Malahide Castle, parts of which date to the 12th century, lies, with over 260 acres (1.1 km2) of remaining estate parkland (the Malahide Demesne Regional Park), close to the village of Malahide, nine miles (14 km) north of Dublin in Ireland.
The estate began in 1185, when Richard Talbot, a knight who accompanied Henry II to Ireland in 1174, was granted the "lands and harbour of Malahide". The oldest parts of the castle date back to the 12th century and it was home to the Talbot family for 791 years, from 1185 until 1976, the only exception being the period from 1649-1660, when Oliver Cromwell granted it to Miles Corbet after the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland; Corbet was hanged following the demise of Cromwell, and the castle was restored to the Talbots. The building was notably enlarged in the reign of Edward IV, and the towers added in 1765.
The estate survived such losses as the Battle of the Boyne, when fourteen members of the owner's family sat down to breakfast in the Great Hall, and all were dead by evening, and the Penal Laws, even though the family remained Roman Catholic until 1774.
In the 1920s the private papers of James Boswell were discovered in the castle, and sold to American collector Ralph H. Isham by Boswell's great-great-grandson Lord Talbot of Malahide.
Malahide Castle and Demesne was eventually inherited by the seventh Baron Talbot and on his death in 1973, passed to his sister, Rose. In 1975, Rose sold the castle to the Irish State, partly to fund inheritance taxes. Many of the contents, notably furnishings, of the castle, had been sold in advance, leading to considerable public controversy, but private and governmental parties were able to retrieve some, and the castle has added a collection of similar period furniture to account for what wasn’t retrieved.
Along side the castle are the ruins of Malahide Abby, now nothing more than a shell, it still provides an attractive backdrop against the castle inself. The Abby would have been at the height of its glory in the early fifteen hundreds, and the graveyard around it is proof that it served as a typical parsih church in its day. Now in Spring time if you're quiet it is a fantastic place to spot the spring bunnies that are so evident throughout the castle demense.
To learn more about Malahide Castle and Talbot Family on the Malahide Heritage site click here.
Visiting
The Castle, along with its subsidiary attractions, is operated as a tourist attraction by Dublin Tourism, working with Fingal County Council, which oversees the Castle Demesne. The main castle can be visited for a fee, on a guided-tour-only basis. In addition, it is possible to hire the famously gothic Great Hall for private banquets. The castle has an eating facility, and adjacent is a craft shop. The castle's best-known rooms are the Oak Room, and the Great Hall, which displays Talbot family history.
Audio Guides
Malahide Castle Audio Guides offer users a unique opportunity to explore this 800 year old Dublin Castle. The guide takes you through the castle and recounts many of the interesting tales associated with it. Audio tours are available in French, German, Italian, Spanish, Dutch and Japanese. Written translations are also available.
For more information on tours of Malahide Castle, click here.
Separately, one can visit:
Museum of Childhood and Tara's Palace
Visit the enchanting Museum of Childhood, located in the beautifully restored old Corn Store building in the Courtyard of Malahide Castle. Let your imagination take over as you view antique toys, historic childhood bygones and dolls' houses dating back over 300 years.
The centrepiece of the museum is Tara's Palace, built to 1/12th scale, drawing on several of Ireland's "great houses" for architecture and design. The Museum also contains antique dolls, toys and other dolls' houses, including one from 1700 and one from the family of Oscar Wilde's mother.
For more information on Museum of Childhood and Tara's Palace click here.
The Fry Model Railway
The Fry Model Railway, located beside the castle courtyard, is a unique collection of handmade models of Irish trains, from the beginning of rail travel to modern times. One of the world’s largest miniature railways, the exhibition is unique in that it is a working railway covering an area of 2,500 sq. feet.
Situated in the beautiful grounds surrounding Malahide Castle, this delightful collection is a treat for railway enthusiasts, children and adults alike. The beautifully engineered models are from a collection originally built up in the 1920s and 1930s by Cyril Fry, a railway engineer and draughtsman, with each piece assembled with the finest attention to detail.
Irish and international exhibits from the earliest railway developments are run on a Grand Transport Complex which includes stations, bridges, trams, buses, barges and even the River Liffey… pick out the models of Cork and Heuston Stations, O’Connell Bridge and other Dublin landmarks, perfectly constructed in miniature. Definitely a treat for all the family including adults.
The Fry Model Railway is operated by Dublin Tourism Attractions in conjunction with Fingal County Council.
For more information on visiting the Fry Model Railway, click here.
Malahide Historical Society Museum
The Malahide Historical Society Museum has re-opened in a larger, brighter and more accessible location in the Courtyard at Malahide Castle. There are many interesting artefacts on view and a visit, which is free, is well worthwhile. Opening hours are 2.00 to 4.30 pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
Malahide Historical Society are seeking images of Malahide over the last century to build an archive which can be preserved for the future. They also want help in recording the various shops and businesses that operated in Malahide
Do you have any information, old photographs, postcards, paintings or drawings to donate or that we could borrow, carefully copy and promptly return?
Visit the Historical Society website at www.malahideheritage.com
The Talbot Botanic Gardens
The Botanic Gardens are situated behind the castle, comprising several hectares of plants and lawns, a walled garden of 1.6 hectares and seven glasshouses, including a Victorian period conservatory. Open May to September the Gardens, as we know them to day cover an area of about twenty acres and were largely created between 1942 and 1973 by Lord Milo. In all, there are in excess of 5,000 different species and varieties of plants present. The present day Garden is, in effect, a small botanic garden. Many plants from the southern hemisphere, notably Chile and Australia, are featured. When a bushfire wiped out all traces of a particular plant in Tasmania, Lord Talbot came to the rescue and gave back to Tasmania plants raised from seed which he had collected in 1964.
The Demense
The demense is one of few surviving examples of 18th century landscaped parks, and has wide lawns surrounded by a protective belt of trees. It can be visited freely, with a number of entrances and car parking areas. In addition to woodland walks, and a marked "exercise trail", the park features actively used sports grounds, including a cricket pitch and several football pitches,
Golf, Pitch & Putt and Tennis
The Demense also boasts a 9-hole par-3 golf course, with an 18-hole pitch-and-putt course, plus tennis courts and a boules area, all open to the general public.
The Childrens Playground
Close to the castle is a modern children's playground, recently reconstructed consisting of various types of swings, slides, climbing frames and imaginative contraptions to suit children of all ages.
Access:
The main entrance to the Castle Demense is off the Dublin Road, leading to a lower and upper carpark, faced by the castle itself. Parking and access is also possible on the village side of the Demense, beside Malahide Railway Station with various wooded and parkland walks to take you to the Castle. Dublin Bus route number 42 travels along one side of the park, and Dart and Mainline trains are accessible through Malahide Railway Station.
For more information on travelling to Malahide, click here.
Map of Malahide Castle Demesne
