I've been able to visit lots of castles across Europe, but very few have been preserved in such a way that the interior decor and furniture remain and continue to tell the story of their inhabitants. It's extra cool to be able to see things just the way someone would have back so long ago. The rooms are staged with artifacts and replicas and they are pretty true to life. The ornate designs in the wood are original and each one tells a different story. Be sure to ask your tour guide about the term "being plastered" and where that originated. This is one castle you don't want to miss out on. read more

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Wish I had more time to do more! We had a wonderful guide on the day trip! She was so knowledgeable and fun! What amazing history! SO glad the government kept this gem as it was in its hay day! Please always keep this protected! The gardens are outstanding! Kudos to the grounds keepers! The butterfly garden is a MUST see! I had a great time shopping in the deli and shoppes....I regret not having time for the cafe...the food smelled yummy! read more

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This castle is close to Dublin and the airport. Glad I didn't miss this! Great shops inside and ticket price was not bad at all. We really loved the grounds and butterfly house too read more

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I recommend a visit when you come to Ireland, the history and the beauty of the "hand crafted" items. WOW..... the tour was fairly priced and the guide was extremely knowledgeable. I say "GO VISIT ".... You won't be disappointed read more

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This castle and its grounds are definitely worth a visit. Just roughly 45 minutes outside of Dublin via Taxi or 1 hour via the Dart. Your ticket includes a guided tour of the castle and its stunning rooms. Our tour guide Aidan was extremely knowledgeable and gave us just about everything we needed to know about the castle and its history. The tour ran at just about an hour, but the sights make the extra time worth it. read more

When in Dublin we took a bus to tour Malahide Castle. This is not very far from the city so it's a good choice for a little trip out to the country. The castle was a gift to the family Talbot after service to Henry II. It was part of the Talbot family for nearly 800 years, with the notable exception of about a decade when Oliver Cromwell was on a tear through the country. The last family member to own it sold it in the mid-1970's, and it's been in the care of the government since. The grounds are extensive. They actually have concerts here sometimes, and I kinda wish there'd been one when I was there. There are ghostly legends... which I'm alternatingly fascinated and frightened by. There is a fairy trail here which is adorable! I wish I'd gone on it when I was there. Maybe if I find myself in Dublin again. read more

Malahide Castle - Malahide Castle. - Museums Near Me

I love the tour of Malahide Castle! Our tour guide shared many insights of how the "royalty" of that day lived. It was entertaining as we visited all the rooms and learned the customs and "secrets" of the powerful! As well as a few colloquial sayings such as "don't throw the baby out with the bath water!" Makes sense now because the entire family would use the same water when they bathe. The last person in the water was the least, the baby! By then the water was so dirty the joke was, don't throw the baby out with the bathwater lol! It was rich with history and has a surprise addition of a butterfly sanctuary that was filled with the most beautiful creatures. My Ireland adventure was epic and I would love to go again, Malahide Castle is a must see! read more

Yelp 100 Challenge 2018 - #78/100 My all-time fave and the only Prince performed here on July 30, 2011. It's a venue for concerts by other artists as well. As soon as we parked we hurriedly braved the Irish inclement of rain and wind and left our purses in the car so we were not able to do the tour. Belatedly as we were perusing through the gift shop, we realized that they take Apple Pay. By this time we were cold and damp so when a friend called with an invite to a hot bowl of soup we left but not without me promising to come back for the tour the next time I'm in Ireland. read more

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Had a fantastic tour of the castle, very reasonably priced and about 45-50 minutes long. The guide was hilarious and a fantastic story teller - I wish I could remember her name. The town is great for food and coffee and drinks and light shopping. Couldn't recommend enough! read more

It's been a few years since my last visit and there have been vast improvements. The tour of the castle is about 45 minutes long then we toured the beautiful garden grounds. After walking the paths, you can shop at Avoca for beautiful clothes and housewares. You can stop for a meal or some tea or snacks in a very pretty setting. read more

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This was such a great addition to our family adventure. The castle tour allowed us to explore the various rooms at our own leisure and take as many pictures as we wanted. It was absolutely beautiful and the property has been maintained very well. This is a must see if ever you find yourself exploring the outskirts of Dublin. read more

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I was generally impressed with this lovely castle and grounds. It is accessible by city bus, which was a huge advantage for me at the time I visited as I did not have a car. Tickets are purchased at the Visitor Center. The €12 admission fee allows access to the Exhibition, the Gardens and permitted a Castle tour. The real highlight for me was the roughly 45-minute guided tour through the castle itself. Our leader did a fabulous job of taking us through the structure, explaining the history of the occupants. The most fascinating aspect was simply the longevity as the Talbot family lived there almost 800 years from 1185 until 1975. The idea of a family occupying the same home for that long and the same structure surviving essentially intact for as long as it did were both astonishing. The castle structure itself also held some interesting architectural features. In general, I was quite glad that I took the time to see this place. If you are at all interested in architecture, history or natural history, this place is worth putting on your itinerary. The lovely seaside village of Malahide is just a short walk from the castle and is a lovely place in which to spend time. read more

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Great castle and keep on the talbot lands, one of humane landlords from Normandy originally. Excellent international gardens and wonderful walks. Not far from village center. read more

This post is for the Enchanted Christmas at Malahide Castle as the castle itself is gorgeous and speaks for itself. While visiting the Emerald Isle at Christmas time we wanted to take our 3 year old to a "real castle" and of course an "Irish Santy" experience and this was the best choice for both! Though your visit must be booked, the sooner the better! We didn't know that, and visited on a Friday morning. The hostess at check in was fabulous and radio'ed over to see if they could squeeze in our little girl. After a moment she got the "OK" and we were rushed over to cue up and right in we went! We were greeted with a lovely minced fruit pie and mulled wine (though you're offered either apple cider or mulled wine). The minced pie was delicious and so full of Christmas flavor! First stop was with Mrs. Claus who was so lovely and her grotto was decorated lovely! The into see the man himself! Santa too was fabulous with his Irish charm and real beard! Each took a good few minutes with our child for an unforgettable experience filled with magic! Santa gave our little girl a lovely gift and off we went to wait for the castle tour. The tour has "visitors" in each room "Tinker Bell for a sing-along, The Ice Queen in the living room and Jack Frost in the dining room. Each character was great! My little one now loves Jack Frost! Please note it's not a full castle tour, but still well worth it! (We didn't visit the bedrooms). Great experience for a child to fill their Christmas with magic! Just be sure to book your visit prior, we were very lucky! After our Enchanted. Christmas visit we went over to Avoca for a lovely tea where all of the food was delicious! To make our day even more magical we headed over to the Malahide playground to run off our child's excitement! The playground is located just behind the car park area. Through the gorgeous woods, there are even a few activities in the woods (the log roller). The playground is gorgeous! Great play equipment for kids of all ages! From basket swings, a castle with two massive slides to a zip line! Loads of fun!!! read more

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Antique hunters, auctioneers, and historians would say this place is the bomb!! uh, well maybe not but if you like historical buildings and antique furniture then you might. Also, the tour guides swear it's haunted!! Malahide Castle is one of the most historic castles in Ireland. From 1185 until 1975, it was the home of the Talbot family. The Talbot family were actually remarkable as well, having lived here longer then most families in all of Ireland. The grounds cover near 260 acres and are full of trails for a nice walk. They have a banquet hall and a cafe to grab a bite. Of course the tourist attraction wouldn't be complete without a gift shop (it always feels wrong to see a gift in a castle, maybe it's just me). General admission will cost you 7.50 euro but to be honest it was worth it, I found it to be very interesting. read more

Malahide Castle - Museums Near Me

Pretty cool castle that's worth seeing. They don't let you take any photos inside, but it's very interesting. Tour guides are sufficient, but a tad boring. Cafe inside has some great hot chocolate. read more

Malahide Castle - Museums Near Me

Very interesting and beautiful castle, 45min north from Dublin. This has a very beautiful exterior look. The glass above the door looks awesome. Had a nice tour through here. It was my first Irish Castle visit. I'd give them 5 stars, only if they didn't prohibit internal photographs. That was extremely lame, even though the Italians didn't seem to care. What copyright infringement were they really worried about? Lunch there was awesome too. I'd love to take my mother there some day. read more

Malahide Castle - Malahide Castle, Malahide, Ireland - Museums Near Me

What an excellent and beautifully restored castle, gardens and cafe. Reasonable price for the quality of the experience and free parking. Price also includes butterfly greenhouse. Cafe has many items for purchase above average in size for sure and high quality bakery and other foods one can enjoy or can take home. read more

I wanted to make sure that I posted pictures of the butterflies from the garden. This was one of the most beautiful parts of the tour. What a great way to end the tour. read more

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Malahide Castle has a few distinct features to recommend it as a day-out away from the city centre. The castle itself is certainly a site of historic interest. The tour of the castle interior definitely possess enough antiquated grandeur and character-driven history to keep me entertained. If you're with little kids (or even big adults) who aren't too impressed by the décor or hearing about centuries of goings-on at the Castle, the grounds are expansive and offer a relaxed walk about for everyone. Transport wise, it's a reasonably hassle free retreat as public buses and the train-line both stop adjacent to the castle (and I'm reliably informed that it's straight forward to get to by car too). I recently visited with some friends who considered the tour too expensive at (€7.50 for adults) but the grounds and the café are free to visit and the castle's proximity to Malahide village makes it well worth it, regardless of how deep your pockets are. read more

Malahide Castle - company website - Museums Near Me

Stayed nearby. Decided on a beautiful day to visit the castle, so glad I did. The castle is really lovely inside and the gardens are not to be missed. There is a tourist gift shop with decent food. The gift shop is upscale and actually not filled with junk. The grounds of the castle are also amazing. This is definitely worth a trip from Dublin. read more

Very pretty castle and not far from the city center at all! We caught the DART from Connelly to Malahide and it too about 40 minutes and 8 stops in between. Upon arriving, it was about an 18 minute walk from the station, and a scenic one at that! The castle itself it beautiful, not huge but very old and impressive. We took a guided tour and got to see all the place has to offer. The only disappointment is that the furniture they had on display was not where they originally should be (i.e. if you're standing in a room that looks like a sitting room, it was actually the dining room back in the day. This makes it hard to visualize what it should actually look like). The butterfly greenhouse is included with the ticket and it was nice, very small but nice to see. They also have a massive gift shop and plenty of decently priced food! I would suggest this castle to those who want to see one but don't want to stray too far from the city center. read more

Malahide Castle - Museums Near Me

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Beautiful grounds to walk around on and a very nice tour of the castle. Our castle tour guide was very knowledgeable and friendly, and many of the rooms included gorgeous artifacts. Everything appeared to be very well taken care of too. We stayed there for about 1.5 hours and that seemed like a good amount of time to be there. Worth a stop! read more

Malahide Castle - Museums Near Me

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Malahide Castle is one of Ireland's oldest castles, built on land given to Richard Talbot, a knight who accompanied King Henry II of England to Ireland in 1174. It's ancient and fascinating and very haunted. Many historic castles and houses have one ghost, some have two or three, but Malahide Castle has FIVE! Spooky eh I'll give you a little history of what happened so you all know what you are getting yourselves into ;) The Talbot family has lived in the castle since 1185. The haunting begins with a generation of the Talbot family with two children, one boy and one girl, who lived in the castle during the 1800s. One morning they sat down for breakfast in the dining hall when suddenly they all fell out of their chairs, dead. It is said that the cook poisoned them but no one really knows. Apparently that generation of the Talbot family had some unfinished business because they come every evening to the dining hall and visit. It is said that they throw plates, cups, and silverware in hopes of getting their revenge. We enjoyed the guided tour, although we thought they spent a bit too much time talking about the furnishings and not enough time talking about the ghosts and history of the place, but this was minor. Overall, the tour was very interesting. After the tour we took a walk around the botanical gardens beside the castle. These gardens were constructed by the Talbot family who owned the castle for 800 years. The gardens are beautiful, very well-manicured and above all peaceful. The weather was not the best so we had the entire gardens to ourselves. It was a nice change after being on a packed castle tour! There's Avoca located in the gorgeous grounds of Malahide Castle . The food in the Avoca cafe is excellent. They have an amazing array of food and nibbles, I wasn't hungry but couldn't help buying some delicious Avoca cakes ;).The high pricing seems to be there to catch the tourist, ok for a coffee, but if dining, make sure that you have a good expense account. If you are a ghost, history and/or garden buff, this is a place you will want to check out! read more

Malahide castle does indeed have an interesting history, and is full of interesting art, tapestries and furniture. However, it has been used as a residence up until quite recently so unfortunately has all the hallmarks of constant renovation (and let's face it, the 1960's weren't the best period for interior design). Inside is a real mix and match but is quite diverting to wander through for an hour or so. The grounds are lovely though - a great place for a picnic on a nice day. There's also a fantastic playground for kids on the walk in from Malahide station. The castle also has a cafe and toilets. Entry is reasonably priced and the staff are really friendly. Not a bad day out at all. read more

Malahide Castle - Image courtesy www.malahidecastle.com - Museums Near Me

Very beautiful castle. The land it is on is stunning. Many, many acres of green grass and beautiful trees leaves more then enough room for relaxing out in the field for a picnic or a field game. The castle itself is old, but kept up very nicely. The tour doesnt seem to allow you access to the ENTIRE castle, but you get to see 85% of it, which is nice. I only wish they hadnt ruined it by putting in a full shop and a cafeteria. It takes away from the feel of the castle. Leave it as it was so the true beauty could have been seen. read more

Malahide Castle is beautiful and a great day-trip if you want to get out of the city for a few hours. If you walk to the Castle from Malahide DART station, you can walk through a beautiful forest and it's got a nice playground in it as well- it took me nearly an hour to convince my nephews that it was time to move on. The castle itself is very cute and small and you can spend an hour or two wandering around here. However, I'm not sure if it was a good idea to put a cafeteria into the castle. On the one hand, they make a nice cup of coffee there and there is no other place to go to if you're all tired from the walk over to the castle, but on the other hand I don't think a modern cafeteria fits in with the Castle vibe. read more

Beautiful shop and bakery outside of the castle visit! Worth your while. I truly likes the healthy and fresh options. You can take out of sit in and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. Te bakery looks incredible with great presentation and wonderful flavors. Worth trying. The decor is perfect for a lunch date within girlfriends over tea and scones or a simple getaway on your own. Also great for large parties and kids. read more

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We took a short trip here on a visit to Dublin. The castle was not as medieval as I would have thought. Apparently someone lived here until the early 1970's so it was more modern. The history was interesting but the tour was not given by an Irish native, which I would have expected. We didn't see much of the garden since it was the end of winter. We had lunch there but it was overpriced. read more

Beautiful castle and garden. Also a great cafe and shopping. I would recommend this to anyone visiting Dublin...a must see

I actually always associated Malahide Castle with concerts rather than anything historical - I remember Belle X1 doing a gig here some years ago and while I wasn't at it I read that it was a brilliant venue. In the meantime it's actually a lovely place for a Sunday stroll too. It's all scenic woodland and paths. The day I was here there was nothing opened but it was really nice taking a winter's walk around the grounds. I plan go back there on a summer's day. Malahide is a beautiful village in itself and very accessible because the usually efficient Dart runs there. read more

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What a fun afternoon. A short dart trip takes you right into Malahide and it's about a 5 minute walk to the castle. Great tour guides. Very informed. Stunning estate. Highly recommend. Easy walk into the village for lunch or dinner. Beautiful coast views and walking. read more

An absolute visit if you are in Malahide! This castle is beautiful and the tour is in detail of the Talbot family that lived there. With original furniture, tapestries, wall... beautiful. read more

I thought Malahide Castle was a gorgeous place to go. We packed our dog in the car and took the little one to play at the castle. There is a lot of open green space and so we were able to let our dog off the leash and play a good game of fetch after our picnic. Dogs aren't allowed inside the playground, but I was able to find a shady place to sit down on the ground just outside the playground gate. There are also lots of walking paths. The only negative thing I have to say is that the toilets were absolutely disgusting. The ladies room was gross. Someone had peed all over the floor and I basically had to walk through it to get to the toilet. There is no soap (not even an option) and so I could only wash my hands with water. read more

Great experience. The castle is beautiful. The grounds and very well kept. The tour guide was very knowledgeable. She did a fabulous job. Would recommend this experience to anyone. read more

Castle is closed for renovation, re-opening September 12, 2012. Once opened the Secret Gardens will be open to the public for the first time. Avoca Cafe will also be opening on the castle grounds. read more

It's cool and full of neat history but I thought the recorded tour guide was a bit tacky. Kids didn't seem to enjoy it and several whined and cried throughout our tour. If you like history - and don't mind a castle with about a million changes since it was first built - this a very good time for 7.5 euro each. Skip the restaurant though - 6 euro for a thin sandwich with one thin slice of meat is pretty steep - even in Dublin. Oh yes - no photos inside - even though some were taken, including one of the ones by a another yelper here. Shame on you. read more

A short castle tour that was good but not great. The walled gardens offer lovely surprises around every corner and surpass the beauty of their castle. Ruins of the chapel are captivating. Just a brief Dart ride out to the Castle and an even shorter ride back if you catch the commuter train. Very good food and gift shop. Pricey gifts though. read more

One of my favourite place in Dublin! I often go for a run around the castle in the morning.

Nice drive up to the castle. Large, green gardens and open fields. The tour took about 45 minutes. This was my favorite castle we saw in Ireland because it still has all the old furniture. Nothing has been remodeled or repainted. You only see a few rooms of the castle, but still a great tour. Large garden behind the castle gives you a great view of the back of the castle. read more