Construction of the castle began in 1175. Richard Talbot was granted the “lands and harbour of Malahide” by Henry II the King of England, Lord of Ireland. Talbot was a knight that had travelled with the King during a visit to Ireland. The castle and lands stayed in the Talbot family for nearly 800 years the exception being for 10 years when Oliver Cromwell (Booooo!!!) gave it to his Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer Miles Corbet. With the Restoration of Charles II in 1660 the castle once again retuned to the hands of the Talbots. If all these names are starting to make your head swim this is a deliberate effort on my part to make this blog post read like a chapter from the popular Game of Thrones.
The Tablot family sold the castle and grounds to the Irish state in 1975 to help pay inheritance tax. The grounds and castle are open to the public and the insides recently restored to give an indication of how people used to live there. The grounds are wonderful and the Talbot botanic gardens are just behind the castle. They are a testament to the love of the 7th Lord Talbot de Malahide for plant collection.
I will need to visit the grounds again for further pinholing as I have just read that the grounds are one of the few surviving examples of 18th century landscaped parks. I had hoped that I could find some link between Malahide Castle Talbot family and the inventor of photography Henry Fox Talbot, but alas, the only link I could find was in my own brain and now this blog post.
Zero Image 4×5 Pinhole Camera (Horseman 120 rollback fitted)
Film: Rollei Digibase CR 200 Pro
Dev: Tetenal C-41 Kit
Focal Length:25mm
Aperture:f138
Exposure:8 seconds
Pinhole Obscura 
I am just stuck on the fact that you pass a freakin’ castle on your drive home from work.
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I was thinking about this, I could start a mini project just photographing the castles I live near. To get to Malahide castle I did need to take a 5 minute detour 🙂
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That is a really good idea! I’d certainly enjoy it as there are no castles at all in the PNW. Or anywhere else in America. Unless you count the Hearst Castle (which shouldn’t count at all).
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Just Dublin….and not all in as good repair as Malahide…
Ardgillan Castle, Ardgillan Demesne, Balrothery
Artaine Castle, Artaine
Ashtown Castle, Phoenix Park.
Athgoe Castle, Newcastle, i
Ballyowen Castle,
Balrothery Castle, intact
Baymount Castle, Heronstown, Clontarf
Belgard Castle, Tallaght,
Bremore Castle, Balbriggan,
Bullock Castle
Carrickmines Castle,
Castle Bagot, Kilmactalway, Newcastle,
Castle Mount, Clogh
Castle Park (Castle Perrin), Monkstown,
Castleknock Castle
Cheeverstown
Clonskeagh Castle, Roebuck. 19th century, on site of earlier castle.
Clontarf Castle, Clontarf.
Conn Castle,
Dalkey, 2 remaining of original 7 castles
Donabate,
Drimnagh Castle,
Drumcondra Castle,
Dublin Castle,
Dundrum Castle,
Dunsoghly Castle,
Howth Castle,
Irishtown Castle, ruin
Kilgobbin Castle, ruin,
Killiney Castle,
Killininny Castle, Firhouse
Kilsallaghan Castle
Knocklyne (Knocklyon) Castle, Knocklyon. Intact,
Lambay Castle, Lambay Island
Lanestown,
Luttrellstown Castle, Restored Castle
Merrion Castle
Merrion Castle,
Nangor Castle, Nangor.
Portrane (Stella’s Tower)
Puck’s Castle, Shankill. brief history & photos, Ruin
Puck’s Castle
Rathfarnham Castle,
Rathmines Castle, R
Roebuck Castle, Roebuck.
Sarsfield Castle,
Shangannagh Castle
Shankill Castle,
Simmonscourt Castle,
Stillorgan Castle,
Swords Castle,
Thorncastle
Tully’s Castle, Clondalkin,
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Jesus!!
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Yep
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Well that blows my waterfall tour away
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Not really some of these are just ruins, some are shopping centres and some are even fancy hotels.
I think this is one of the great things about this blog, it is making me look at lot closer at my local surroundings. I don’t even see the castles anymore I have looked at them my whole life.
Nothing to see here, move along 😉
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It is, seriously, very cool that you live around all of this history. I am envious, as I’ve said before. I am still new to the west side of the state so for me this blog is masking me play tourist and exploring, which I’m enjoying a lot. 🙂
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🙂 the journey is the adventure
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Exactly! 😀
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Hello
By distant marriage there was a relationship to the Talbot Family and ours. Ms Rose Talbot send my husband a personal letter and and black and white photo. She asked if my husband a ‘Henry’ by surname was interested in buying the castle. Surly an end of the line hope and a offer by way of desperate circumstance – 800 years is a long time – then to have to ‘let go’. Sad really. But no was the answer then. In the 1970’s (in CA) homes in USA could be purchased for 17K-35K for middle class – so you know the comparative economy. So a suggestion to buy Malahide for 350k? Was a bit steep. Of course this 350k is a bargain in CA 2023 dollars but not so in 1970-75 era. Q: How I found this website? On the connecting photography and Malahide? I too was wondering if William Henry Fox Talbot, as by name, I was sought to discover of this man (as a iconic photographer) was in any relationship to this beautiful castle.
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