Malahide Castle

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Step back in time and explore the magnificent Malahide Castle, home to the Talbot family for over 800 years. Discover opulent state rooms, exquisite art collections, botanical wonders, and fascinating tales of the past.

Malahide Castle is one of Ireland's most iconic landmarks and oldest inhabited castles, with a dramatic 800-year heritage. Located just 14 km north of Dublin city centre, the castle was home to the Talbot family from 1185 until 1975, making it one of the longest continuous occupancies of any Irish castle. The magnificent medieval fortress was continually expanded and embellished over the centuries, featuring everything from 12th-century tower houses to Georgian drawing rooms and Edwardian bedrooms. Today, visitors can explore the castle's opulent state rooms, admire one of Ireland's most important collections of Jacobite portraits, and wander through the breathtaking 260-acre demesne featuring botanical gardens, a butterfly house, and enchanting fairy trail. The castle showcases exceptional Irish craftsmanship across multiple eras, from Flemish 17th-century carvings in the Oak Room to the spectacular Great Hall dating from 1475, making it a rare example of a Gaelic feasting room.

History: In 1185, King Henry II granted Richard Talbot, a Norman knight who had served him during the invasion of Ireland in 1174, the lands and harbour of Malahide. Richard built the earliest stone fortress, an Anglo-Norman tower house, which the Talbot family continuously expanded over the next eight centuries. The Talbots held many roles of power in church and state, becoming Hereditary Lords Admiral of Malahide when the port was historically booming. Their tenure was broken only once, between 1649 and 1660, when Cromwellian soldiers seized their lands and the castle was occupied by Miles Corbet, a regicide and Lord Chief Baron of Ireland. Following the restoration of King Charles II, the castle was returned to the Talbots, with Lady Talbot ordering the castle's defenses be stripped to make it less attractive to future invaders. The Great Hall was extensively remodeled in 1825 in neo-gothic revival style by the 2nd Baron Talbot. The drawing rooms were redecorated in 1833 in the distinctive 'Malahide Orange' colour after Margaret Talbot (née O'Reilly) was created Baroness Talbot of Malahide. The 7th Baron Talbot, Milo, died suddenly in 1973, and his sister Rose was forced to sell the castle and lands to meet substantial death duties. Fingal County Council acquired Malahide Castle, Gardens and Demesne in 1976 and opened it to the public shortly after.

Significance: One of Ireland's oldest inhabited castles with 800 years of continuous occupation by a single family (with one 11-year exception). Features one of the most important collections of Jacobite portraits in Ireland displayed in their original setting, and showcases exceptional Irish craftsmanship from medieval times through to the Edwardian era. The castle and its 260-acre demesne represent one of few surviving examples of 18th-century landscaped parks in Ireland.

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