ONCE upon a time in Ireland, there were fat happy pigs rooting in farmyards, villagers hunted native deer in the woods for dinner, and those who wanted to go to town went to the blacksmith to have the horse shod.
This weekend, those days will return for visitors to Bunratty Castle and Folk Park to get a taste of a different pace of life from days gone by, as well as sampling some of the delicacies and arts and crafts from Ireland long ago.
Ireland’s first celebration of indigenous animal breeds will take place at Bunratty Castle on August 18 as part of a wide-ranging programme of National Heritage Week events.
Hosted in association with the Irish Native Rare Breed Society (INRBS), the inaugural event will include livestock displays of native breeds, including Tamworth Pigs and Irish Red Deer, lectures on rare breed conservation, and tastings of products derived from indigenous breeds.
Specialists in crafts involving wool, leather, and beeswax also will provide live demonstrations.
The event will feature speakers from the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, Farming for Nature, and the National Parks and Wildlife Service , as well as ecologists and people working with rare animal breeds on conservation and biodiverse land management.
There will also be woodworking demonstrations by TikTok sensation Eoin Reardon, willow weaving and stone masonry workshops, talks on Celtic folklore and mythology, a tour of the 19th century Bunratty House, a traditional thatching demonstration, and an introduction to the Regency plant collection at the Victorian Walled Garden.
Meanwhile, Craggaunowen Castle will host re-enactors and tradespeople demonstrating the crafts and traditions of old, including spinning and weaving, blacksmithing, log splitting, bread and butter making, candle making, wool dyeing, and bagpipe playing, while stories of mythology and the history of the Ogham stones will be recounted.
