Craggaunowen

Craggaunowen is an open-air museum in County Clare displaying reconstructed settlements from the Bronze Age and Iron Age. An artificial island holds a recreated crannog settlement, while an ancient ring fort also stands within the grounds.

A landowner built a castle here around 1550, though it eventually fell into disrepair. In 1821, a new owner acquired it and began restoring it as a summer residence before later transforming it into a museum of ancient Irish ways.

The name comes from Irish and means 'field of stones'. Visitors can see how people lived here in earlier times through reconstructed homes and standing stones that tell stories of daily life.

The site is open from spring through fall and offers guided tours for groups by advance arrangement. Allow time for a leisurely walk through different areas and wear sturdy footwear since paths cross natural terrain.

The site preserves the Brendan Boat, a leather-hulled vessel that an adventurer actually sailed across the Atlantic to prove that Irish seafarers could reach far lands over 1500 years ago. This real ship demonstrates how ancient navigation techniques actually worked.

Location: County Clare

Inception: 1965

Founders: John Hunt

Operator: Craggaunowen - The Living Past Experience

Website: http://shannonheritage.com/Craggaunowen

GPS coordinates: 52.81193,-8.79526

Latest update: December 8, 2025 19:44