clare |
| Population | 349 |
| Time zone | UTC+0(WET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-1(IST(WEST)) |
| Website | www |
Bunratty(Irish:Bun na Raite,meaning "end of the Raite"[2]) is a village inCounty Clare,Ireland,nearBunratty Castle.It is connected by theN18 roadtoLimerickandGalway.The Raite river defines theparish'seastern boundary and flows into theShannon Estuary,which defines the southern boundary.
History
[edit]The first settlement in Bunratty may have been set up byVikingsin the 10th century. TheAnnals of the Four Mastersreport thatBrian Borudestroyed a Viking settlement in the area in 977.[3]
Around 1250 the Anglo-Norman ruler Mucegros was given the right to hold a market and fair at Bunratty. He built the castle in 1277. The castle became the main residence ofRichard de Clare,owner of all ofThomond.[4] In the late 13th century, Bunratty had about 1,000 inhabitants.[5] Richard de Clare was killed in 1311, and in 1314 the town of Bunratty was burned to the ground by the local people. The castle was sacked in 1332.[4]
The current Bunratty Castle was built by theMacNamarafamily in the early part of the 15th century. It later became property of theO'Briens,who eventually made it their principal seat asEarls of Thomond.In the early 18th century it came into the possession of the Studdert family, who built Bunratty House in 1804.[3][6]
In 1834 Bunratty parish had 55 Protestants and 1,340 Catholics. As of 1841 there were 1,320 people in 207 houses. The parish was crossed by the road fromLimericktoEnnis,which ran past the castle. In the Roman Catholic system, Bunratty parish was united withTomfinloughandKilconryparishes. As of 1845 the castle was being used as a barracks by theRoyal Irish Constabulary.[4] During theGreat Famine(1845 to 1852) Bunratty's population fell into decline.[7]
Bunratty is the location of the death of the last British soldier to die in Clare during theIrish War of Independence.[citation needed]Private William Reginald Williams of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers was fatally injured in a motorcycle accident on 7 July 1921, just four days before both sides came to a truce. Though Williams' body was never recovered, a Commonwealth War Grave in his memory lies in the north-east corner of the old Bunratty graveyard adjacent to the Bunratty Castle Hotel.[8][page needed].
In the 1950s, Bunratty's most prominent structure, the then ruined Bunratty Castle, attracted the attention ofJohn Hunt,Lord Gortand the Irish Government.[9]The castle was extensively renovated and opened to the public in 1960. Although Bunratty Castle thrived, becoming a major draw for early transatlantic tourists, the village population continued to decline.[citation needed]
Location
[edit]Bunratty parish lies on the north shore of theRiver Shannonto the east ofDrumlineparish, south and west ofFeenaghparish and west ofKilfintinanparish. TheRatty River,Ratty River,also namedOwengarney RiverorO'Garney River,[10]which flows into the Shannon, defines the eastern boundary of the parish.[11] The parish is about 2.75 by 2.25 miles (4.43 by 3.62 km).[4]
It is part of the barony ofBunratty Lower.[12]
Bunratty Castle overlooks the Raite river.[11] The village lies to the west of the castle. It has few residents and is not counted as a village in the IrishCensus.[13] Bunratty parish is today part of theCatholicparish ofNewmarket-on-Ferguswhich also contains the civil parishes ofClonloghan,Drumline, Kilconry,Kilmaleery,Kilnasoolaghand Tomfinlough.[14]
Economy
[edit]Roadstone Wood operates a quarry in the center of the parish. It produces stone, blocks, concrete, mortar and blacktop.[15] Eoin Gavin Transport has its road haulage office in Bunratty.[16] The company founder, Eoin Gavin, began as the operator of an eight-wheel tipper from the quarry.[17] Prior to the construction of the N18 bypass, the main road from Limerick andShannon AirporttoEnnispassed through the village.
Bunratty village itself caters mainly to tourists visiting Bunratty Castle and the Bunratty Folk Park. BesidesDurty Nellys,styling itself as one of Ireland's oldest pubs, there are a number of other pubs/restaurants. The village also provides accommodation in the form of hotels and bed & breakfasts. Several shops also cater to the needs of travellers and tourists.
Gallery
[edit]-
Rose Cottage in Bunratty folk park -
Cottages in the folk park -
Bunratty Castle before 1914 -
Bunratty Castle 2002 -
Church in the castle grounds
References
[edit]Notes
[edit]Citations
[edit]- ^"Sapmap Area: Settlements Bunratty".Census 2016.Central Statistics Office.Retrieved21 October2021.
- ^"Bun Raite".Placenames Database of Ireland.Retrieved10 April2014.
- ^abRyan, William Gerrard (1979)."A Survey of Monuments of Archaeological and Historical Interest in the Barony of Bunratty Lower, Co. Clare, Part 4: Castles and tower houses c.1500, Chapter 33: Bunratty Parish".Clare Library.Retrieved17 August2013.
- ^abcd"Bunratty".Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ireland 1845.Retrieved3 March2014.
- ^Lynch, Christopher (1977),"Bunratty Castle - a short history"(PDF),The Other Clare,1:17–18
- ^"Landed estates database: Bunratty House".NUI Galway. Archived fromthe originalon 27 February 2014.Retrieved17 August2013.
- ^"Landed estates database: Bunratty Castle".NUI Galway. Archived fromthe originalon 11 March 2014.Retrieved17 August2013.
- ^Ó Ruairc, Pádraig Óg, Blood on the Banner: The Republican Struggle in Clare (Cork, 2009)
- ^"Landed estates database: Studdert (Bunratty)".NUI Galway. Archived fromthe originalon 5 March 2014.Retrieved17 August2013.
- ^Draft Clare County Development Plan 2017-2023 Volume 3b Shannon municipal district written statement and maps December 2015p.18
- ^ab"1842 Maps Clare".Clare County Library.Retrieved3 March2014.
- ^"Barony of Bunratty (Lower and Upper)".Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ireland.1845.Retrieved9 March2014.
- ^"Census 2011 - Preliminary results".Central Statistics Office Ireland.Retrieved4 March2014.
- ^"Parishes and Church Records".Clare County Library.Retrieved3 March2014.
- ^"Roadstone Wood Locations".Roadstone Wood. Archived fromthe originalon 19 February 2014.Retrieved3 March2014.
- ^"Home".Eoin Gavin Transport.Retrieved3 March2014.
- ^"The man in charge of the Irish RHA".Commercial Motor.11 August 2011.Retrieved4 March2014.
External links
[edit]
- National Inventory of Architectural Heritage: Bunratty Castle
- National Inventory of Architectural Heritage: Bunratty Bridge
- National Inventory of Architectural Heritage: Bunratty House
- National Inventory of Architectural Heritage: Bunratty Castle Hotel
