"Castle Malahide" Malahide by jjasmine

Malahide Travel Guide: 51 reviews and 184 photos

The History of Castle Malahide

In the centre of Malahide Demesne stands the area’s most imposing building, Malahide Castle, home of the Talbot family for some 800 years. It is our best example of Malahide’s physical heritage. The Castle was founded by an Anglo-Norman, Sir Richard de Talbot who came to Ireland in 1185. The Castle started as a 3 storey tower house and around this core various extensions were added over the centuries. It was, at one time, a walled and moated castle and to-day, the grassy mounds to the left of the main door indicate where once the waters of the moat ran. The Castle incorporates architectural and decorative styles of many centuries. Here in this Castle, the Boswell Papers were discovered, the largest and most important find of English literary manuscripts ever made. Some very fine rooms enhance the interior: the Great Hall is a medieval room C.1487 and is overlooked by a minstrel’s gallery; the Oak Room is a 16th.Century richly-carved oak-panelled room; the Library dates to the mid 16th. Century and the Drawing Rooms were constructed between 1765 and 1782. To-day, the Castle, which is open to the public, displays a fine selection of Irish antique furniture as well as housing the National Portrait Collection. The Fry Model Railway nearby is a very extensive working lay-out depicting Irish rail transport up to the present.
In 1976, Dublin County Council acquired Malahide Castle and Demesne of 268 acres for £650,000. There are many items of interest in the Demesne. The Gardens, comprising 20 acres, were created between 1948 and 1973. In them are over 5,000 varieties of plants from both the Northern and Southern hemispheres. In the Castle grounds also are to be seen: a lodge known as Malahide Gate, which was designed by A. Souther Forrest in 1886; an old limekiln; an ice-house; a covered well known as Yourell’s Well, which produces crystal clear water, and anchor rings, still in the ground, which were used to tether Blimps or airships used for patrolling the Channel on the look-out for submarines during the 1914-’18 War. The Blimps were 143 feet long, 32 feet wide and had a cruising speed of 35 m.p.h.

Romatic light.

Look after the park

Intro Updated May 28, 2003
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Reviews (30)

Take a deep breath!!! Off The Beaten Path (13)

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walking around the green trees - Malahide

walking around the green trees Off The Beaten Path (13)

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Green instruction... Off The Beaten Path (13)

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Green wall. Off The Beaten Path (13)

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Sports & Outdoors (1)
Relaxing is the best choice here.
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Things to Do (2)
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Comments (5)

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sandydeines Dec 23, 2008 at 2:07 PM

I don't see the point in this page. No text only photos. Aren't travelogues for that?
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cielo85 Jun 12, 2004 at 7:15 AM

thank u soooooooooo much for this sweet page,i've always dreamed of visiting there someday since i watched a movie taken there,good pics and info!!!
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Sharrie May 29, 2004 at 5:41 AM

That's it... keep it up & start writing the stories... :-)))
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Braveheart.southafrr Sep 4, 2003 at 11:46 AM

beautifull castle heidi ...........kenneth
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orlikins Jul 20, 2003 at 6:22 AM

been to Malahide loads of times, but never actually visited the castle!