Tags
Castle, castle grounds, Cultural heritage, culture, Dublin, Gardens, Malahide Castle, Museum, Walks
On a recent trip to Dublin I paid a visit to Malahide Castle. I vaguely remember visiting the castle as a child, as we used to live in Dublin and often went on family excursions on Sundays. For the visit our main goal was to go for a leisurely walk and the castle grounds can certainly provide this. Around the castle there is a fabulous walk, with clear paths and even exercise sections laid out with beams and stoops to allow for a vigorous work out on your way up to the castle. We however decided to take our time walking to the castle, taking in all the beautiful flora and fauna that surrounds the castle.
The castle is one of the oldest in Ireland, dating to the 12th century. The view when you finally come upon the castle is spectacular. The building is not a ruin as so many other castles are but is still in tact and looms over the expanse of the grounds it’s sits on. The castle is situated on a site that spans 260 acres, not to bad for a spot in Dublin. The grounds offer a vast array of things for a day out, including a play ground, golf course, fabulous walks and of course a visit to the castle. 
Sadly we didn’t come prepared and hadn’t allowed ourselves time to explore the interior of the castle. Looking on the website there is an interactive exhibition detailing the story of the inhabitants of the castle and all tumultuous lives they lived. You can also avail of a tour of the reception rooms which looks like a must see. Malahide castle definitely is a place I need to revisit to take in all that the site has to offer.
For my short visit I did get a chance to look around the exterior of the castle and the graveyard that abuts it. I have it on good authority that there is a stunning walled garden adjoining the castle that is a also a must see. I think sometimes it is good to stumble upon a place unprepared as it gives you a taste of a place and provides the encouragement to return. The castle certainly does this, it is well maintained and a very welcoming place. I was surprised to see the amount of space that the Talbot family, the owners of the castle, have and was in awe of the way they have preserved the site and opened it up to visitors. I certainly will be checking out the exhibition on my next visit. 
There is also another huge plus to visiting the castle, once you have explored and immersed yourself in the history of the family you can pop into the Avoca onsite and treat yourself to some of the glorious food they have on offer. We certainly did!
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