This morning we left Tralee (in the rain) and headed north into the tiny village of Adare, renowned as one of Ireland’s prettiest towns.  Adare’s claim to fame is the numerous thatched roof cottages built in 1820 by Lord Dunraven.  The walls were built with local stones, then covered with a mud plaster before being whitewashed. 

Some of the cottages were destroyed by a fire in 2015; the rest are mostly used as cafes and gift shops. 

The ruined Desmond Castle sits on the far side of the Maigue River.  A Norman castle built with an ancient ring fort in the early 13^th C, Adare Desmond Castle became a strategic fortress during the following turbulent years. 

Then it was on to Limerick for lunch and a quick city tour. (The only limericks I know are dirty and not appropriate for polite company.)

The ruin of King John’s Castle dates to 900 AD when Vikings lived on the island. The current castle was built in 1200.

At Bunratty Mead and Liquor company, we tasted their Poitin (Potcheen). 

This type of moonshine liquor dates back to at least the 6th century.  It is an ancient farm-based spirit, made in a single pot still, taking its name from “pota’, the Irish word for ‘little pot’.  Poitin was made completely illegal in 1661, as the government wanted the ability to tax all alcohol, and couldn’t easily tax farm liquor.

Bunratty Mead is a traditional wine, produced from an ancient Irish recipe of honey, vine fruits and natural herbs.  As the mystical and legendary drink of the ancient Celts, mead has strong attachments to Irish Folklore and is often referred to in Gaelic poetry.  Mead’s influence was so great that the halls of Tara, where the high kings of Ireland ruled, were called the House of the Mead Circle.  Once its fame spread, no medieval banquet was complete without mead.

We are attending a medieval banquet tomorrow night, where we expect the mead to be flowing!