Shield Painting Workshop at Enniscorthy Castle

What to Expect

Enniscorthy Castle runs a drop-in shield painting workshop for the full nine days of National Heritage Week 2026. Children pick from a set of stencil designs and colours, paint their own Norman shield and take it home the same day. There is no booking and no fixed session time, so you arrive when it suits, and it works well as something to do inside the castle after a tour rather than as a standalone trip.

The castle itself is the reason the activity lands. It is an 800-year-old Norman keep on Castle Hill above the town, with four corner towers, a dungeon and a rooftop walk over Enniscorthy and the Slaney valley. Painting a shield in the building the Normans put up is a straightforward hook for children who would otherwise be dragged around a heritage site. The workshop sits alongside a wider Heritage Week programme at the castle that includes Stormin’ Norman’s costumed tours for children, talks on Eileen Gray and the 1916 Rising in Enniscorthy, and stonework demonstrations.

Good to Know

• Saturday 15 August to Sunday 23 August 2026
• Weekdays 10.30am to 4pm, weekends 12.30pm to 4pm
• €12 per shield
• Drop-in, no advance booking needed
• Enniscorthy Castle, Castle Hill, Enniscorthy, Y21 AW90
• Castle opening hours are 9.30am to 5pm Monday to Friday and 12pm to 5pm at weekends and bank holidays, last admission 4.30pm
• Contact 053 923 4699 or info@enniscorthycastle.ie

Getting There

Enniscorthy Castle stands on Castle Hill in the middle of Enniscorthy, a couple of minutes’ walk from the Market Square and the Templeshannon bridge. The town is on the N11 between Gorey and Wexford and is signposted from both directions. Enniscorthy railway station is on the Dublin Connolly to Rosslare Europort line and is about ten minutes on foot across the river. There is pay and display parking on the streets around the castle and larger car parks off the Abbey Square end of town, which is the easier option on a busy Heritage Week weekend.