Malehide Castle: A 'Must-See' Example of Magestic Irish Castles

Malehide Castle is perhaps the most convenient to visit in Ireland if you're coming from overseas. No tour of Irish castles would be complete without it!

The Castle is located in Dublin County, Leinster Province, just minutes from the Dublin Airport. A short drive on your own or in a taxi will take you to Malahide from the airport in under 10 minutes via Stockhole Lane and then Baskin Lane.

Things to Know About Malehide Castle

Here are some fun facts about this amazing Irish landmark. Hopefully they will entice you to pay a visit in person!

But if that is not possible, you can always use them to impress your friends with your knowledge of one of the most-visited attractions in Ireland.

Located just north of Dublin, Malehide Castle dates back to the 12th century.

A knight named Richard Talbot was given the Malahide estate, which today occupies more than 260 acres.

You can tour the museum run by the Malahide Historical Society, stroll through the Tadpolt Botanic Gardens or even plan a private event in the incredible Gothic great hall.

On our last visit, local children's soccer teams were playing on the sprawling castle grounds!

For almost 800 years, the Talbot family owned Malahide Castle. Their ownership began with a knight who built the castle in 1185 to his descendents that passed it to the Irish Government in 1976.

The only exception to this impressive stretch of ownership came in the middle of the 17th century. From 1649 to 1660, Oliver Cromwell briefly gave the castle to Miles Corbet, who was later hanged.

Although many parts of the castle date back to the 12th century, Malahide was enlarged during the 18th century. In 1765, there were also new towers added to the building.

Malahide has weathered many battles and storms. The most notable was the Battle of the Boyne.

The morning of the Battle of the Boyne, 14 members of the family ate breakfast in the Great Hall. By that evening, all were dead.

Malahide Castle also played a role in World War I. On the ground of the castle, airships were moored for safety throughout the war.

If you visit today, you can have a guided tour of the castle. During the summers, the gardens are also used often for major concerts featuring artists like Eric Clapton and Pink.

The gardens are one of the top attractions in the region. Known as the Talbot Botanic Gardens, the expansive grounds feature a Victorian conservatory, acres of landscaped parks and a traditional walled garden.

To arrive at Malahide in style, try the Malahide Road Train. It makes lots of stops nearby, making it a convenient way to get to the castle.

After your tour, make your way to Malahide Village. You'll find tons of great shops and restaurants, many of them with a view of the castle.

You can find more information about this famed Irish landmark here.

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Knowledge of Irish castles and their fascinating stories will also help you enjoy the many downloadable, share-able Irish games, puzzles, recipes, songbooks, quizzes, and many other resources that we have collected for you over the years.

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