Day 5: Sunday June 23, 2024

Day 5 was primarily a travel day from Galway to Cork but we had fun in route with a pretty awesome performance. Once again after our full amazing Irish breakfast at the Gallant Hotel we loaded the bus for a 10:30am departure. This time when we left we wouldn’t be returning to Galway as we were heading south to Bunratty Castle and Folk Park in County Clare. The further south we went the warmer it got and turned into a very sunny day in the high 70’s. 

We reached Bunratty Castle before noon and had time to wander the grounds, explore the castle including a guided tour, and a quick rehearsal before a 12:45 outdoor performance in the Folk Park area. The castle is on the site of three castles that have been built on the site and considered the best restored Midevil castle in Ireland with origins going back to a Viking trade site of the year 970.  The current castle was built in 1425 and has a long history of family ownerships and uses. The Castle ownership was only recently (2023) transferred to the County Clare. 

The orchestra performed a full set outdoors on this beautiful sunny day just outside of the Macs Pub in the Folk Park. The orchestra performed in front of a large crowd enjoying the performance from the Pub, the shade or while shopping. The orchestra and parents were fielding lots of questions from the crowd after the performance. 

Past Facebook Live links to parts of the performance at the Folk park of Bunratty Castle: Link 1 and Link 2

With everyone’s appetite growing large we made a very short walk to Durty Nelly’s for lunch just outside of the castle. Durty Nelly’s has been part of Castle Landscape for nearly 400 hundred years. We had one our best meals of the trip at Durty Nelly’s with choices of Roast Rib of Beef, Supreme Chicken or Baked Salmon.

After lunch we boarded the bus again around 3pm to complete our travel day to Cork. While we were at the castle the temperatures continued to rise and the bus had a chance to heat up while we were not traveling making it very difficult for the bus AC to really cool us down. We arrived at the Clayton Hotel Silver Springs a little after 5pm tired and hot. 

Once we were all checked into the hotel some ventured out to look for dinner and snacks outside the hotel, some stayed at the hotel for dinner, some just played board games in the hotel. For the most part I think most were still full from lunch and still tired from Dún Aonghasa adventure. Early to bed for all for a our next day in Cobh