Bunratty Castle and Limerick City

Bunratty Castle

Hello again, from Limerick, Ireland! It has been a very relaxed day for both Nathan and myself. We started our day around 7 this morning with breakfast and whatnot. Father Christoper offered to take us down to the Castle after his 9 o'clock class, so we gladly accepted. The history of this place was incredible. It started off as a small fort but was then expanded to the castle as you see it now. One of the guides within the castle itself gave us a great history of how the castle became what it is and where it once was. Apparently, during the late 1600s the last owner of the castle had to flee in order to save their lives. They had to leave everything behind. Consequently, none of the furniture or artwork within the castle (except for a small chest on the third floor) are actually from the original castle. After it was renovated, the family that eventually owned the castle filled it with works of art and furniture from their other collections. That was a major disappointment learning that all of this history didn't even belong. After exploring the small village surrounding the castle, Nathan and I hopped on the bus and headed into Limerick City for some lunch.

Our amazing lunch at Costello's.

Getting off the bus station (and after nearly getting hit by crazy European drivers) Nathan and I found Costello's Tavern and decided it looked like a good place to eat. Beef sirloin, peas, carrots, and three different entrées potato-based. This was also my first opportunity to have Guinness in Ireland off tap. It was all absolutely delicious, especially for the price that we paid. We spent the next half hour roaming around the seemingly dead town before hailing a taxi and returning back home to Glenstal Abbey. This will be my last night in Limerick. This both saddens and excites me as we approach the final two legs of our journey before Italy.

Dominic St.
 Legen - wait for it - dary!

Tomorrow morning, Nathan and I will head back to the bus station to go north into Galway for two nights. We will then be in Dublin on the 28th. Before I close, I'd like to say that I miss all of you guys and wish you could experience this amazing journey with me (that is, if anyone is actually reading this). I can't wait to tell you all about my trip to Ireland. Hope you guys are enjoying my blog. If you have any ideas for what I should write about, how I should write it, or just fun things for me to do, please don't hesitate to leave me a comment! God bless!