CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL says it has implemented changes to temperature monitoring and air conditioning at a 15th century castle following complaints that actors in velvet costumes had fainted from heat during its medieval banquets.

The popular banquets are held at Knappogue Castle and feature medieval music, storytelling, and a four-course meal for up to 158 guests, who are entertained by actors wearing theatrical dress.

However, the banquets were the subject of a complaint under health and safety legislation, with one of the entertainers claiming that there had been several incidents in which staff and guests had fainted from heat at the castle.

He told an adjudication hearing of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) that the venue became “unbearably hot” during the summer months as heat was retained by the thick stone walls of the historic building.

Performance staff were required to wear thick, heavy velvet medieval costumes for the banquets, while the castle had no proper ventilation whatsoever, placing an “intolerable burden” on the workforce.

Clare Tourism Development DAC, which is a subsidiary of the local authority, rejected the claim that it had ignored the problem, telling the WRC that it had deployed a number of mobile air-conditioning units.

However, the entertainer said these were noisy, emitted a foul smell, took up performance space, and blocked the view of paying guests, so they were regularly wheeled out of the room when people arrived.

The company also argued that, because the venue is a protected structure, any permanent structural modifications or wall-mounted units would require extensive conservation surveys and formal planning approval.

WRC adjudication officer, Eva Sobanska, ordered the company to ensure that air-conditioning units were made fully operational and consistently used based on health and safety priorities, rather than aesthetic concerns.

She also ordered the immediate introduction of digital temperature monitoring loggers, with strictly defined thresholds that would trigger immediate interventions when exceeded.

Furthermore, the company was ordered to develop a formal heat-related risk management procedure, review staff rotation and scheduled breaks to reduce heat exposure, and actively progress its medium- and long-term permanent structural cooling solutions alongside conservation architects.

In a statement, Clare County Council said company management had now implemented the recommendations of the WRC at Knappogue Castle following a full risk assessment commissioned in January 2026.

“The WRC complaint from an employee relates to the 2025 summer season,” said a spokesman.

“In addition to control measures already in place for temperatures at Knappogue Castle, Clare Tourism Development DAC management have implemented the recommendations around communications, temperature monitoring, air conditioning, and improved protocols for breaks and rest under a new risk assessment.”

The spokesman noted that “continuous monitoring” of the situation is taking place at the castle.