Craggaunowen

Craggaunowen - the Living Past Experience, is Ireland's original, award-winning Prehistoric Park. Situated on 50 acres of wooded grounds, the Park interprets Ireland's pre-historic and early Christian eras. It features a stunning recreation of some of the homesteads, animals and artifacts, which existed in Ireland over 1,000 years ago. These include:

A Crannog - an artificially constructed lake island dwelling, home of Bronze Age Chieftains.

A Ring fort - the typical residence of Celtic farmers in the Iron Age

A Dolmen - one of the earliest Stone Age tomb types

Fulacht Fia - the field kitchen of the Fianna, the legendary soldiers of the High Kings of Ireland.

A Togher - portion of an Iron Age roadway dating back to 148BC.

The 'Brendan'- the leather-hulled vessel built by Tim Severin and sailed by him and his crew across the Atlantic in the mid-1970s to prove that it was possible for early-Christian monks from Ireland to have reached America in the 7th Century.

Rare animal breeds, including Wild Boar - which are actual species of the prehistoric era.

Overlooking all is Craggaunowen Castle, built by John MacSioda MacNamara around 1550.

One of the highlights of a visit to Craggaunowen is the opportunity to explore recreations of two homesteads from the pre-historic and early Christian eras. Crannogs were artificial islands on which people built houses, kept animals and lived in relative security. Step inside the thatched houses on the crannog, built of wattles and mud, and you are transported back to an ancient time. The second dwelling is a Ring Fort, which served more as a farmstead rather than a fortification. The Ring fort features a man-made cave or underground passage, which was used for storage and as a refuge in times of danger.

Opening Hours: Daily from Mid April to October

Location: Near Quin, Co. Clare, off the R462 from Cratloe and the R469 from Ennis. This is 29 miles (46.4 km) from Ballyvaughan village