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Is the banquet worth it?
A plain answer on Bunratty's castle banquet: what the evening is, whether it is touristy, who it suits, and who should skip it.
Book the castle banquet ↗Quick answer
Yes, if you want a long-running, lightly theatrical dinner in a real 15th-century castle and you are happy with an evening staged for visitors. It is a four-course banquet with honey mead, wine and live singing in Bunratty Castle's Great Hall, run since 1963 for travellers. It is not a historical reconstruction, and it does not suit children under four or wheelchair users. Book ahead, because it can sell out.
The short answer
Worth it when you want one themed evening in Ireland with dinner, music and a real castle around you, and you are comfortable that it is staged for visitors. Not worth it if you want a quiet meal or a historically exact reconstruction. The banquet runs in the Great Hall of Bunratty Castle, near Shannon Airport, and the castle's banquet page calls it an entertainment and dining evening. It lasts roughly two and a half hours. The sections below cover what happens, how touristy it is, what you eat and drink, and who is better off staying away.
- Book it for a themed dinner with live singing
- Skip it for a quiet or historically exact meal
- Add the day visit if you want to see the rooms
What the evening is
The booking describes a medieval banquet inside the castle. The Earl's Butler welcomes guests and tells the castle's history, you are served a four-course meal with wine and honey mead, and the Bunratty Castle Singers and musicians perform between courses. The castle adds that there is music, song and dance while you dine in the Great Hall. One booking takes up to ten people, and the booking page marks the evening as likely to sell out.
- A welcome and a short history from the Earl's Butler
- Four courses, with wine and honey mead
- Singers and musicians between courses
- Roughly two and a half hours in all
Is it touristy?
Yes, and by design. The castle says the banquets were established in 1963 as the idea of a local businessman, Dr Brendan O'Regan, who wanted to give transatlantic passengers a reason to leave their aircraft at Shannon Airport and tour the area. The booking says more than 3 million people have attended since. Wikipedia says that once restored, the castle became a major draw for early transatlantic tourists. So the banquet is a long-running visitor show, not a local custom. The castle is real; the staging is for you.
The castle and the hall
Wikipedia calls Bunratty a large 15th-century tower house on the Ratty river by the N18 road between Limerick and Ennis. The castle's history page dates it to 1425, while Wikipedia says building of the present castle began around 1450, so the safe description is 15th century. It was restored from the 1950s and reopened to visitors in the early 1960s. A great hall was the main room of a medieval castle, used for receiving guests and for the household to dine together, according to Wikipedia, which is why the banquet is staged there.
What you eat and drink
The booking promises four courses, wine and honey mead. The castle's banquet page says guests can have mead, red or white wine and water, that beer and spirits are not served, and that tea and coffee come in the basement after the banquet. A vegetarian dish is available, and other dietary needs should be requested when you book; the castle asks for at least 12 hours' notice. There is no separate children's menu, but a child-sized portion is possible. Menus change, so none appears here. Nothing on the banquet page claims the dishes are reconstructed from 15th-century recipes.
The singing and the Butler
Between the courses the castle singers and musicians perform, and the Earl's Butler hosts the room. The castle's banquet page names the singers as the Bunratty Castle Singers and talks of music, song and dance. The programme is the castle's to change, and this site does not promise a song, an instrument or a performer for any date. If you want one particular tune, the banquet is the wrong thing to plan around. If you want an evening where song arrives with every course, it fits.
How long it feels
The booking gives about two and a half hours, and the castle's FAQ gives the same. One reviewer on the booking page found it over quickly and wanted more time between courses, so expect a brisk pace rather than a long evening of lingering. Clock times move with the date and the season, so none appear here; your confirmation shows the start. The castle asks guests to leave once the show has finished, so there is no wandering the building afterwards. Plan the rest of the evening, such as the way back, around that.
Seats and groups
Seating is decided by the duty manager on the night. The castle says you can make a seating request and that it will try to meet it, but cannot guarantee a particular place. One booking takes up to ten people, which suits a family or a small group travelling together. The castle recommends booking in advance and says banquets run nightly in the high season, with winter dates depending on demand. The calendar on this page lists the dates actually on sale.
Who this isn't for
Pass on the banquet if you want a quiet meal, because the evening is lively and the singing is the point. Skip it if you use a wheelchair: the booking says the castle is not wheelchair accessible, and the castle's FAQ says there is no lift. It is not suitable for children under four. If you want beer or spirits with dinner, note that neither is served. And skip it if you want to explore the castle's rooms at length; the day visit, covered in the next guide, is the ticket for that.
Where it fits in a Clare trip
Bunratty sits close to Shannon Airport, so the banquet works well on the first or last evening of a trip through the west of Ireland. The castle gives about a ten-minute drive from the airport. It also pairs with a daytime visit to the castle and folk park, and with a day out to the Cliffs of Moher from Limerick or Doolin. The days-out guide in this set covers the cliffs. Because the banquet is the booking with limited dates, fix it first and build the rest of the days around it.
Read next: Days out around Bunratty
Booking
Choose a date on the calendar below. A day's notice earns a free cancellation on tickets booked through GetYourGuide, and dietary needs belong in the booking. If you also want the castle by day, book that separately and read the banquet-or-day-visit guide first. Work out your transport before you pay: the castle is about a ten-minute drive from Shannon Airport by its own account, and the banquet ends in the evening, when you will want a plan for the way back.
Read next: Banquet or castle visit?
Frequently asked questions
Is the Bunratty medieval banquet worth it?
Yes, if you want a themed dinner with music in a real castle and accept that it is staged for visitors. Skip it if you want a quiet, historically exact meal.
Is it too touristy?
It is a visitor show by design, started in 1963 to bring transatlantic passengers off their flights at Shannon. The castle is genuine; the evening is staged for travellers.
How long does it last?
Roughly two and a half hours, according to the booking and the castle. The start time is on your confirmation.
What do guests drink?
Honey mead, red or white wine and water, according to the castle. Beer and spirits are not served. Tea and coffee follow in the basement.
Can children go?
Not children under four. The castle has no children's menu but can give a child-sized portion. Consider whether an evening of this length suits your older children.
Is the banquet wheelchair accessible?
No. The booking says the castle is not wheelchair accessible, and the castle says there is no lift. The folk park is generally accessible, but the banquet is inside the castle.
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