Medieval Evening

One of the optional events on our tour was a Medieval dinner. I expected this to be rather like Medieval Times attractions in the USA or a Renaissance Faire. I'm struggling with the words to convey how different this evening was from either of those events. And I guess to sum it up, the difference is "authenticity". The events held in this country are like participating in a stage play -- it is based on historical facts, but it is all created. Bunratty Castle's medieval dinner is set in a 15th-century castle. Many of the furnishings, such as the tapestries and furniture, are centuries old. But aside from those astonishing facts, the evening is very lively and just a good bit of fun.

Bunratty castle, built in 1425, transports visitors back to a time in Ireland's past when the castles were strongholds of power and the rulers hosted enormous banquets at times. Upon arriving at the castle, we were ushered upstairs to the greeting hall where we were offered a glass of mead -- a drink made from fermented honey. We gazed around the restored room with its majestic 10-foot high tapestries, created in the 1500's, as minstrels played violin and Irish harp and welcomed us with song. The room also housed an enormous dowry chest from the 1500's. The huge chests would be created upon the birth of a female child. The carvings would be added to each year, leaving one final spot for the family crest of her groom. The result is an intricately carved piece of furniture that stood about 8-feet tall. The carvings represented major events in the girl's life, biblical stories, and family history. The castle still holds 2 of these magnificent creations.

We then assembled in the great banquet hall, which held about 200 people. We were served four "replacings" (or courses, as we would say) -- the first was a delicous vegetable soup which we drank from a mug. We've tried a number of these soups since we have been in Ireland, and this is something for which I'm hoping to get some recipes. The vegetables are pureed, so they have a texture similar to a cream soup, but without the heavy amounts of cream typically used. The second replacing was roast spareribs, which was followed by roasted squab with vegetables, and a fruit crumble. Dessert came with a spoon but all other courses were eaten with a dagger (knife) as the only utensil.

All the while, the minstrels entertained with merriment and joking, as well as some beautiful music of the period -- some accompanied by harp and fiddle, some a cappella. The audience participated in the fun, sometimes singing, sometimes the unwitting villain sent to the dungeon, and there was lots of laughter and clapping on tables -- what a fun evening. We exited the castle to the sound of a lone bagpipe.