Claregalway castle is a castle like no other. It has been and immersed in over 590 years of culture, tales, battles, music and legend.
We are honoured to be working with the team from Claregalway. Together we will be firing up imaginations of young historians, artists and lovers of culture all over the country.
Bringing History to Life
We believe in “Bringing History to Life“. If your class or group has a particular interest in any aspect of the castle’s history we will work with you to take photos and send you information to aid your research.
Short videos of the castle can be made to help your project work.
Something for everyone
Claregalway Castle oozes mystery, history and culture and has something for everyone.
The castle as it stands today was constructed between 1408 and 1440.
It was the chief fortress of the powerful Norman family called Clanricarde De Burgo or Burke from the early 1400s to the mid-1600s.
One of the biggest battles ever in Ireland
On August 19 th, 1504 the Lord of Clanrickarde, Ulick Finn Burke, fought a pitched battle against the Earl of Kildare at “The Battle of Knockdoe” in Co. Galway.
Thousands of men died in a single day of unimaginable savagery. It is was one of the biggest battles ever fought on Irish soil.
National symbol of Ireland
On a musical note Henry VIII gave Ulick “The Brian Boru harp” as a gift to the castle in 1543. It is now the national symbol of Ireland.
Medieval hurling match
The castle has more than its fair share of “Horrible History” stories which we will be sharing each month. There are also amazing connections to a Medieval hurling match, the Cromwellian conquests , the Irish War of Independence , poetic genius W. B. Yeats and even cinema legend Orson Welles!
Knights fighting in Claregalway
Every year Claregalway Castle hosts Ireland’s only international medieval combat festival. The winning team takes home the coveted, “Claregalway Castle Shield”
Can your imagination help us?
The castle’s architecture and historical artefacts that reside there will also be highlighted in the future.
Together we can bring the stories connected to the castle to life through, art, writing, research, cooking and possibly cartoons!
If you have any ideas you would like to share with us to make this a fun project contact us. We would love to hear from you all.
#IYIRL #ClaregalwayCastle #BringingHistoryToLife
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