Craggaunowen

Location

near Quin, Co Clare

History

Situated in the countryside of County Clare, Craggaunowen offers a taste of Celtic life, with a reproduction of a Bronze Age village, set beside the 16th Century Craggaunowen Castle.

Built by the MacNamara Clan on 50 acres of wooded grounds, Craggaunowen Castle dates back to 1550. Standing defiantly on a crag overlooking a lake it forms a striking centrepiece to this exhibition on the lives of the Celts in the Bronze Age.

Interpreting Ireland's prehistoric times, Craggaunowen has an award-winning example of a Crannog - a Celtic homestead, constructed of wattles, reeds and mud. Built onto a lake isle and ringed by a spiked fence to protect it from raiders, these Crannogs were how people lived in Ireland some 1,000 years ago. Demonstrations of early crafts and farming techniques are held regularly and Craggaunowen farms with rare animal breeds typical of this early period such as Soay sheep and wild boar.

The Craggaunowen exhibition also features the Brendan, the leather hulled boat used by explorer Tim Severin to sail across the Atlantic in 1976-77, re-enacting the legendary voyage of St Brendan who reputedly sailed from Ireland to America centuries before Columbus.

Craggaunowen is an undoubtedly interesting exhibition, one of Ireland's best insights into prehistoric life in the country and well worth the visit.

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Admission

Adult €8.95
Child €5.25
Family €21.50

2 for 1admission with Discovering Ireland Vacation discount program (must present discount program booklet)

Information

Leaflets: Yes
Guided Tours: Yes
Audio Visual: Yes
Exhibition: Yes