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More Mead M'Lord - Ireland's Medieval Banquets


More Mead M’Lorad – Ireland’s Medieval Banquets
Read Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com
Read this entire feature FREE with photos at:
http://www.jetsettersmagazine.com/archive/jetezine/food/ireland/bunratty/mead.html

The Earl of Thomond greets me and my two accompanying wenches — Carol and Mary — at the gate of Bunratty Castle. He points overhead: “If you misbehave hot oil will scald thee!” The Earl points down: “and you will fall through the trap door never to be heard from again!”

The medieval ages have returned to Ireland as the Earl of Thomond guides us up a serpentine stairway tunnel carved in the entrails of the limestone fortress, debouching into the Great Hall, or clan gathering place in the center of the Castle. The Ladies of the Castle await with warm medieval mugs of mead. A fire burns in the Great Hall pit. The Great Hall served as the gathering place for the great Celtic clans for over five hundred years. A harpist and violinist perform traditional Irish ballads as the ladies sing in cherubic synchrony. Each lady is replete with period costume, heavy purple, indigo, russet, burgundy, or maroon velvet gowns that move as gracefully as their lithe bodies.

Overhead hangs a huge ancient Great Irish Elk antler, extinct long before the Castle was built in 1425, but found in the local peat bogs, preserved because of the bog’s lack of oxygen.

A King and Queen of the medieval banquet are pulled from the visiting tourist crowd (maximum group during each banquet is 140) and they are seated on the royal throne. This hails “More Mead M' Lord!”, the fermented drink of choice, and the only fermented drink of choice, of the medieval ages. One of the Ladies of the Castle informs us that mead, made from honey, is served to newlyweds for a month, from one moon to the next, hence the name, “honeymoon!”

The Earl shouts, “More Mead!” The peasants respond: “Yes, More Mead M’ Lord.”

Thus begins a night of medieval debauchery, lecherous behavior, and gluttony.

The Clans gathered in the Great Hall.

The Castle Bunratty, often called Bunraite in ancient times, is the jewel of the west of Ireland, and the 26 acres surrounding the crenellated rectangular Keep, the finest of its type in Eire, includes a reconstructed Folk Park village. Such villages sprang up around castles, where the merchants, serfs, farmers, and peasants lived and supported the nobility with their wares and labors.

The Castle has two nightly banquets year around, but if you arrive in the summer you can take in the Ceili or traditional gathering with Irish music of the people that is as old as time. Ceili is a 18th/19th century Gaelic word meaning a gathering, coming together in the biggest barn in the district to sing, dance, and tell stories. At Bunratty Folk Park a Ceili is held every night from May to October. This is an evening of wild entertainment with a difference, no where else can you experience the fun of what the Irish do best — enjoy themselves.

Listen to the piper, fiddler, bodhran, singers, and watch


the dancers weave the story of the tradition of the Celts. Enjoy home cooked food, excellent wine, and join in with song and dance. The Ceili is twice nightly (subject to demand), at 17:30 and 20:45. If you arrive at the Castle in early July you will see costumed knights on the grounds, cooking traditional foods, displaying superb swordsmanship, and fighting over the local and beautiful wenches.

Bunratty Castle and Folk Park represent a microcosm of Irish history. At one end is the Castle, built in 1425 by the MacNamara Clan; the history of this beautiful building stretches over 500 years of turbulence. However, it was the Vikings who first set up a trading post in Bunratty in 950 AD. There have been four castles on the site. The Castle was acquired by the Anglo-Irish Studdart family in 1720, which lived there until the 19th century when they abandoned the Castle and built Bunratty House, which stands on a hill on the opposite end of the Folk Park.

It was in 1954 that Lord Gort purchased the Castle and restored it to its present and splendid condition. The huge stones under my feet in the Great Hall are not the original slabs, but imported from a villa in Italy, but from the same era. When Lord Gort purchased the Castle there was no roof and rain had pitted the floor. He also installed the finest collection of medieval furniture in the country, thereby preserving a vital part of the Celt past and heritage of County Clare. This is a living classic castle, with the period furniture, tapestries, and works of art on display. The reasons for tapestries were to cut down on the cold, winter draughts. In ancient days all merchants and noblemen filled their homes with wine, furniture, and iron from Spain and France, tapestries and bronze dishes from the Netherlands, leather and cloth from Germany and Italy, and spices from the Levant. Irish furniture and furnishings have vanished from castles and homes over the centuries. Only three or four Irish pieces dating to pre-1600 still exist, two of which are in Bunratty Castle.

Bunratty Castle stands on the former island of Tradaree, a spur of the beautiful Shannon River, the longest in Europe at 200 miles, still flowing in the vale in front of the Castle. During my afternoon visit to the Castle the views of the Shannon from the tower slit windows and battlements are magnificent, with cows grazing peacefully like they did hundreds of years ago in green lushness.

I think how great it would be to live in a castle, until I see one of the dank, smelly bedrooms, and think of the pests, lack of running water, and general unsanitary conditions. Even the Earl of Thomond slept on hay stuffed beds, so hence the term, hitting the hay!

Read this entire feature FREE with photos at:
http://www.jetsettersmagazine.com/archive/jetezine/food/ireland/bunratty/mead.html

By Kriss Hammond, Editor, Jetsetters Magazine – Visit www.jetsettersmagazine.com


About the Author

Kriss Hammond, Editor, Jetsetters Magazine - Join the Travel Writers Network in the logo at www.jetsettersmagazine.com

 

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Content Menu
  • 10 great wine tasting tips

  • 16 quick tips for eating at restaurants or work

  • 4000 year old secrets of green tea

  • aging gracefully

  • all about entertaining with food and wine

  • american fast food restaurants

  • and you thought coffee was bad for you

  • an idiots guide to wine tasting

  • an introduction to wine

  • australian bbq recipes

  • australian wines

  • australia is more than jacobs creek

  • autumn cooking great fall recipes and tips

  • a beginners guide to chinese cookery

  • a guide to gourmet coffee

  • a guide to wine racks

  • a perfect cup of coffee

  • bakers racks add flair and style to your kitchen

  • barbeque grilling has reached a whole new dimension

  • barbequing a fun and convenient way to make dinner

  • basque cuisine

  • beer and food pairings

  • blended and varietal wines

  • blue cheese omnivorous

  • braised fish in soy sauce hong shao yu

  • braised garlic short ribs with a red wine tomato sauce

  • build your own wine rack in an afternoon

  • buying wine how to read a wine label

  • buy fine wine at great prices a strategy

  • champagne wine

  • change your diet and eat the mediterranean way

  • cheese explore a new taste

  • chicken breasts with spicy rub

  • chicken with white wine pasta

  • chilean wine history and style

  • chinese dumplings on chinese new year

  • chocolate is good for you

  • choosing a wine gift basket

  • choosing wine on a first date

  • choosing wine to match food

  • christmas recipes main dishes no 9 of 12 duck with cardamom sauce

  • class on glass

  • coffee characteristics and how it helps you choose the perfect coffee for you

  • coffee everything you need to know from arabica to zanzibar

  • coffee is it getting too complicated

  • coffee with class

  • come home to comfort food

  • corks for wine

  • creating the perfect foam

  • cuban thanksgiving from our latin table

  • cucumber pork soup

  • delicoious swordfish

  • determining if a wine is spoiled

  • do you know these little known facts about tuscany wines

  • easy summer salads lighter foods for a brighter summer

  • ediths cake that thrilled the french

  • emu the natural alternativee for the backyard grill

  • enjoy colorado wines

  • enjoy your favorite winebut with some rules

  • experience the joy of eating at a restaurant

  • fall for outdoor entertaining this autumn

  • family life or wine for christmas dy

  • fantastic fruit

  • fine dining at the ark of las vegas lutece and tsunami asian grill

  • fondue 101 how to make cheese fondue

  • foods to avoid that cause bad breath

  • food and drink what to expect in costa rica

  • food and wine choice advice from an expert wine taster

  • formula for successful wedding party

  • french wine

  • french wine laws

  • fresh fare from the food isle ireland

  • from prix fixe to cold tea a glossary of popular and obscure restaurant terms

  • german wine the new commodity on the american market

  • get to grips with your wines

  • gift of the month clubs the lazy mans guide to gift giving

  • give a fondue party

  • gourmet a defining moment

  • gourmet centerpieces

  • gourmet coffee beans a brief overview

  • gourmet goodies

  • gourmet sauces rubs and marinades give your bbq a gourmet kick

  • grigio or gris this is a great white wine

  • grilled scallops with ginger lime sauce

  • guide to buying wine glasses

  • guide to tasting wine

  • hans is author of steaks seafood and

  • have a wine and cheese shower or party

  • have you bought your first case of wine yet

  • healthy fondue a guide to making broth and hot oil fondues

  • healthy seafood recipe

  • health benefits of tea

  • helens homemade fishcakes recipe

  • helens pan fried seabass

  • history of hawaiian coffee

  • history of the mendocino county wine industry

  • holiday cookie exchange

  • homemade christmas gifts from the kitchen make your own holiday gift baskets

  • honey dijon glazed ribs

  • hosting a wine party

  • hosting a wine tasting party

  • hot fun in the summertime

  • how sparkling wine is made

  • how to begin wine collecting

  • how to be creative when you are cooking

  • how to brew your own beer

  • how to grow grapes for excellent wine

  • how to host a memorable july 4th barbecue and have fun too

  • how to host a wine party

  • how to make beer

  • how to order wine in a restaurant

  • how to store wine

  • how wine is made

  • index

  • introduction to italian wine

  • in grandmas kitchen part i

  • in praise of the humble salad

  • in time for summer blue danube wine company introduces refreshing new varietals from hungary the craftsmane series from hilltop neszmely winery

  • is your italian olive oil really italian

  • italian cuisine in the heart of tuscany

  • italian cuisine more than pasta

  • kitchen pantry

  • knowledge and creativity

  • la minita coffee its in the green beans

  • learn about chardonnay wine

  • learn about the benefits of green tea

  • learn to deal with the wine steward in restaurants

  • left over wine

  • love wine join a wine club

  • low fat salmon recipes

  • make your own gourmet gift baskets

  • making red wine

  • making wine like a pro

  • maple flavored smoked turkey

  • marketing wine on the internet

  • more mead mlord irelands medieval banquets

  • murder by heat

  • not your orthodox way of learning about wine

  • oakville wine country

  • olive varieties

  • paella recipe secret

  • paella the most famous spanish dish

  • parmesan crusted sole with lemon beurre blanc

  • pinot gris or grigio this grape makes great wine

  • planning a fondue party

  • planning wine for your party

  • provence a wine lovers dream come true

  • quick reference buying and storage guide for cheese

  • raise a glass to the best wine of the month gifts

  • rare varietals cure wine boredom

  • reading an italian wine label

  • recipes from around the world right in your kitchen

  • reductions proving less is more

  • regional cuisine new england clam chowder

  • roasted vegetable and goat cheese salad

  • roast rack of pork with grain mustard sauce

  • rotator

  • rowan jelly mountain ash pyrus aucuparia

  • rubs to cook with

  • rutherford wine country

  • sangria blanca

  • sangria recipe

  • satisfy your wine desires join a wine club

  • sauces for quick gourmet cooking

  • sauces used in asian cooking

  • sauted family bean curd

  • seafood and corn beach barbecue

  • seafood fettuccine alfredo

  • selection of seafood recipes compliments of cafe hobson

  • serving wine

  • share a gourmet food basket with your lover

  • sherry a wine of tradition

  • sicilys great eggplant tomato stew

  • smell nothing taste nothing

  • southern mama

  • spanish food how to prepare boquerones

  • spanish food the tasty tortilla

  • specialty gourmet coffee

  • special ingredients shark fins birds nest

  • start your wine cellar the right way

  • storing your fine wine

  • substitutions for commonly used ingredients

  • sweet sour fish

  • sweet sour pork gu lao rou

  • sweet surprises

  • take a california wine country tour

  • tasteful gift giving

  • tasting wine

  • tasting wine the basics for beginners

  • tayberry jam

  • tayberry raspberry and strawberry jam

  • tea at sea

  • tempranillos role as a new varietal wine in australia

  • tempranillo a new red wine star in australia

  • ten foods with special powers

  • the 1976 paris wine tasting

  • the best of the boutiques

  • the curious history of wine consumption in america

  • the excellent french wine

  • the first rule of wine drinking

  • the french paradox

  • the fundamentals

  • the gentle art of poaching

  • the habanero chile

  • the harmony between food and wine

  • the harmony between wine and food

  • the history of italian coffee

  • the history of the acai berry

  • the history of wine country in the sierra foothills and the delta

  • the ideal temperature to store your wine

  • the latest craze on gourmet coffee

  • the major flavor components in wine

  • the mystery of decanting

  • the mystery of sparkling wine

  • the next shiraz varietal wines for australia

  • the perfect complement

  • the rise of rioja wines

  • the stuff of poetry mead

  • the sucessful dinner party

  • the true hystory of tiramisu

  • the wine and green mushroom caper

  • three rules for choosing the right dinner wine

  • tips to buying food online

  • to air is divine

  • twelve wines of christmas

  • understanding the basics of wine tasting

  • understanding wine grapes

  • understand wine and your health

  • unique gifts send food gifts for something delicious and different

  • using bargain wines to your advantage

  • vegan chocolate feeds the sweet tooth

  • water into wine

  • weight loss recipe veal mango

  • what is corked wine

  • what puts the sparkle in sparkling wine

  • what wine really is just in case you thought you knew

  • what wise guys eat

  • what you need in a gourmet kitchen

  • when punt is about packaging not football

  • which is for you blended or varietal wines

  • who made the first wine anyway

  • who needs a cookie jar

  • why red wine is red and other isnt

  • winezap launches new website to help wine consumers find price and compare wines subscribers to winezaps free newsletter offered 10 off any wine regardless of quantity purchased

  • wine accessories the things you need

  • wine and beer are good for us yes second in a series

  • wine and dine them

  • wine and onion bisque spring mix salad with worcestershire parsley dressing

  • wine a worthy teammate for football

  • wine etiquette with ease

  • wine e learning campus in malta

  • wine grapes white varieties

  • wine is in the moment

  • wine making and home brewing whats the deal

  • wine making for beginners

  • wine openers 6 styles reviewed

  • wine racks are great for all your bottle storage needs

  • wine rack storage simple guides on choosing

  • wine rack storage simple guides on choosing the right rack for your wines

  • wine storage hints and tips

  • wine storage is the key to preserving and aging your wine

  • wine tasting

  • wine tasting four easy steps to hosting a great wine tasting party

  • wine tasting in carneros

  • wine tasting in yountville

  • wine tasting the taditional way

  • wine tasting the traditional way

  • wooden wine rack vs metal wine rack