Desmond Castle Newcastlewest
Desmond Castle Newcastlewest Many of Ireland\u2019s surviving medieval halls are in west Limerick. The Desmond Banqueting Hall in Newcastle West is one of the most impressive among them. It was begun in the thirteenth century by Thomas \u2018the Ape\u2019 FitzGerald, so named because of the story that an ape took him from his cradle to the top of Tralee Castle \u2013 and delivered him safely back again. However, most of the spacious, imposing structure was created in the fifteenth century, at the height of the Desmond earls\u2019 power, and used as a venue for frequent and lavish banquets. The oak gallery, from which musicians would provide a raucous soundtrack for the revelry below, has been fully restored. Thanks to the Office of Public Works for granting permission for this recording