Malahide Castle & Gardens

Lovely place to spend the whole day, and to go back to. Castle visit very interesting and gardens are beautifully kept. Squirrels, birds and rabbits everywhere. Lots of good photo opportunities. Butterfly house has some large and colourful species. Surprised to find a few mimosa trees. Staff very helpful and friendly and even speak good French. Avoca restaurant serves excellent and large choice of food. Shop is full of stuff you really want to buy. I can understand that the place is so popular.

Malahide Castle is incredibly easy to reach from Dublin by public transport, which makes it a perfect day trip. On site, the staff were welcoming and efficient. The castle tour can be done either with a guide or an audioguide — we chose the guided option and highly recommend it. Our guide truly brought the history to life, sharing wonderful anecdotes and happily answering all our questions. It made the experience much more engaging. The castle itself is impressive, yet the visit feels perfectly timed : long enough to explore properly without ever feeling rushed or overwhelming. The surrounding gardens are vast and beautifully maintained, with different walking paths to choose from. There are little “easter eggs” hidden throughout the grounds, which makes it especially fun for children (and curious adults!). The butterfly house is absolutely stunning — you could easily spend hours there. It’s just as well maintained as the gardens and truly magical to experience. The gift shop was lovely as well. While slightly on the expensive side, it’s nice to grab something to eat or drink (there’s a very wide selection) and sit on one of the benches in the park to enjoy the surroundings. There’s clearly even more to explore, including the nearby village of Malahide, so we’ll definitely be back. We would recommend it just as much for solo visitors as for families with children.

This is a very nice way to spend a late morning/early afternoon. If you want to go on a tour of the castle, be mindful of the closing hours. Tours only run until 1 hour before closing. We were lucky to catch the last tour, our guide was great and to the point. The castle itself is well maintained and well displayed. The grounds are massive, and could easily take a couple hours if you take your time to stroll them. I really think it’s worth the visit. I did have one quibble that I would caution anyone who does not purchase tickets in advance. The cell service is really poor on the grounds nearest the castle, making it near impossible to buy tickets online, like the signage suggests. The free wifi is also poor and I wouldn’t count on it to use either. We ended up needing to go to the visitor centre to purchase tickets. I wish they had better signage about where to buy tickets. Nowhere does it say ‘buy tickets here’. So we were honestly a bit confused as to where we were to go once inside the visitor centre to purchase tickets. The counter inside the museum gift shop is where you purchase them. There is limited signage everywhere telling you where you are or where things are, which is not often a problem, but the map is quite rudimentary and there are lots of little paths.

An absolutely wonderful place to visit — one of the best family days out in Dublin! The castle itself is fascinating, full of history and beautifully preserved, with friendly and knowledgeable staff who make the tour really enjoyable. The gardens are immaculate — from the old trees and flower beds to the wide open lawns, everything feels peaceful and perfectly maintained. The butterfly house was a real highlight for us — a magical little world full of colour and calm, ideal for kids and adults alike. The playground is one of the best we’ve seen anywhere, clean, safe, and full of clever design features that keep children entertained for ages. The Avoca restaurant and shop are fantastic too — great coffee, delicious food, and plenty of local products and gifts to browse. Everything is beautifully presented, and the staff are friendly and welcoming throughout. It’s the kind of place you could easily spend half a day just wandering, relaxing, and enjoying the atmosphere. Plenty of parking, good facilities, and overall an excellent experience from start to finish. Highly recommended for anyone visiting Dublin or looking for a perfect weekend outing. 🌳🦋☕️🇮🇪

I had an absolutely lovely visit to Malahide Castle, and the guided tour was a real highlight thanks to our guide, Darina. The castle itself is beautiful, but the tour struck the perfect balance between storytelling and giving us time to explore the rooms on our own. Darina was fantastic — incredibly funny, charming, and wonderfully easy to understand. She spoke clearly and patiently, making the tour accessible even for visitors who don’t speak English fluently. Even when a few children were being a bit chaotic and touched things they really shouldn’t have, she stayed calm, professional, and kind, which impressed all of us. After the tour, I visited the botanical gardens and the butterfly house, both of which were stunning. The butterfly house in particular completely blew me away. A beautiful place, a great experience, and a guide who truly made my day. Highly recommended!

I would like to thank Mark, our guide, for the wonderful tour yesterday afternoon! It was a very interesting tour, rich in history. The castle is small but magnificent! The weather and the trains were against us, but thanks to the tour, it made up for what was a very chaotic day due to the weather! I hope I can come back to see the gardens and the butterflies! Thank you for your hospitality. ✨🍍

Went on a rainy, mid-week day in February with a toddler, when visiting Dublin, - so glad we did! Easy to get to via train. We went from Tara Street Station, bought rail tickets at the machine on the day and found it all very straightforward. We didn’t visit the castle, but bought tickets on arrival for the fairy trail, butterfly house and walled garden, which went very well with our toddler. I understand the play park is excellent, but we didn’t even make it, we put the day in with the 3 things mentioned above. The cafe was fantastic. I’d love to see this place in spring, the gardens must be incredible.

Beautiful castle. Interesting history. Close to Dublin. I highly recommend it. Our tour guide was great and had a lot of knowledge not only about the inhabitants but about life in Ireland during different time periods in history. I found him interesting and the stories even more lively. The grounds are beautiful but because of the rain, we couldn’t explore as much as we wanted to. I highly recommend the shop and cafe as well.

The gardens here are exactly what I would have expected when I visited Ireland-lush, green and full of so much history! I'm a sucker for a romantic staircase and we saw one that led up to the castle. I'm sure many brides have had their photos taken here over the years. I expected larger crowds, but I guess a cold day in October doesn't draw the tourists out like a warm summer day would. So if you prefer to visit without so many people, keep that in mind. Be sure to take a tour of the castle-it's amazing to see how well it's been preserved and just how much you can enjoy all these years later.

This was one of the unexpected surprises we had during our trip. This castle, the gardens, and ice cream shop were fantastic! The tour of the castle was so nice and the perfect length of time. I could have spent all day walking aprons the gardens. In summer it was absolutely stunning! The butterfly area was so magical. At the very last minute we decided to get some ice cream right before they ran out. OMG it was fantastic. Our entire family 9-70 years lived this stop. Make sure you give yourself enough time to explore.

Malahide castle offers guided tours through the castle. Our tour guide knew the ENTIRE history of this castle and the people who have lived here. He described why each room looked the way it did and had what it did. The garden was breath taking. The butterfly pavilion was a treat. It was really a great experience. The castle has so much history and ghosts and it was beautiful inside and out.

We went to Malahide Castle and Gardens to see The Cure live in concert. I had no idea how gorgeous and beautiful the grounds and the park at large were. If you want to see Ireland outside of Dublin, then going to Malahide to check out the castle and gardens should be on the list. Visiting Malahide Castle is easy if you're coming from Dublin. You take the tram to Malahide and can walk the rest of the way to the entrance, which is down the street. Malahide Castle is incredibly scenic, green, and beautiful. There's a lot to explore and walk around when you consider 260 acres are comprising the park. Had we visited not when we were going to a concert, we would have brought our cameras to photograph the various woodlands and views of the castle. But if you have the opportunity to see a concert on the grounds of Malahide Castle, do it. Watching shows there is magical. Very magical.

I ended up missing my train stop and decided to go to Malahide Castle. It was a fantastic visit and worth it for the historical castle and grounds, but the view of the property and the trees were fantastic. Well staffed with a great history going back 800 years. Beautiful stone and woodwork, and a great store with lots of local foods to have. I left with a loaf of gluten free sofa bread and some local cheese and I was happy to munch and to walk around the property. Like all castles, this one has a quaint story about the ghost of a young romantic spurned by his love who hung himself. Ireland is such a fun place and this castle and the estate were well worthy the wrong turn.

As I drove up the winding driveway, I was completely amazed at how lush and green the grounds were. Not to mention how many acres the castle was sitting on. Everything was so beautiful and historical that I was just blown away. This could because I love all things GRAND and this was just that. To think it belonged to one family whom we were told sold it?!?! however it was completely breathtaking. The church and graveyards was a bit surreal bc the graves are kind of coming up from the grounds but none the less a definite sight to see. If you take a train here there is a trail that will lead you from the train to castle, vice versa. We wasted money on a taxi but had we known about the trail we would've just walked. Also call before you go to make sure they are touring as times change per season. Definite must see if near the area!!

800 years of history make the castle and grounds a must-see if you are in the Dublin area. Malahide Castle and Gardens the history of the Talbot family dates back to as far as 1175 and is one of the oldest castles in Ireland, this magnificent & historic castle was home to the Talbot family for over 800 years. The building was notably enlarged in the reign of Edward IV, and the towers added circa 1600-1650. The estate survived such losses as the Battle of the Boyne and the Penal Laws. It was home to the Talbot family for almost 800 years (1185 to 1975).

Beautiful gardens and park area around the castle. Great for a brisk walk. The castle is beautiful and well kept. There is close parking. I would recommend visiting.

I have been addicted to castles and old things antique for a really long time. So when I decided to leave the USA and Experience Dublin, Ireland seeing a castle was on my list of things that I had to experience. This was a short day bus tour to this castle and it also has a botanical garden with butterflies and massive amounts of open land to take beautiful pictures of. We came on a Sunday so it wasn't very busy which was also nice. It was absolutely beautiful the tour inside the castle was about 40 minutes and worth it. I would definitely suggest this tour and this castle.

Beautiful castle an hour+ north of Dublin. However, the biggest problem is... no pictures & video because of... copyright concerns? GTFO. If not for that, the whole castle experience would've been an easy 5. Quaint place, quiet, and plenty to see inside. There's a cafeteria, et al. Outside views are stunning. I went and saw it when it was rainy. Wow did the greenery turn out. Maybe later in June or July, it'd be sunnier. But Ireland rains like Washington state, so... Definitely would visit again if I'm around Dublin again. I'm sure I will be.

Went to the Castle while in Dublin on business. Amazing to experience a structure so well preserved over the years. With the US being such a young country, we lose track of how beautiful history can be. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and i was fortunate enough to view at a time with a small group. A must see and if you have time, walk into Malahide Village to see the shops and shoreline.

I went here for father's day breakfast in Avoca and then for a walk around the gardens. The food in Avoca is always good quality and great portions sizes. The gardens are very beautiful and only €5 entry. The gardens are full of color and very picturesque. There is a rose garden, pond,glass house and even a castle ruin. Lovely day out.

I absolutely love Malahide Castle. They have an amazing playground for kids, a fantastic place to eat and get coffe and tea, loads of walks all around the estate, gorgeous gardens, and everything is beautifully landscaped, and very well maintained.

Great for outdoor activities in a safe and well maintained footprint close to true village, train and lots of car parking

Beautiful place set in hundreds of acres of well looked after land. It has lovely walks and a wonderful garden and it's easy to spend hours enjoying the setting as time seemed to fly when I am there. There are free parkings area near to the castle and a playground for the kids to enjoy .

This is definitely worth taking your family to! Susan was our guide and she did an excellent job even for the last tour. Just hop on the DART and head to Malahide!

I've been to Malahide Castle twice, once to go on the general tour and see the town of Malahide itself, the other to see Neil Young performing in the castle grounds. Both trips were pretty class. The Castle itself is decked out rather well. Some restoration work was being done on the windows while I was there last summer, but all in all you get a good feeling of what life would have been like around that time. The staff are very helpful, even during the busy season and they let me take the tour again a second time for free because I had missed some information the first time round. The town of Malahide, a short walk from the Castle, is a very quaint, pretty town. There's one or two decent pubs and a lovely church beside the dart station. All and all, a trip to Malahide is worth it.

Fairly boring self-guided tour. Thr room displays are primarily Victorian. Huge grounds, so be prepared for lots of walking. Really only worth a trip if its a sunny day because then you can just hang out in the grounds with nice scenery in the background.

Would not recommend this. The grounds are nice but largely in playing fields. The cafe is overpriced and very very slow service. the tour of the castle should be nice but is 7.50 and for that I got added with 5 other people to a tour group of 33 with comments to the tour group leader that the public are joining you and is that ok . I find it offensive to be referred to as 'the public'. 38 is too many to be able to see the rooms. The commentary is taped audio and no guide is in the room with you. As there were a large amount of non English speakers they talked over the audio. When I complained to 'the guide' who appeared for a minute in the doorway from time to time she said nothing really she could do. I said not good enough that is what paying for a tour means and she reluctantly came in the room and asked people to be quiet. I complained on the way out and was told all I could do was go immediately on the next tour which was not convenient. Dont go waste of money