Queen of the Castle










Giant puppies, jewel-colored leaves and a castle with my very own prince. 

This was a perfect day. 

Unfortunately, we only visited Bunratty Castle and Folk Park for about 2 hours....and then spent the rest of the day crying, cursing, yelling and generally transforming into medieval barbarians from  the traffic on the way from Shannon to Dublin. (traffic suggests that there was moving transportation. Which is not the case, since they basically stopped the entire roadway. GAHHHHH)

I am trying desperately to repress those memories though, so let me just say that the castle was a tremendous delight. Walking up the steps you came into a great hall where one could picture feasting, and meat on spits and ale all around. Up the winding stair case to another great hall, complete with something that looked a very lot like an ornate wooden throne. Each corner of the  great room, had its own additional winding staircases, and each of them split off into multiple directions. Hidey-holes, peep-holes into different rooms, the lord's chamber and the ladies room and private chapels. A very interesting example of early plumbing, and turrets on the top of the tower for looking out over the everlasting greenness of the land sprawling around on all sides. 

Our imaginations caught fire, seeing into the past, into the lives of these 15th century people....and wondering what it would have been like if we were instantly transported back a few hundred years.  How different really would those people be? 

After 5 hours in the car on our way to Dublin,  I came to fully understood the murderous rage of a medieval Irish warrior.  And have decided I think I would have fit right into Bunratty Castle in its heyday. If I could just channel that bad mood effectively...I could have been Queen of that mess. 


xx 




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