Ireland's castles & thatched roofs There are estimates that Ireland has between 1,000 and 3,000 castles throughout the country. Ireland's history is well documented for its notable and turbulent events. Medieval castles were built for defense from raiders. Centuries later, castles were built as homes by the very wealthy. <lonelyplanet.com> Blarney Castle is the most famous Irish castle worldwide. Some castles have become hotels or B&Bs. Others have been neglected. Most castles have stories or special events during their useful lifetime. <tripsavvy.com> ACURI.NET wishes to thank Janet and Carol Bergamaschi from Central Pennsylvania who were on tour with Cyndi and I in Ireland. Their friendship and Carol's photography made this photo program possible. Throughout our tour we stopped at several castles, however most photos were taken from a bus or during a short stop. It is not easy to snap a photo in a moving bus. Carol's photo skills and sharing has allowed acuri.net to publish her photos. Blarney Castle in Cork, Ireland has been part of Ireland's history since the early 1200s. The stone fortress that we see today was built during the 15th century. It is a magnet for visitors worldwide and rightfully so. The owners of the estate give tourists many interesting experiences besides climbing those steep steps to plant a kiss on the Blarney Stone. Blarney Castle was once the home of Cormac MacCarthy, King of Munster. The limestone castle took part in many events such as the Irish Confederate Wars and changed hands several times. On the grounds there are natural rock formations such as Wishing Steps, Witches Cave and a sorcerer's poisonous plants. <visitacity.com> See acuri.net Ireland‐The Blarney Stone for a trip to the top of Blarney Castle. Blarney House sits in the middle of the of the Blarney parklands. It is a restored Scottish Baronial mansion that was built in 1874. Bunratty Castle was built in 1425 to protect the village surrounding the castle in southern County Clare near the County Limerick line. The name came from the locals that translates to "Castle at the mouth of the Ratty." The Ratty is a river (Owengamey River or O'Garney River) which is part of the Shannon River tributary. It was not an easily navigable river. Shannon Heritage manages the castle and other national park grounds. Vikings were known to have raided this area. Bunratty was fully restored in 1954 by Viscount Lord Gort. <blog.creativeirishgifts.com> Dunguaire Castle was built on the shores of Galway Bay in County Galway by O'Hynes Clan in 1520. The family roots can be traced back to 600s. Between 1600s and 1920s the Martyn Clan of Galway owned the castle. It is off the road to the Cliffs of Moher. It was purchased by Oliver St. John Gotary, a writer‐physician who brought other literary writers such as George Bernard Shaw, W.B. Yeats, Lady Gregory and J.M. Synge to Dunguaire. In 1954 it was purchased by Christobel Land Amptill and restored. This castle is also managed by the Shannon group. It has been used as sites for several movies. <lonelyplanet.com> Kylemore Castle (see <acuri.net‐Ireland for more about Kylemore Abbey and Victorian Garden). Carol shares some of her photos of the castle built in the 1860s by Mitchell and Margaret Henry. It is Ireland's largest walled garden that is highlighted through Carol's photography. Rock of Cashel, Irish: Carraig Phádraig… "is huge, it’s complex, it’s iconic, there is nothing like it anywhere else in the world and it’s right here in Cashel at the heart of Tipperary. The Rock of Cashel (Carraig Phádraig), more formally St. Patrick’s Rock, is also known as Cashel of the Kings. Reputedly the site of the conversion of Aenghus the King of Munster by St. Patrick in the 5th century AD. Long before the Norman invasion, the Rock of Cashel was the seat of the High Kings of Munster, although there is little structural evidence of their time there. Most of the buildings on the current site date from the 12th and 13th centuries when the rock was gifted to the Church. The buildings represent both Hiberno‐ Romanseque and Germanic influences in their architecture." <cashel.ie> Other castles photographed during the tour. Thatched roofs of straw, reeds or heather have existed a long time and have been part of their culture. Historians tell us that thatched roofs have been existence for 9,000 years. As we traveled throughout Ireland, thatching was not very evident. One of the reasons is the cost, intense labor and skill involved in constructing the roof. This means that a roof would cost more than conventional modern roofs. But the historical and cultural value is appealing. A properly cut, dried and installed water reed thatched roof has a life expectancy of 60 years. <formerglory.ie> Sources: https://www.ireland.com/en‐us/articles/tripideas/unique‐castles‐of‐ireland/, https://www.shannonheritage.com/, https://www.tripsavvy.com/the‐best‐ castles‐to‐visit‐in‐ireland‐4164295, https://www.ireland.com/en‐us/what‐is‐available/attractions‐built‐heritage/historic‐houses‐and‐castles/articles/irish‐ castles?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjtfTu8yn4QIVzkoNCh2ytgIbEAAYASAAEgKYl_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds, https://www.visitacity.com/en/galway/attractions/dunguaire‐ castle?gclid=EAIaIQobChMInJXr2uSn4QIVx4SzCh2oPQwkEAAYBCAAEgLdAvD_BwE, https://www.escapehere.com/inspiration/15‐amazing‐castles‐of‐ ireland/?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=EH_GGL_US_DESK‐DynamicSearch&utm_content=s_c_273415455786&cus_widget=dsa‐ 379794749666&utm_term=&cus_teaser=&utm_acid=6088014985&utm_caid=1420964810&utm_agid=53371796862&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjtfTu8yn4QIVzkoNCh2ytgI bEAAYAyAAEgI2m_D_BwE, https://www.lonelyplanet.com/ireland/travel‐tips‐and‐articles/ten‐must‐see‐castles‐in‐ireland/40625c8c‐8a11‐5710‐a052‐1479d276a46a, https://blog.creativeirishgifts.com/blog/the‐castles‐of‐ireland‐bunratty‐castle/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIgKTng_Kn4QIVylSGCh1bUgg9EAAYBSAAEgKIpfD_BwE, https://www.irelandbeforeyoudie.com/10‐best‐castles‐visit‐ireland/, http://www.ballybegvillage.com/thatching.html, https://www.formerglory.ie/thatching‐faqs/ https://www.discoverireland.ie/Arts‐Culture‐Heritage/blarney‐house‐gardens/69958, https://www.cashel.ie/rock‐of‐cashel/ and https://www.irishcentral.com/travel/best‐of‐ireland/beautiful‐castles‐ireland. acuri.net John R. Vincenti and Carol Bergamaschi Ireland Castles & Thatched Roofs .