Malahide castle
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Malahide Castle, set on 100 ha of park land in the pretty seaside town of Malahide, was both a fortress and a private home for nearly eight hundred years and is an interesting mix of architectural styles. The castle's core dates from the 14th century but later additions, such as its rounded towers, have given it a classic fairytale appearance.
The Talbot family lived here from 1185 to 1973, when the last Lord Talbot died. Guided tours take you round the castle's collection of 18th-century Irish furniture, the oak-beamed Great Hall and the impressively carved Oak Room. The house is furnished with an extensive collection of Irish portrait paintings, mainly from the National Gallery. It includes portraits of the Talbot family and other figures such as Wolfe Tone.
The history of the family is recorded in the Great Hall, with portraits of generations of Talbot telling their own story of Ireland's stormy history. One of the more poignant legends corcerns the morning of the Battle of the Boyne in 1690, when fourteen members of the family breakfasted together in this room, never to return, as all were dead by nightfall. Many additions and alterations have been made to this romantic and beautiful structure, but the contours of the surrounding parklands have changed little in eight hundred years, retaining a sense of the past.
Lord Talbot was collecting plants from other countries so he established wonderful gardens around the castle.
During your visit to Malahide Castle, an old yellow article from a newspaper can be seen in the hall of the castle. According to the author of the article, a few witnesses saw a ghost of White Lady walking inside the building...
So try your luck and go to Malahide, who knows - maybe you will see this Lady, too? Even if not, you won't be disappointed with your tour, believe me!