Around noon we headed for Bunratty, an enormous medieval castle and tourist trap as advertised on billboards in the Shannon airport. After paying outrageous admission and weaving through crowds of pushy tourists, we settled for a bite to eat in a “mead hall” cafeteria. Another taste of culture shock was “lunch,” otherwise known as French fries with vinegar (if you want catsup you have to pay per packet). The food in the cities is nearly inedible, I highly recommend just bringing your own as a steady diet of protein shakes and energy bars far outweighs Irish cooking which in it of itself is an oxymoron. After choking down the “meal” we set out to explore the castle grounds. Despite many tacky renovations, Bunratty is however a magnificent castle definitely worth your while to visit. Because the castle is so well preserved, you can walk around just about every room and really see how medieval peoples lived. The first thing that stood out to my group was the obvious size difference in rooms, clothing, and furniture: people were very short back in the day. The main building boasts about five stories with a magnificent Great Hall and dungeon complete with secret entrances and spying holes. As we took a tour, our guide pointed out various evidences of the bloody Medieval time such as murder holes above hallways (holes in the ceiling where kings soldiers would pour boiling lead onto intruders), and narrow spiral staircases so armies couldn’t simply rush up and take your castle (they would have to neatly march up the stairs in single file like gentlemanly soldiers before slaughtering the inhabitants). But in perfect contrast to Bunratty’s blood-stained past, the surrounding gardens are beautifully manicured and an ideal spot for a picnic. I hung out there for an hour or so just sitting and people watching when I got separated from my group, which I found to be a blessing. By the time I found them it was time to leave. Back at the hostel dinner was Irish Curry, a culinary abomination that just shouldn’t exist: it looks like florescent orange slop and tastes accordingly—the blandness and sogginess of Irish cooking with a few shards of cardamom.
Map and Photos for Across Ireland 
