Malahide Castle

If you ever pass by Malahide, near Dublin, then don’t miss its famous castle: the Malahide Castle! The latter dates partly from the 12th century, and is open to visitors! Installed in a public park, the corner is charming, and the castle, worthy of those of fairy tales!

History of the Malahide Castle

A property of the Talbot family

The origins of the castle date back to 1185, when a young knight who accompanied Henry II to Ireland in 1174, named Richard Talbot obtained land and the port of Malahide.

He then had a castle built which was to become his main residence and for future generations for more than 791 years (from 1185 to 1976!). The castle fell however to the hands of Miles Corbet from 1649 to 1660 (Cromwell gave it to him as a gift during the Conquests of Ireland). But the castle returned to the Talbot family at the hanging of Corbet.

On the construction side, the castle was enlarged during the reign of Edward IV, and towers were added in 1765.

In 1975, the castle was sold by Rose Talbot (the last member of the family, who died in 2009) to the Irish State to finance inheritance tax. Many of the contents, including the furniture of the castle had been sold in advance, causing controversy within the Irish government.

Since then, the castle has been restored, a shop has been set up, and the building is open to the public.

Visit Malahide Castle

Malahide Castle offers guided tours that will take you to the large rooms of the castle, as well as the banqueting hall. Among them are the Oak Room, and the Great Hall, which are particularly interesting. The furniture is period, as are the tapestries and the decoration as a whole.

During the visit, you can also discover the beauties of the Talbot Botanic Gardens, which is located behind the castle. It consists of several hectares of plants and lawn, with an enclosed garden of 1.6 hectares. (Access is only possible on Wednesdays). The garden is equipped with 7 greenhouses and a Victorian conservatory.

Finally, you can end your visit with a small tour of the shop, which offers objects from Irish craftsmanship. There is also a small cafeteria with coffee, tea and pastries.