Taking a travel experience at King John’s Castle

A WEST Clare construction firm has played a key role in the redevelopment of one of the Mid-West’s top tourist attractions, King John’s Castle in Limerick, which reopened last week following a €5.7 million redevelopment.
The imposing castle, on the banks of the River Shannon, has not only undergone structural improvements but uses the latest technology to give people an opportunity to explore Limerick and the castle as never before.

L&M Keating Ltd, Kilmihil was the main contractor for the construction element of the project. Eighty jobs were created during the design and construction phase of the project and a further 18 jobs have been created from the day-to-day operation of the exhibition.

The project is being supported by Fáilte Ireland and the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport through a grant of €4.7m, with the balance of the funding being met by Shannon Development.
Shannon Development chief executive, Dr Vincent Cunnane is very impressed at how all the strands of the project have been brought together.

“We are delighted to have delivered this major project, which is close to our hearts and was a key goal for the company. This is an exhilarating time for the city, with the recently launched Limerick 2030 Development Plan and Limerick’s reign as Ireland’s first City of Culture due to start in 2014.

“All of these initiatives are opening up new growth opportunities for the city. Our hope is that King John’s Castle will complement these initiatives and provide a lasting legacy to benefit the people of Limerick by stimulating additional tourist numbers and revenue into the future.”

“National and international visitors can now enjoy a brand-new castle experience that brings together the castle’s remarkable history and archaeology through 21st century technology to create a new journey of discovery into the history of Limerick and King John’s Castle,” he said.

John Ruddle, chief executive of Shannon Heritage, who will manage the new castle attraction, said they like to think of it as “a time-travel experience”, which uses the latest technology to give people a unique opportunity to explore Limerick and the castle as never before.

“It is an exciting, ultra-modern visitor experience with a dramatic history of over 800 years of stories. There is a stunning ‘looking glass’ exhibition area, which provides a window to the past. Here people can walk through the historical exhibitions with people outside able to look in and people inside will be able to look out.”

Touch-screen technology connects visitors to exciting tales of siege and warfare. A dazzling array of computer-generated imagery, animations and ghostly projections are all part of this remarkable experience. Its cutting-edge audio-visuals and 3D models all combine to help visitors delve into the castle’s history. Discovery drawers unveiling castle treasure, a cannon game, a treasure hunt and a siege street in the castle courtyard are just a few of the surprises that visitors can expect. Visitors can also try on historic costumes – 18th century dresses or chainmail tunics.

On their journey through the exhibition, visitors meet Nicholas the Master Mason, a lively character who may even share some of the valuable secrets of his trade or indeed set visitors to work. Among the other characters are Willem, the cheerful Moneyer, a reminder that King John’s Castle had its own mint, and the grim Constable Roger De Lees.

In the courtyard, visitors will get a sense of the bustling activity that took place there, including the blacksmith’s workshop, complete with tools and weapons. Visitors can explore the Norman medieval campaign tent and the walkway in the remains of the Great Hall of the castle built circa 1280. They can also step into the sanctuary of the chapel to take a quiet moment.

Each of the castle towers has been dressed to recreate the daily operation of a busy military castle, complete with armoury and mint.

Treasures uncovered at the castle during a series of archaeological digs, which began in early 1990, will be on display. Among these is a pistol dating from the famous 1642 Siege of Limerick period. It was dropped and left behind during hand-to-hand combat at the castle and a written record from the time has allowed archaeologists to accurately date the event to June 17, 1642.

Another prized find is a gold stirrup ring dating from the mid to late 13th century, found during excavations of the Great Hall under the castle courtyard and thought to have ecclesiastical connections. The Great Hall has been made accessible to the public for the first time, with a specially constructed stairway leading people down into the chamber with spectacular views of the river from its windows.

The castle’s rich archaeology has been brought to life and people can explore the pre-Norman houses built by the Ostman-Viking settlers, who intermarried with the local Irish population. All the archaeology has been sensitively preserved for future generations.

New areas of the castle, previously inaccessible to the public, have been opened up. These include a tower, which affords the highest observation point in Limerick of the River Shannon and reveals panoramic views of Limerick, Clare and Tipperary. The castle also contains a specially designed education room, complete with AV to allow school groups to experience and learn.

Tandem Design, from County Down created the exciting interactive exhibition. Tandem Design has considerable experience in this field and was part of the design team for the acclaimed Titanic Centre in Belfast.

Log on to www.shannonheritage.com for more information.