Malahide Castle, Malahide, Ireland

Malahide Castle (Irish: Caisleán Mhullach Íde), 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 1649–60, 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 de Malahide.

Malahide Castle and Demesne was eventually inherited by the 7th 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. Rose Talbot, one of the last surviving members of the Talbot family died at Malahide House, Tasmania in 2009. Her closest relatives, who married into the German surname Dietsch, travelled to Canada and the United States of America. Members of the Dietsch family still live in the USA and Canada today.

Address

Dublin Road , Malahide, Ireland

See all sites in Malahide

Details

Founded: 1185
Category: Castles and fortifications in Ireland

More Information

www.sezamki.eu
www.malahidecastleandgardens.ie
en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Sibeesh Venu (6 months ago)
Beautiful castle. The area and the castle is maintained very well. There are shops and toilets inside the spot. There are enough free car parking spaces. We went for a Halloween event there and the kids enjoyed it. The ticket price was a bit high that in the end it wasn’t worth it. The surrounding areas are beautiful and you can easily spend hours.

Amy Durant (6 months ago)
The grounds are breathtaking. Our tour guide brought history to life. He was so informative, and the castle was beyond beautiful. Thank you for an unforgettable experience!

Chris Jones (6 months ago)
This place was magical. The castle grounds and the gardens were amazing to walk through, and the cafe was a great surprise, exactly what we needed to refuel and keep going. I would suggest this location to anyone, and it's easily reachable via public transportation.

Mateus Andrade e Silva (6 months ago)
Nice place to visit on a sunny day with friends and family. The guided tour of the castle is worth it. The greenhouse is a great place if you like butterflies ? (stay until the close time to be more private and try to find different species, maybe if you are lucky, some of them can land on your hand)

Mihail Neculai (7 months ago)
Amazing castle less than 20 minutes away from Dublin, preserved in outstanding shape. Surrounding gardens are very beautiful and in the big open areas many concerts were accommodated with famous artists performing. Another attraction is the small but cozy butterfly garden. Strongly recommended for a half day visit, preferably without rain, though :)

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Roman Moško

Historic Site of the week

Trencín Castle

Trenčín Castle is relatively large renovated castle, towering on a steep limestone cliff directly above the city of Trenčín. It is a dominant feature not only of Trenčín, but also of the entire Považie region. The castle is a national monument.

History of the castle cliff dates back to the Roman Empire, what is proved by the inscription on the castle cliff proclaiming the victory of Roman legion against Germans in the year 179.

Today’s castle was probably built on the hill-fort. The first proven building on the hill was the Great Moravian rotunda from the 9th century and later there was a stone residential tower, which served to protect the Kingdom of Hungary and the western border. In the late 13th century the castle became a property of Palatine Matúš Csák, who became Mr. of Váh and Tatras.

Matúš Csák of Trenčín built a tower, still known as Matthew’s, which is a dominant determinant of the whole building.

Malahide Castle