Craggaunowen Project

To the south of Knappogue Castle, east of Ennis, is a restored castle, the 16th C. Craggaunowen Castle, which is part of a larger enterprise, the Craggaunowen Project. The castle itself contains a small collection of medieval religious art from the Hunt Collection, mostly from the Continent. In the grounds can be seen reconstructions of structures from the earliest periods of human settlement in Ireland, including a crannog (lake dwelling) in a small lough and a stone ring fort, both with huts and implements of the period. In a glass shed is displayed the leather boat in which Tim Severin and his crew re-enacted the medieval voyages of St Brendan in 1976 and 1977. The gatekeeper's lodge, to the left, next to the castle entrance, has been turned into a chapel. Notable is the bronze cross (15th C).